The Program The Program

Eric Fisher, our world-famous founder and leader, is extremely passionate about Eric Fisher Academy. He loves spending time doing demos, photo shoots and shows for the students. As an extra bonus, he works most Saturdays, which means more one-on-one interaction with students.

You will receive hands-on training week after week from award-winning instructors. Instructors at Eric Fisher Academy benefit from the leadership of Eric Fisher, plus they receive on-going education to learn the latest techniques to stay on the forefront of the industry.

As a student of Eric Fisher Academy, you will practice on people and perform real-world services. Last year Eric Fisher Academy students performed over 50,000 services. Plus, our student-to-instructor ratio is low so you’ll receive more hands-on training!

Every 10 weeks, our graduating classes collaborate to create a runway show. Lights, music, models, decorations, costumes, hair, make-up and theme — the students create it all! With a packed house of friends and family, we watch the models strut down the runway displaying the incredible hair and make-up skills of Eric Fisher Academy future professionals. These runway shows allow our students to gain experience in teamwork, event planning, working hands-on with models, and capturing a true glimpse of a real-world runway show.

All Eric Fisher Academy students participate in a professional photo shoot with Eric Fisher in our state-of-the-art media studio. They find their own models and create incredible hair and make-up looks that show off what they’ve learned during their time at Eric Fisher Academy. This is the ultimate opportunity for our students to display their individual talents and work with a professional photographer to build their portfolios.

While attending school, our students have the opportunity to compete in the North American Hairstyling Awards (NAHA). NAHA is the most prestigious photographic beauty competition in North America, celebrating the artistry and skill of the professional salon industry. Since opening our doors in 2007, thirteen Eric Fisher Academy students have been finalists, two have won in the Student Hairstylist of the Year category, and one has won in the Makeup Artist of the Year category.

View our NAHA collections here!

Eric Fisher Academy has strong connections with spas across the nation and Eric Fisher has a vast pool of contacts to help you find the ideal place to start your career. Rest assured, an education from Eric Fisher Academy is highly respected amongst employers and spa owners.

You may see esthetics defined as the branch of philosophy that is directly related to the relationship between the senses and matters of beauty, art and taste. However, here in the beauty industry, esthetics refers directly to the health and beautification of the skin. In technical terms, esthetics refers to the application of various techniques to the epidermal layer of the human body. The practice of esthetics covers a wide array of techniques that may include chemical peels, hair removal, pore cleansing, makeup application and more.

As it turns out, the only real difference between aesthetics and esthetics is the ‘a’ at the beginning of the spelling. The two words mean roughly the same thing and many suggest that the difference is only a result of geography: esthetician being a more Americanized spelling and aesthetician being a European spelling.

Estheticians are armed with the knowledge of what products and treatments work with specific types of skin. Some services that licensed estheticians perform on their clients may include facials, microdermabrasion, exfoliation, chemical peels, facial massage, laser therapy, makeup and much more. Depending on the career path you choose to pursue after you earn your license, your day-to-day activities can vary.

There are numerous career paths available to esthetics school graduates. Many estheticians will probably tell you that career flexibility and job opportunities are a few of the biggest perks when it comes to their profession. Here are some of the career options you may want to pursue once you’ve earned your esthetics certificate:

• Esthetician
• Makeup Artist
• Medical Esthetician
• Lash Extensionist
• Hair Removal Specialist
• Spa Owner
• Esthetics Educator/Instructor
• Cosmetic Buyer
• Brand Representative or Trainer
• Makeup Artist on TV, Movie, or Photo Shoot Sets
• Celebrity Makeup Artist
• Beauty Editor for Magazines
• Beauty Blogger

The Bureau of Labor Statistics 2019 data reports that skincare specialists earn a median annual wage of $34,090 per year before tips, but an esthetician’s salary may vary greatly based on specialization within the field, location, years of experience and a variety of other factors.

At Eric Fisher Academy, it takes approximately nine months to complete the esthetics program (depending on rate of attendance). This means you can start your new career in less than a year! If you are not located in Kansas, be sure to check your state’s requirements for each individual program.

There are certain required steps you must take to become a licensed esthetician, and these steps will vary slightly depending on the state you’re getting your license in. As you work toward certification in your chosen specialty, you must attend a licensed school and complete the state’s minimum required training hours.

To become a licensed esthetician in Kansas, you must complete 1,000 hours of training. When you either meet or exceed the minimum training hours to qualify for licensure, you’ll be required to pass the esthetics state board exams issued by the Kansas State Board of Cosmetology. Once you pass the exams, you will receive your Kansas esthetics license and be legally permitted to practice in approved beauty settings.