Barbering

The Barbering program at Elite School of Cosmetology is 900 clock hours that prepare students for the Florida Barber License Examination and gainful employment as a barber. The courses follow the education the Florida Barbers’ Board requires, combining theory and practice in safe and efficient work practices, human relations and employability skills, Florida barber laws and rules, the chemistry and bacteriology behind barbering, haircutting, and the manipulative techniques of shaving and beard work.

Students complete 275 practical services within the hours. The catalog notes that the Florida Barbers’ Board reviews criminal history case by case when a graduate applies for a license, and an applicant who is denied receives a notice explaining how to request a hearing. The catalog also states there are no additional costs or supplies needed to finish the program beyond the student’s own tools and books.

Elite School of Cosmetology, which now presents itself as Elite Schools, is owned and operated by J.T. Tony’s, LLC, an Ohio company, and runs four campuses: Panama City and Niceville in Florida, and Norwalk and Ashland in Ohio. Its mission is to educate, train and prepare students to pass the required state board examinations and to excel in vocational careers that lead to gainful employment. All four campuses share one federal school code, 041859.

• Built around the Florida board. The courses are aligned with the Florida Barbers’ Board licensing requirements.
• Hybrid or on campus. Theory online with practice on campus in Panama City, or fully on campus in Niceville.
• A focused 900 hours. About 30 weeks full time, with new classes starting every week.
• Hands-on services. 275 practical services in haircutting, shampooing, shaving and chemical work.

Elite Schools admits as students those who have a valid High School Diploma or a state-sanctioned high school equivalency diploma and are above the compulsory school attendance age of sixteen. Admission requires a written application, a personal interview, and a completed and signed Enrollment Agreement, and all courses have open entry.

900 clock hours, about 30 weeks of full-time study, matching the 30-week program the website describes. The maximum time allowed at satisfactory progress is 45 weeks by day or 67.5 weeks by evening, and progress is evaluated at 450 actual hours. The catalog lists Barbering at both Florida campuses and the program page names Panama City and Niceville, although the interest form labels Barber as Panama City only, so confirm the campus when you enroll.

School hours. Classes and online instruction run Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., and the school is closed on weekends. The Panama City office is open weekdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the Niceville office weekdays 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. New classes begin the first day of each week.

How hybrid works. In the beauty programs at Panama City, theory is completed online through Milady CIMA, asynchronously, with tests and quizzes taken in CIMA, while practical work is done on campus. Instructors check in with online students at least once every 50 minutes between 9 a.m. and 10 p.m., students clock in and out with an electronic QR code time clock, and CIMA logs the time spent. Students attend the same number of hours each week as the on-campus schedule. Other programs use other platforms. Hours earned through hybrid learning may not be accepted for reciprocity or licensure in other states, so students planning to move should check first.