QC make-up Academy

Sep 18, 2011

Penelope L.

Hello ladies

Does anybody know anything about this distance learning course and company, I would like to know if the certificate you receive is recognised in the UK. This company is based in the US but is advertised in this country. I'm worried about parting with £1200 and it not gaining anything from it?

I look forward to hearing from you
Penelope xx

Sep 19, 2011

Kimie R.

Hello Penelope,
I recently enrolled with QC Academy and very quickly received all the materials for all units. I have enrolled on the Master Make Up Course as I would like to learn a bit more about fashion, film and TV make up. I have so far passed Unit A and am learning a lot from this course. I think it depends on what you are looking for and what you would like to learn and gain from it. If you are already a very experienced makeup artist with clients etc. you might not gain as much as me who has not done any makeup professionally yet. With regards to the certificate I think the rules are fairly simple in UK - You can work as a makeup artist without even being certified in makeup artistry. But you do receive a certificate when you've finished your course and from what I hear this does give you the same qualification as taking a makeup course at UK college. Again - I haven't finished the course yet so I can't tell you what prospective clients or employers think of QC Academy, but I am enjoying the course and learning a lot. Also find it extremely helpful that I can continue with my full time job as i cannot afford to leave this behind until I have enough clients to go full time as makeup artist. To me it is definitely worth the money and you can always add on with work shops and smaller courses in the UK instead of paying £14000 for 6 months full time course in London.
I hope this was helpful and please ask away if you have any questions.

Kimie

Sep 22, 2011

Julie S.

Hi Penelope!

My name's Julie and I manage QC Makeup Academy's Facebook Fan Page. To answer your question, we actually offer our courses internationally and provide an international professional designation and beautiful diploma. So, your credentials are most definitely applicable to the UK.

Our head office is located in Ottawa, Canada, but we do have offices in the UK, USA, and Australia. I just want to point out that you are eligible to take advantage of our great 21-day money back guarantee. Basically, once you receive your materials you have a full 21 days to review the material and make sure that it's what you're looking for. If you should decide that it's not for you, simply return your materials (unused, of course) for a full refund. It's that simple.

Please feel free to visit www.facebook.com/qcmakeupacademy and speak with some of our current students and graduates. It'll give you a great feeling for the student experience and support available from QC. Or, give us a call on 0800 066 4734. I'd be thrilled to take your call!

Best Wishes,
Julie Saunders

Nov 1, 2011

Reni V.

I find it a bit sketchy, to be honest. I've been going back and forth with a "student support specialist" for over a week trying to have a few simple questions answered. I've been looking around both online and on the facebook fan page, and it seems like the "graduates" are a handful of people and the administrative answers ave eerily similar to the canned email responses that I use at my day job. I'm optimistic, but definitely skeptical as well...

***edit 11/04/2011***

i got a response back to the question that i asked. keep in mind, my original email was sent over a week ago. there seems to be a four-day turnaround on email responses which isn't unusual (just bugs me)...

"I'm sorry but I am unsure about cosmetology licensing hours in Pennsylvania. We are not a licensed cosmetology school, we offer a diploma with the professional designation of an International Makeup Professional. Sorry I could not be of more help to you.

Please let us know if you have anymore questions."

Nov 10, 2011

Julie S.

Hi Reni,

I do apologize that you experienced some difficulty when trying to have your questions answered. You're more than welcome to send an email to me, at julie@qualityofcourse.com, and I'll be sure to get back to you straight away. The Student Support Staff does receive an overwhelming volume of emails each day from both enquirers (like yourself) as well as our students - so turn around times do depend on the traffic for that particular week or so.

It's important to keep in mind that a lot of our students and graduates aren't necessarily Facebook users, or fan page members, so it's not always possible to reach them all to speak with. I'm sorry if anything at all caused you to feel unsure or uneasy. The response you received is correct in regards to receiving a license, we do not offer a license as we're not an esthetics or cosmetology school. The qualification you receive after graduation is your diploma, and the international professional designation, or title, of CIMP or MIMP depending on which course you complete.

I look forward to hearing from you should you have any other questions, Reni.
Enjoy the upcoming weekend!

Best Wishes,
Julie Saunders

Nov 10, 2011

DJ M.

Definitely check multiple places out. There's a big difference between getting a certificate from a program recognized within the industry, receiving a degree or certificate from an accredited school, and getting a certificate created by an organization that bears no weight in the industry.

Definitely research and see what other companies that hire makeup artists think about someone that has completed the program. It's great that someone from the school managed to stumble on this thread and answer questions, but that seems a little bit odd to me at the same time... Good luck!

Nov 10, 2011

Kimie R.

Hello again,

I keep doing research about the academy and came across this post! I'm simply sharing my experience so far! Again, I am in a full time job that takes up around 10 hours of my day and I don't have the funds right now to join one of the big schools in London although I would love to! I do believe you would learn A LOT more from a school you go to every day and where the artistry is your main focus, but as I have no experience with makeup and all I know about makeup artistry is what I've taught myself it is a great way for me to learn a lot of stuff in my own pace and if I get good at it I am planning on attending workshops etc. to get a lot more experience and learn more and more.... So I can't tell you what you should do I can only tell you about my experience and so far it's only been good. I've finished my first module and loved the feedback from my tutor, which she had recorded and was sent to me. So it depends on what you want out of it. If you want a big fancy 'degree' on your CV that any business will recognise then it's probably not the right academy, but if you want to learn and be a certified makeup artist and you want to do at your own pace and can't afford to spend a fortune then I can only recommend them! Visit their Facebook page and ask the same question and you will hear from students that have finished the course or people who are further into it than me.

And please ask away if you have any questions!

Kimie

Nov 25, 2011

Ellie B.

I'm looking into this too... I've ordered the brochure and I'm definitely thinking it will work for me (I live and work in a small town and couldn't relocate to Vancouver/Victoria without giving up my main career).

I suspect it won't replace going to a full time college if it was going to be your main career but I hope it will work for me as a second career (dance teachers don't get a lot of work over the summer so I'm hoping to use it to keep busy during those times!) and it seems the most logical option for me. Unless anyone knows of any similar long distance make up courses available?

Nov 27, 2011

Giselle S.

Well I have also been looking into QC makeup school and because it is an online school designed to teach something that is supposed to be hands on I feel a little skeptical, I have received their brochure and they seem to offer a lot of good information about the business part of being a makeup artist as well as learning techniques but when it comes to technique I think I can learn a lot on youtube and I have been doing. Makeup is all about practice, the more you practice the better you get. I do not think that you can get a "real" certificate from them. I think it's more symbolic than anything.

However I do think that it's VERY odd that most threads that I have found about this company while doing research they have manged to answer on them. I get the whole customer service thing and wanting to clarify questions but what company goes to that length?! Just a little something to think about!

Nov 28, 2011

ashley h.

i always see this ad at the bottom of makeupgeek.com. 

Nov 29, 2011

Theresa G.

I too was really looking into this program. And so far I might go for it.

Jan 27, 2012

Teri V.

Does the certificate you get say anything on it about "distance learning" or "online academy"?

Jan 29, 2012

Shelley W.

It sounds fishy. A rep responded to this thread along with a "student". I was curious about this school and I pulled up all sorts of complaints about them online. Makeup Artist Magazine doesn't even have them listed as an approved school and that mag is read by industry folks. I looked at Hex Make-up Artist School for myself personally. I don't know if they support students overseas but its worth looking into. This other school QC seems like a fraud to me. I'd be very careful.

Jan 29, 2012

Maria Y.

So how much products do you get for your money?