Cosmetic Laser Technician is a Certificate program offered by AVI Career Training in Vienna, VA. The program takes 2 weeks full-time (approx.) to complete, with a total tuition of $11,400.
Program Overview
A 10-day, 80-hour Laser Technician Certification split evenly between 40 hours of theory and 40 hours of practical work, equipping students to perform a range of laser treatments safely and effectively.
The theory half covers laser physics and tissue interaction, skin anatomy and laser safety, treatment modalities, client consultation and care, and equipment operation. The practical half is hands-on: laser hair removal, skin rejuvenation and photo-facials, tattoo removal, advanced techniques, and a final practical assessment.
What sets this Program apart
- Taught at a single campus in Vienna, Virginia — AVI operates no branch campuses.
- Accredited by the Council on Occupational Education (COE), and authorised by the U.S. Department of Education to participate in federal Title IV financial aid.
- Approved under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), and approved by the Virginia State Approving Agency to offer GI Bill® veterans education benefits.
- Personalised instruction through carefully controlled class sizes, with theory taught alongside clinical and internship experience.
Admission Requirements and Process
Entry is governed by the AVI Student Catalog 2025–2026. The requirements and the application steps are listed below.
General Requirements
- A completed AVI application and a $100.00 non-refundable application and registration fee, charged per programme.
- Applicants must meet the entrance requirements of the Virginia regulating board for the licence the programme leads to, where the programme is licensure-track.
- A lab coat, required and worn while in attendance, at $35.00.
- Textbooks and supplies, once distributed, are not refundable.
School Information
Location
Why Accreditation Is Important
Attending an accredited institution means your education has met independently reviewed quality standards designed to protect students.
This program: AVI Career Training is accredited by the Council on Occupational Education (COE). It is separately provisionally certified to operate as a Vocational Non-College Degree School by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) — state certification, not accreditation.
- A reliable indicator of educational quality
- Eligible for federal Title IV financial aid
- Approved for GI Bill® veterans education benefits
- WIOA approved for workforce funding
Accreditations
Application Process
- 1Contact admissionsBook an appointment with AVI through its website to discuss the programme, schedule and start dates.
- 2Apply and pay the registration feeComplete the application and pay the $100.00 non-refundable application and registration fee. It is charged once per programme.
- 3Apply for financial aid if you are using itAVI is authorised to participate in federal Title IV aid by the U.S. Department of Education. File the FAFSA and speak to the Financial Aid Office about eligibility for your programme.
- 4Arrange paymentStudents paying out of pocket may apply for a payment plan by completing a payment-plan agreement with the school.
Program Schedule
The programme is 80 clock hours. The catalog splits that into 40 hours of theory and 40 hours of practical work. Start dates and class schedules are published on AVI’s Class Schedules page.
Curriculum
The subject-and-hours breakdown below is the curriculum table printed in the AVI Student Catalog 2025–2026. Its hours sum to exactly 80 — the programme’s full clock-hour requirement, and the catalog’s own TOTAL row.
Required Courses
| Name | Lecture | Lab | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laser Physics & Tissue Interactions | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| Skin Anatomy & Laser Safety | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| Laser Treatment Modalities | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| Client Consultation & Care | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| Laser Equipment Operation | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| Laser Hair Removal | 0 | 8 | 8 |
| Skin Rejuvenation & Photo Facials | 0 | 8 | 8 |
| Tattoo Removal | 0 | 8 | 8 |
| Advanced Laser Techniques | 0 | 8 | 8 |
| Final Practical Assessment & Certification | 0 | 8 | 8 |
| Totals | 40 | 40 | 80 |
Cost of Attendance and Financial Aid Information
The figures below are AVI’s own Tuition & Fees schedule from the 2025–2026 catalog. The school states its Total column includes tuition, textbook, supplies and the $100 registration fee, and these add to it exactly.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Tuition | $11,400.00 |
| Registration fee (non-refundable) | $100.00 |
| Total | $11,500.00 |
Two charges sit outside that total: a required lab coat at $35.00, and unexcused make-up time at $28.00 per hour. Records, transcript and certificate reprint fees apply as described in the catalog’s Student Records section.
AVI is authorised by the U.S. Department of Education to participate in federal Title IV financial aid, and this programme is not among the five AVI records as Title IV eligible — those are Cosmetology, Esthetics (Basic), Master Esthetics, Massage Therapy and Electrolysis. Ask the Financial Aid Office about your options before you plan around federal aid. The school is WIOA approved and approved by the Virginia State Approving Agency for GI Bill® benefits, and offers payment plans to students paying out of pocket. AVI publishes a Net Price Calculator on its website.
Tuition $11,400.00; AVI's published total, including books, supplies and the $100 registration fee, is $11,500.00.
Career Outcomes
The catalog lists these settings for graduates of this programme:
Private practice, health clubs, beauty salons and spas.
AVI states that it provides education through traditional classrooms and clinical or internship experience, and that job opportunities for its graduates arise in private practice, spas, hotels, health clubs, medical spas, physician offices and clinics. The school runs job-placement and employment-assistance support, described on its own site.
What to expect as an AVI Career Training student
AVI has trained in Vienna, Virginia since 1992 and runs from a single location with no branch campuses, so expect small cohorts and personalised instruction rather than a large campus. Programmes combine theory with supervised hands-on practice and competency-based evaluation.
Expect the clock hour to be the unit of everything here: length, progress and price are all quoted in hours, and graduation requires completing all of them. Expect a lab coat to be required and worn while in attendance, and expect make-up time for unexcused absence to be charged by the hour — the catalog is explicit about both.
Frequently Asked Questions
School Information
Location
Why Accreditation Is Important
Attending an accredited institution means your education has met independently reviewed quality standards designed to protect students.
This program: AVI Career Training is accredited by the Council on Occupational Education (COE). It is separately provisionally certified to operate as a Vocational Non-College Degree School by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) — state certification, not accreditation.
- A reliable indicator of educational quality
- Eligible for federal Title IV financial aid
- Approved for GI Bill® veterans education benefits
- WIOA approved for workforce funding