Academic calendar
Academic Year 2026-2027 Rolling Start Dates runs Jul 13, 2026 – Jun 21, 2027. Calendar aliases that share a date range are grouped together, with every source term still shown.
- Rolling Class Starts and School Closures 2025-2026
- Academic Year 2025-2026
- Academic Year 2025-2026 Rolling Start DatesCatalog Year 2025-2026Rolling Class Start Dates 2025-2026
- Academic Year 2026-2027 Rolling Start DatesCatalog Year 2026-2027Rolling Class Start Dates 2026-2027Rolling Class Starts and School Closures 2026-2027Relevant now
Campus language
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Showing 31 of 31 terms
A
- AAMB
- American Association of Cosmetology Schools, often referenced in professional development contexts.
- Ambassadors
- The Student Ambassador program where selected students assist with campus events and tours.
B
- Blacks
- The mandatory professional dress code requiring students to wear all-black clothing every day.
- Break Room
- The designated area for students to eat and store food, as there are no formal on-campus dining halls or meal plans.
- Breakroom
- The designated area for student meals and breaks, as the campus does not have a formal cafeteria.
C
- CIMA
- The Milady CIMA digital platform used for all online curriculum, assignments, and theory testing.
- Clocking
- The essential daily task of recording attendance hours via the time clock to meet state licensing requirements.
D
- Dolly
- A common student term for the mannequin heads used for practicing techniques before working on live clients.
- Double-booked
- When a student is assigned two clients at once on the salon floor to simulate a real-world salon environment.
F
- FAFSA
- The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, which students use to fund their trade education.
- Floor Ready
- A milestone indicating a student has completed enough 'Core' hours to begin taking real clients on the salon floor.
G
- Gateway Pavilions
- The surrounding shopping center where students typically go for lunch, including nearby spots like Dutch Bros or Starbucks.
H
- Heads
- Mannequin heads used for practicing cuts, color, and styling.
M
- Mannequin
- The practice heads used by students for hair styling, cutting, and color training.
- Manny
- A common shorthand for the mannequin heads used for practicing hair styling and coloring techniques.
- Milady
- The standard textbook used for all cosmetology theory and testing.
N
- N/A
- Empire Beauty School-Avondale is a commuter campus and does not provide on-campus housing or dormitories.
- NACCAS
- National Accrediting Commission of Career Arts and Sciences, the body that accredits the school.
- NTHS
- National Technical Honor Society, an organization for students who excel in technical education.
P
- PAC
- Program Advisory Committee; a group of local professionals that meets to ensure the curriculum meets industry standards.
- Phase 1
- The initial 10-12 weeks of the program where students learn basics before being allowed on the salon floor.
- Practical
- A hands-on demonstration of a specific skill, such as a haircut or chemical service, performed for a grade.
S
- Senior
- A student who has completed Phase 1 and is now eligible to work on the salon floor.
- State Board
- The final practical and written examinations required by the state of Arizona for professional licensing.
- State Board
- The Arizona State Board of Cosmetology, the agency that issues professional licenses upon graduation and testing.
- Student Salon
- The public-facing clinic where students provide services to the community to gain experience.
T
- The Breakroom
- The designated internal area where students eat and store personal food during their 30-minute breaks.
- The Floor
- The student salon area where students work on paying clients to earn practical hours.
- The Gateway
- Refers to the nearby Gateway Pavilions shopping center where students frequently go for lunch.
- The Kit
- The large rolling bag containing all professional tools (shears, blow dryers, etc.) issued to students upon enrollment.
- Theory
- The academic portion of the curriculum involving textbooks and written tests.
Places and practicalities
Buildings, logistics, and other local references drawn from the approved campus snapshot.
- 1500 Hours
- The total number of hours required by the state of Arizona to graduate from the Cosmetology program.
- 1600 Hours
- The total number of training hours required by the state of Arizona to complete the Cosmetology program.
- All Black
- The mandatory professional dress code consisting of solid black clothing and closed-toe shoes.
- All Blacks
- The mandatory professional dress code requiring students to wear all-black scrubs or professional clothing.
- CIMA
- The digital learning platform used for all curriculum, assignments, and digital textbooks.
- Clocking
- The essential daily task of using the biometric or digital time clock to record hours toward the 1,500-hour graduation requirement.
- Clocking In
- The essential daily task of recording hours via the time clock to meet state licensing requirements.
- Digital Learning
- The online platform used for accessing the Milady curriculum and completing coursework.
- Dress Code
- The mandatory professional attire (typically all black) that students must wear to be permitted on campus.
- FS
- Financial Services, the office or administrator responsible for handling tuition, grants, and student loans.
- Kit Check
- A mandatory inspection where instructors ensure a student has all required tools and that they are properly sanitized.
- Milady
- The brand name of the primary textbook and the online 'CIMA' platform used for all digital assignments and testing.
- Phase 1
- The introductory period of the program (usually the first few hundred hours) before students are allowed on the clinic floor.
- Practical
- A hands-on assessment where students demonstrate specific technical skills to instructors.
- RPA
- Retail Product Alignment; the requirement for students to recommend and sell professional products to salon clients.
- RPO
- Retail Product Outlet; the area where students learn to sell professional hair and skin care products to clients.
- SAP
- Satisfactory Academic Progress; the mandatory 67% attendance and 75% GPA requirement to maintain financial aid eligibility.
- Satisfactory Academic Progress
- The 'SAP' requirement students must maintain to keep their financial aid and remain enrolled.
- Service
- A specific beauty treatment (like a 'color service' or 'perm service') performed by a student on a client or mannequin.
- Service Desk
- The reception area where students check in for their shifts and manage client appointments.
- Student Portal
- The online dashboard where students track their accumulated hours, grades, and financial information.
- Student Salon
- The discounted service menu offered to the public, which students must manage as part of their training.
- The Blacks
- The mandatory professional dress code requiring students to wear all-black scrubs or professional attire every day.
- The Book
- The appointment schedule used by the front desk to assign clients to students on the salon floor.
- The Classroom
- The dedicated space for theory-based learning and textbook study.
- The Clinic Floor
- The main salon area where students perform services on public clients under supervision.
- The Dispensary
- The specific room where professional products are stored and hair color is mixed.
- The Floor
- The main salon area where students perform hair, skin, and nail services on clients.
- The Lab
- The hands-on practice area where students work on mannequins before moving to the salon floor.
- The Portal
- The Student Career Portal where students track their accumulated hours, grades, and financial aid status.
- The Salon
- The public-facing clinic floor where students perform services on actual clients.
- Theory
- The classroom area specifically used for textbook-based lectures and written examinations.
- Theory Room
- The classroom space dedicated to textbook learning, lectures, and written exams.
Quick answers
Useful facts students can verify from the guide above.
- What academic term is relevant now?
- Academic Year 2026-2027 Rolling Start Dates runs Jul 13, 2026 – Jun 21, 2027.
- How much campus context is included?
- 31 approved campus terms and 33 local details are included in full.
- Are all approved campus terms included?
- Yes. The complete approved glossary is available in the scrollable, searchable campus-language section.
- Where does this guide come from?
- Calendar dates, campus terms, and local details come from DormWay's approved campus reference library.