Barbering programs prepare people to work as barbers. Students learn to give haircuts and shaves to customers. They learn how to trim hair and beards, style hair, and fit hairpieces. They also learn to give shampoos.

If the notion of barbering seems old-fashioned, there's a good reason. Its history dates back many centuries before Christ. And in the past, barbers held high places in society, right up there with ancient priests and the clergy. They didn't just cut hair and shave beards and moustaches; they also performed surgeries and in some cultures were believed to rid people of evil spirits by cutting their hair.

Although it's unlikely that anyone will come to you for surgery or exorcism, your role as a barber would keep a dying tradition alive. It used to be that men would go to a barbershop for a haircut and a shave. And women would go to a beauty salon and get their "hair done" and other services such as manicures and facials performed at the same time.

Nowadays, most men do their own shaving and go to hair salons that serve both men and women. To adapt to these changes, some barbering programs teach you how to cut and style women's hair or even apply makeup.

However, in the case of most programs, you take courses in traditional barbering: cutting and styling men's hair, shaving and trimming facial hair, and dyeing hair.

Several community colleges offer technical certificates in barbering. Getting a certificate typically takes no more than a year of full-time study after high school.