Program Overview

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Esthetician – Spa Management Ontario College Diploma program

Program Description

The Esthetician – Spa Management program provides you with the practical skills, business training, and professional competencies required to work in the growing field of esthetics. Taught by diverse faculty with extensive industry experience, this internationally recognized curriculum offers a holistic approach to teaching spa modalities, including specialized skin, body, and hand/foot treatments; corrective make-up techniques; and nutritional concepts for skin and body health. With over 240 hours of hands-on experience in Georgian’s Spa clinic, you hone your practice and develop the professional ethics and skills required to run a small business. You also gain the academic preparation for international testing. As a graduate, you’ll have an inspired passion for health and wellness, as well as the technical and management skills necessary for a successful and rewarding career in the esthetics industry.

Intake Information

• Start date: Fall 2025, Winter 2026
• Campus: Barrie

Tuition and Fees

• Visit our tuition and fees page for detailed information on the cost to attend Georgian.
• Review additional program-specific fees for this program.
• You can afford this! Explore OSAP as well as awards, scholarships, and bursaries to help you pay your way to graduation.

Work-Integrated Learning

• This program includes a clinical placement component where you’ll get clinical experience under the supervision of an experienced registered or licensed professional.
• Learn about types of work-integrated learning at Georgian.

Admission Requirements

• Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent, mature student status
• Grade 12 English (C or U)

Mature students, non-secondary school applicants (19 years or older), and home school applicants may also be considered for admission. Eligibility may be met by applicants who have taken equivalent courses, upgrading, completed their GED, and equivalency testing. For complete details refer to:

Pathways

Applicants who have taken courses from a recognized and accredited post-secondary institution and/or have relevant life/learning experience may also be considered for admission; refer to the Credit for Prior Learning website for details.

Additional Information

It is required that students have Standard First Aid prior to participating in the Spa Clinic. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that the permit status is valid for the duration of their time in the program.

Please visit the Esthetician – Spa Management webpage for a complete list of permit requirements.

During lab and clinics, students are not permitted to wear jewelry and must adhere to the professional decorum policy as described in the student handbook. Students are required to purchase uniforms, a student kit containing implements to be used during the course of the program, and a make-up kit.

Placement Requirements

To help you navigate the requirements to complete the clinical placement component(s) of this program (e.g., immunization, First Aid and CPR, criminal record screening, and other non-academic requirements), please review the details below.

For more information about placements, visit the Placement Offices webpage.

Career Opportunities

An esthetician has many opportunities for employment in the health and wellness industry. Graduates of this program may work in a variety of spas, such as day and resort spas, destination and cruise ship spas, salons, and health and wellness establishments. In addition, graduates are prepared for possible employment in many other areas such as in product sales, distributing and retailing of products, product education, spa reception and management, contracting, self-employment, and consulting positions, pharmaceutical industries, and Dermatologist and Plastic Surgery offices.

Accreditation

Georgian College’s Esthetician – Spa Management program is accredited by CIDESCO, the world standard for beauty and spa therapy.

Course Overview

• 17 Program Courses
• 3 Clinical Placements
• 2 Communications Courses
• 3 General Education Courses

Program-Specific Courses

Semester 1 courses are listed below. For a full list of courses in the program, including course descriptions, view the Esthetician – Spa Management program outline.

• SPAE 1001 – Cosmetic Product Knowledge
• SPAE 1003 – Fundamentals of Spa Treatments
• SPAE 1013 – Manicure and Pedicure Treatments Lab
• SPAE 1014 – Professional Practice in the Spa Industry
• SPAE 1017 – Fundamentals of Esthetic Sciences
• SPAE 1018 – Marketing and Social Media for the Spa Professional
• Select 1 course from the communications list during registration.

Course Delivery Method

In Person

This program is delivered fully in person and requires you to attend campus.

Related Programs

• Medical Skin Care Therapies
• Hairstyling
• Practical Nursing
• Pre-health Sciences Pathway to Advanced Diplomas and Degrees

Program Code

ESPA

Duration

2 Years

Credential

Ontario College Diploma

Program Delivery

Full-time

Program Delivery Method(s)

In person

Clinical Preparedness Permit

In order to provide quality practicum placements (“Placements”), students are placed in a variety of agencies, largely in the region serviced by the campus. Students are required to provide their own transportation to Placements. Placements may vary in length (e.g., six to 12 hour days) and may include weekends and evenings, with varying start and end times (e.g., day, afternoon, overnight).

Many programs, including Health and Wellness, have immunization, First Aid and CPR, criminal record screening, and other non-academic requirements that need to be met prior to Placements starting. You are responsible for carefully reviewing and meeting these requirements. The failure to meet them may mean that the host agency may refuse to accept you for a Placement or, if you have started one, that you may be prevented from continuing. The result may be that you cannot complete your program. Program-specific requirements can be found on page 2 of the Clinical Preparedness Permit specific to your program.

You are responsible for meeting all immunization, criminal screening, and other requirements by the deadline provided by your program and before you start your Placement.

Notes regarding the Criminal Record Check (“CRC”) and Vulnerable Sector Screening (VSS)

Individuals who have been charged or convicted criminally and not yet pardoned or who have adverse entries on their CRC or VSS will be prohibited from proceeding to a Placement. Such a student will normally be counselled to withdraw from the program because the successful completion of a Placement is a program requirement.

Obtaining the CRC and VSS usually requires a processing time of up to 12 weeks and can vary between police jurisdictions. As some jurisdictions require longer lead time for processing, ensure you allow for sufficient turn-around time. Record checks and screenings conducted earlier than six months may not be considered current and not be acceptable. Refer to your Clinical Preparedness Permit for information regarding this. A host agency may refuse a Placement if the CRC or VSS is not satisfactory to it. It is the student’s responsibility to provide the necessary completed documents prior to the start of a Placement at the designated check time, and in the format set by Georgian College and stated in the Clinical Preparedness Permit Information Package. More information can be found on the Placement Offices webpage.

The costs associated with the provision of the CRC and VSS, anything related to them (including, if applicable, obtaining a pardon), and meeting any immunization and other Placement requirements, are to be borne by the student. The non-academic requirements of clinical agencies as described in the Clinical Preparedness Permit are subject to change at any time and host agencies may accept or decline students for any reason at their discretion. Georgian College is not responsible for any of the costs associated with the foregoing, nor for the consequences of failing to comply with, any of the requirements set out above.