Shaping your passion for hairstyling into a career opens up a world of possibilities. As a growing industry, your services will always be in demand. You’ll be able to do what you love every day, while you enjoy the creativity, flexibility, and expression that comes with working in this industry. And—maybe more importantly—love the feeling of helping your clients look amazing and feel their best.
Our Hair Design Program is a unique full-time diploma course, consisting of 1500 hours over a 10-month time frame. The HDC operates a modern full-service salon on-site where students practice their developing skills on real clients.
With these core skills in place, students learn critical business-building skills for the development of a long and successful career in hairstyling, from client retention and how to deliver product recommendations, to career planning, to business and financial management. It should be no surprise that our hair design students achieve a 95% job placement rate within 30 days of graduation!
Your education is delivered through an innovative online learning environment, Pivot Point FUSE, designed specifically for the beauty industry—the only one of its kind! The Pivot Point FUSE is a ground-breaking integrated social learning environment, built specifically for you and the beauty industry. An incubator for talented future and current beauty professionals, the FUSE combines best-in-class educational content, creativity and a collaborative environment to enhance personal learning experiences. You have never seen anything like the FUSE before. It’s the ultimate learning environment within the beauty industry. It’s easy to use and contains all the features necessary to capture your attention, inspire creativity and allow you to share your experiences with your peers. Pivot Point educational content is at the core of your FUSE. The lessons are brought to life through a synergy of communication, collaboration and engaging activities. Plus, there’s a bit of competitiveness, too!
The HDC’s full service salon allows our students to gain the essential knowledge that comes from real hands on practical experience—something we believe to be a key factor to successfully honing your craft as a hairstylist. With the support of classroom learning and practical salon experience throughout the course, you will graduate with the confidence necessary to begin a successful career in hair design.
Upon successful completion of the program, you will receive a diploma in Hair Design showcasing your excellent technical skills, a strong knowledge on how to build your business and expertise on how to optimize your earning potential as a stylist. As hair design is a legislated licensed trade in Nova Scotia, graduates take part in an exam administered by the Cosmetology Association of Nova Scotia to obtain the license required to begin their careers. Tuition in the Hair Design Program includes a student license from the Cosmetology Association of Nova Scotia (CANS) as well as the fee to write the exam.
Marieke Brouwer
The HDC Hair Design Program offers five start dates per year: February, May, July, September and November. Each intake offers students the opportunity to learn in small groups, and practice in our fully-functioning salon with real clients.
April 2022
July 2022
September 2022
November 2022
February 2023
April 2023
July 2023
September 2023
November 2023
The HDC is proud to offer a bursary for students enrolling in the Hair Design Program. Learn more about this $500 bursary, and apply right here.
David MacDonald
Please note: Left-handed stylists can expect a price adjustment for shears. Tuition and kit costs are subject to change without notice.
Tuition and fees cover everything you need to succeed in the course. The HDC partners with the top professionals, including Redken and Milady, so you will graduate equipped with skills to work with some of the most in-demand products in the industry.
Choosing a career is a big decision, but when you decide to follow your passion, you’ll be rewarded with a career you love. To help you learn more about why you should consider a career as a hairstylist, we’ve created this guide. Get it now to: