There seems to be some confusion about this wording and what paperwork your educational facility gives you at the end of your permanent makeup educational class.
We have answers from 2 expert sources on this question.
“It’s easy to get confused when trying to differentiate between certificate and diploma programs, thanks to ambiguous use of the terms by many colleges and universities. In fact, some schools call all short-term study programs either certificate or diploma programs, without demonstrating any distinguishable difference between the two.
By definition, a diploma is a document awarded upon completion of an academic course of study. Most recognizably, diplomas are given out to high school graduates.
However, many colleges, universities and other institutions offer diploma programs as educational opportunities for students who aren’t pursuing degrees. These usually consist of several courses in a specific subject area. After completing the program, students are awarded a diploma. Credits from many diploma programs can be transferred to degree programs.
Some schools use ‘certificate’ to describe programs that focus on very specialized knowledge, such as a particular computer programming skill (i.e. HTML coding), while diploma programs are considered more comprehensive of an entire subject area (i.e. computer programming)”.1
We educate people that are already licensed in the beauty, dental and medical fields. Our permanent makeup continuing educational classes will be used as an adjunct to these professionals’ already existing services making them more marketable to the general public and the beauty industry.
Whether you are performing services at your own clinic, in a medical spa, dentist’s office, physician’s office or in a salon your credentials are extremely important.
Display your Certificates, Diploma and Degrees that you have worked hard to earn proudly in professional frames for everyone to see.
The next time you go into your physicians, dentists, CPA”S, lawyers or other professional office, glance around to see what is hanging on their walls. Doesn’t seeing all of their credentials make them look important and you trust them further by seeing that they went to school and have attended continuing educational classes?
If you want to appear more professional, model your office after the offices of the people you respect.
As far as whether you receive a Certificate, Diploma or Degree, they are all different yet all have similarities.
Each one of these will require a certain time frame and standards to achieve.
Certificate Overview
“A certificate is earned by a student after taking a series of courses relating to a subject. Students often earn certificates to get a step ahead in the professional field of their interest and certificates may be offered in similar programs as degrees. For instance, there are certificates in business, literature and technical programs. In some technical programs, a certificate may be required.
There are also graduate certificates, often taken either alone or alongside a graduate degree program. In some programs, the student may use his or her electives to fulfill a certificate in order to make him or herself more desirable to a potential employer.
Certificate programs taken alone are similar to associate’s degree programs. However, they take less time because core academic programs are not required.
Diploma Overview
Diplomas are similar to certificates but often earned at clinical schools. For instance, a diploma of nursing is offered as an option besides an associate’s degree or bachelor’s degree. This diploma program is only offered at hospitals with specialty programs that provide training. A diploma often takes two years and involves as much clinical work as classroom.
Degree Overview
An academic degree can be earned at many levels, including associate’s, which takes two years, bachelor’s, which takes four years, master’s, which is two years beyond a bachelor’s degree, and doctoral, which is several years beyond a master’s degree.
A degree program differs from certificates and diploma programs in that it often requires the student to take core courses to support a more rounded education. For instance, at many universities, those earning their bachelor’s degree are required to take English, math, science, philosophy and history. Earning a degree also opens up many more potential doors to the student than would a certificate or diploma. Many careers require that the student has earned at least a bachelor’s degree; several career options” .2
- http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_difference_between_a_career_diploma_and_certificate#slideshow_catimages=callout_0.0
- http://education-portal.com/articles/What_is_the_Difference_Between_a_Certificate_Diploma_and_Degree.html