Esthetics (TN) is a Certificate program offered by Georgia Career Institute in Murfreesboro, TN. The program takes 750 clock hours to complete, with a total tuition of $11,700.
Program Overview
Esthetics is one of the fastest growing segments of the beauty industry. The esthetician cares for, repairs and enhances the skin, our largest organ. The Tennessee program is 750 clock hours, on day and evening schedules, and prepares students for the Tennessee State Board of Cosmetology licensing examination.
It runs in two phases, Pre-Clinic Freshmen (150 clock hours) and Clinic Seniors (600), and provides the 150 general, 450 physical and 150 chemical study hours the Tennessee board requires. The school describes it as demanding more than the basics required for a Tennessee esthetics license.
What sets this Program apart
- More than the licensing minimum. The school describes its esthetics program as a rigorous one that demands more than the basics required for a license, with significant practice outside the classroom.
- Professional product lines. Students work with Image skin care, Crown makeup, Farmhouse Fresh and Alexandria Professional Sugaring.
- A comprehensive kit. A product kit, rolling case, massage training head, extraction tool kit, mixing bowls and brushes, tweezers, waxing, sugaring and makeup kits.
- Real clients. Students practice facials, body treatments, makeup and hair removal in the school’s spa.
Admission Requirements and Process
Georgia Career Institute admits students through a short sequence: an interview and tour, a financial aid meeting, the enrollment agreement and orientation. The admission requirements and each step are listed below.
General Requirements
- High school diploma or GEDA regular high school diploma or GED. Tennessee lets students start at 16 with 10 years of secondary education, but GCI will not admit anyone without a diploma or GED.
- English fluencyAll courses, textbooks, agreements and documents are in English only, so students must be fluent in written and spoken English.
Application Process
- 1Meet with Admissions and tour the schoolInterview with an admissions representative, tour the facility and complete the Prospective Student Background Information Sheet.
- 2Meet with Financial AidExplore your finance and payment options with a financial aid representative.
- 3Sign the enrollment agreementMeet the minimum admission requirements, complete the pre-enrollment checklist and sign the enrollment agreement.
- 4Attend orientationOrientation is required for all new students and is held on or before the start of classes.
- 5Start schoolYour first day of school.
Program Schedule
750 clock hours on a day or an evening schedule; meeting days and times are set in the enrollment agreement. The Murfreesboro Admissions office has the next start date.
Required Courses
| Name |
|---|
| Theory |
| Sciences |
| Facial Treatments |
| Body Treatments |
| Lash/Brow Dye |
| Make-Up |
| Hair Removal |
| Spa/Salon Management |
| Totals |
Campus Location
Why Accreditation Is Important
When you attend an accredited institution, you attend a school that has been independently evaluated for educational quality.
This program: Georgia Career Institute is accredited by the Council on Occupational Education (COE). In August 2026 COE issued the school a Show Cause Order over its annual financial reporting; the school states it remains accredited. Licensed by the Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barbering; authorized by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission.
- A reliable indicator of quality
- Approved program of study
- Qualified instructors
- Recognition by employers nationwide
Accreditations
Cost of Attendance and Financial Aid Information
| Charge | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition | $11,700 |
| Books/Supplies | $1,282 |
| Fees | $100 |
| Included license/fees | $140 |
| Total | $13,222 |
Prices are from the school’s tuition sheet for the Murfreesboro campus, effective January 1, 2025, which the school links as its current tuition. Tuition and fees are assessed on a program basis, are due at the beginning of the program and are subject to change. The school states that tuition includes the textbooks, required supplies, kit and equipment, and the fees for the licensing examination.
Federal financial aid. GCI participates in the Pell Grant, FSEOG, subsidized and unsubsidized federal loans, Parent PLUS loans and Veterans Administration benefits (Federal School Code 030054). The school’s financial aid page lists the Conyers programs eligible for Title IV funding and does not list the Tennessee programs, so confirm eligibility with Student Financial Services.
Scholarships. Limited ACE Grant scholarships are available through the American Association of Cosmetology Schools, submitted before enrollment. GCI’s own scholarship for current-year high school or GED graduates is worth up to $500 for this program, and requires a one-page essay and two letters of recommendation. In-house payment plans are also available.
Other charges. The catalog charges a $100 non-refundable application fee, fulfilled during the financial aid process. A student who needs longer than the contracted time frame pays $15.00 per clock hour to finish, and re-entering students pay a $100 re-entry fee.
Curriculum
Eight courses totalling 750 clock hours, meeting Tennessee’s 150 general, 450 physical and 150 chemical study hours. The Murfreesboro campus web page describes a 1,000-hour esthetics program; the catalog and the tuition sheet both give 750 hours for Tennessee, and that is what is shown.
Required Courses
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Theory | 188 |
| Sciences | 240 |
| Facial Treatments | 86 |
| Body Treatments | 58 |
| Lash/Brow Dye | 5 |
| Make-Up | 68 |
| Hair Removal | 65 |
| Spa/Salon Management | 40 |
| Totals | 750 |
Career Outcomes
Graduates are prepared for the Tennessee State Board of Cosmetology esthetician licensing examination; a high school diploma or GED is required to take it.
The catalog lists occupations open to graduates, including: makeup artist, facialist, salon or spa owner-operator, booth renter, salon or spa manager, product consultant, educator and esthetician for a medical skincare facility.
GCI publishes an annual Completion, Placement and Licensure report for its Conyers campus on its Consumer Info page; this page does not restate its rates.
What to expect as a Georgia Career Institute student
Georgia Career Institute was founded in 1975 as Artistic Beauty College and took its current name in 2001. It prepares students to enter the beauty and wellness industries, blending classroom theory with extensive hands-on practice in a supervised student salon and spa. Once students have developed core skills they work with real clients in the school’s salon, and graduates are encouraged to take the clients they gained while studying with them to start their clientele.
The school keeps at least one instructor for every twenty students in its beauty classes, adding instructional assistance or more teachers where attendance is larger, and will try to provide tutoring as needed at no extra cost. Attendance is tracked electronically every day, makeup hours can be scheduled with approval, and students wear solid black professional attire and closed-toe shoes with their department’s apron or smock. Graduate Services helps graduates with job placement and networking, though placement is not guaranteed.
The work is physically demanding. The catalog asks that students be able to stand or sit for long periods, bend and stretch, show manual dexterity and eye-hand coordination, work with chemicals and skin care products, and keep a customer-service attitude through long days and flexible schedules. Students prone to psoriasis, dermatitis or other chronic skin conditions that may involve open lesions should consider this before enrolling.
Accreditation notice. On August 14, 2026, Georgia Career Institute disclosed that its accreditor, the Council on Occupational Education (COE), has issued a Show Cause Order related to the institution’s required annual financial reporting: GCI did not submit its audited financial statements and the required COE financial forms for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2025, by the June 30, 2026 due date. The school states that it remains accredited, that the order has not resulted in the loss of its accreditation, and that at this time it does not affect current students’ enrollment or their eligibility for financial aid. A Show Cause Order gives the institution an opportunity to demonstrate to COE why its accreditation should not be withdrawn.
The Murfreesboro branch campus at 1691 Memorial Blvd, about 30 minutes outside Nashville, has more than 24,000 square feet of classrooms, clinics, dispensaries, supply rooms and a retail area. Its student salon is open Monday to Friday, 10:30 am to 9:00 pm.