The Guild · skilled trades & applied crafts
Cosmetology & Barbering
The craft behind the chair — cutting, color, and skin care done safely and to board standard.
Clean tools, safe chemicals, licensed hands — the non-negotiables every board examines first.
Syllabus · 2 units · ~10 hours
Unit I — Why It Matters
Bacteria, viruses, and fungi in the shop · Bloodborne pathogens and exposure rules · Licensing and the state board's role
Unit II — The Practice
Cleaning, disinfecting, sterilizing — three different things · Tool disinfection, step by step · Towels, capes, and stations · Documentation and inspection day
Guards, guidelines, and blending — building a clean fade from the bottom up.
Syllabus · 3 units · ~20 hours
Unit I — Tools
Clippers, trimmers, and guards · Blade care and adjustment · Combs and clipper-over-comb
Unit II — The Fade
Head shape and the horseshoe · Setting the baseline · Blending between guards · Bald fades and skin work
Unit III — Finish
Line-ups and edging · Necklines: blocked, rounded, tapered · The consultation: hearing what the client means
The geometry of a haircut — sectioning, elevation, and over-direction, from bob to long layers.
Syllabus · 3 units · ~24 hours
Unit I — Foundations
Head zones and sectioning · Elevation and its effect on weight · Cutting lines: horizontal, vertical, diagonal
Unit II — Classic Shapes
The blunt bob · Graduated cuts · Uniform layers · Long layers
Unit III — Texture and Detail
Point cutting and texturizing · Face framing · Checking a cut for balance
Levels, tones, and the color wheel — plus the peroxide chemistry that makes it permanent.
Syllabus · 3 units · ~26 hours
Unit I — The Science
Hair structure and melanin · Levels and underlying pigment · Developers and volume · The color wheel and neutralizing
Unit II — Application
Virgin applications and retouches · Foils and balayage · Toners and glazes
Unit III — Corrections and Care
Lightening safely · Color corrections · The strand test and the patch test · Aftercare advice clients can follow
Skin anatomy, facials, and contraindications — care that respects what skin actually is.
Syllabus · 3 units · ~18 hours
Unit I — The Skin
Layers and functions · Skin types and conditions · When to refer to a dermatologist
Unit II — The Facial
Cleansing and analysis · Exfoliation: mechanical and chemical · Massage movements · Masks and moisturizers
Unit III — Safety
Contraindications · Sanitation for skin services · Reading a product ingredient list