Licensed in Under a Year: The Tricoci University Esthetics Program Timeline

How long does it take to become an esthetician? At Tricoci University of Beauty Culture, training takes about 5 to 6 months full time or about 9 months in part-time night classes. Illinois requires 750 clock hours of esthetics training under Illinois Administrative Code, Title 68, Section 1175.835, and the state’s testing contractor lets students apply for the licensing exam once they reach 600 hours. A full-time student who files early can finish training, test, and apply for a license well inside a year. Night students have less margin, because about 9 months of training leaves about three months for the exam steps.

The Esthetics Program Timeline at a Glance

Tricoci University runs the Esthetics Program on two schedules: full time from 9:00 to 5:00 at 37.5 hours a week, and part-time nights from 5:30 to 10:00 at 22.5 hours a week. The milestones below use Illinois hour requirements.

Class weeks count time in session. Published program lengths run longer because the calendar includes holidays and scheduled breaks.

What the 750 Training Hours Cover

Section 1175.835 divides Illinois esthetics training into four categories with minimum hours for each.

• Basic training covers the history of skin care, hygiene and public health, ethics, sterilization and sanitation, an introduction to skin analysis and facials, and eyelash extensions.
• Scientific concepts covers cells and body systems, bacteriology, physiology and histology of the skin, anatomy, chemistry, and skin disorders.
• Practices and procedures covers skin analysis, cleansing, masks and facial treatments with and without machines, non-therapeutic massage, hair removal, professional makeup, and product knowledge.
• Business practices covers state law and sanitary standards, management, OSHA standards on chemical use, and workers’ compensation.

Practices and procedures account for 500 of the 750 hours, two thirds of the program. The rule also caps online theory at 10 percent of the hours in each category, so nearly all training happens in person. The Esthetics Program page describes the treatments and technology students train on.

Clinic Work Can Start After 75 Hours

Illinois does not allow an esthetics student to practice on the public until the student completes the 75 hours of basic training. On the full-time schedule, that point arrives at the end of class week 2. On the night schedule, it arrives in about class week 4.

From there, the state lets schools run a student clinic as part of the program:

• Students perform services under the supervision of one or more teachers.
• Hours worked in the clinic count toward the 750-hour requirement.
• Students receive no compensation, including tips.
• The school posts a sign telling the public that students provide all services.

Every Tricoci University campus operates a student clinic salon open to the public, so the 500 hours of practices and procedures include work on real guests.

How Long Does It Take to Get an Esthetician License After Training?

How long does it take to get an esthetician license once the hours are done? In Illinois, the exam and application steps add weeks, and part of that time can overlap with school.

Continental Testing Services (CTS) administers the exam for the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR). Its esthetician exam instructions set the sequence:

1. Pre-file at 600 hours. A student can apply for the exam with a transcript showing at least 600 hours. The license still requires all 750.
2. Test within 60 days. After CTS approves the application, PSI emails scheduling instructions. The candidate has 60 days from that email to schedule and take the exam.
3. Wait for results. CTS usually releases official results within four weeks of the exam date.
4. Apply to IDFPR. The official results letter explains how to apply and states the fee. Candidates should not apply to IDFPR before the letter arrives.
5. Apply within one year. A candidate who waits more than one year after passing has to take the exam again.

A Full-Time Path, Week by Week

A full-time student who files early could move through the steps in this order:

• Class week 2: basic training complete, clinic work can begin.
• Class week 16: 600 hours reached, exam application filed with CTS.
• Class week 20: 750 hours complete. With holidays and breaks, this lands about 5 to 6 months after the start date.
• Within 60 days of the eligibility email: exam taken at a PSI test center.
• Usually within four weeks of the exam: official results released.
• After the results letter: license application submitted to IDFPR.

Added together, the exam and results steps take up to about three months, and pre-filing overlaps some of that with the last month of school. License processing time at IDFPR varies.

Esthetician License Illinois Checklist

Use this esthetician license Illinois checklist to keep the process moving:

• Enroll at an esthetics school licensed by IDFPR.
• Complete 750 clock hours and request an original transcript.
• Apply online to CTS, pay the testing fee, and email the transcript.
• Add the PSI support address to your contacts so the scheduling email is not missed.
• Bring a valid driver’s license, state ID, passport, military ID, or consular ID to the PSI test center.
• Keep your mailing and email addresses current with CTS.
• Apply to IDFPR only after the official results letter arrives.

IDFPR has announced that, effective October 1, 2026, esthetician exams will be available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese. For renewal and continuing education details, see the Illinois licensing requirements page.

Indiana and Wisconsin Timelines

The answer to how long does it take to become an esthetician changes at the state line. The hour counts and exam steps described for Illinois do not apply in Indiana or Wisconsin, which set their own training hours, exams, and application steps.

• Indiana. The Esthetics Program runs full time, about 5 to 6 months, at the Bloomington, Highland, Indianapolis, and Lafayette campuses. Night classes, about 9 months, run at Highland and Indianapolis. The State Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners at the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency issues esthetician licenses.
• Wisconsin. The Janesville campus offers the Aesthetics Program full time, and it takes about 4 months. Wisconsin licenses aestheticians through the Cosmetology Examining Board at the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (Wisconsin DSPS). The Wisconsin licensing requirements page covers that state’s process.

What Can Push the Timeline Past a Year

Full-time students have months of margin inside a one-year target. Night students have less: about 9 months of training plus up to about three months of exam steps reaches the one-year mark. Five things decide which side of the line a student lands on:

• When the exam application is filed. Filing at 600 hours, instead of after graduation, moves the exam closer to the last day of class.
• Attendance. The state counts clock hours, so missed hours have to be made up before graduation.
• The 60-day window. A candidate who does not test inside the window forfeits the fee.
• Retakes. A candidate who does not pass waits 30 days before reapplying to CTS.
• Repeated failures. After three unsuccessful attempts, CTS requires a 125-hour refresher course before it schedules another exam.

State board preparation runs through the Esthetics Program at Tricoci University, so students practice for the exam before they file for it.

Pick a Start Date at Tricoci University

Tricoci University of Beauty Culture is accredited by NACCAS and offers the Esthetics Program at 15 campuses across Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin, with new classes starting every 6 weeks. Request information to match a start date and schedule to the license date you want, and to review financial aid with an admissions advisor.