FDA Salon Management Foundation degree at Hartlepool College of Further Education
FDA Salon Management at HCFE combines classroom learning with real-world application, preparing you for supervisory and management roles within the beauty and wellness sector.
About this course
FDA Salon Management is a Foundation degree (FDA) at HCFE, based in Hartlepool College. It runs 2 years, studied full-time.
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for Business & Management, see the sections below.
Course evidence score
The arithmetic mean of the official measures available for this course: NSS satisfaction, graduate activity and continuation.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 80% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Curriculum & modules
Real modules published for this course, grouped only where the source gives a year, stage or level.
Year 1 6 modules
- Managing and Developing PeopleCore20 credits
Module details
Gain a theoretical and practical understanding of managing and developing people in the industry. Examine the importance of effective recruitment and selection, and key aspects of employment law. Using a combination of real-world examples and case studies, explore organisations within the sector and how they manage staff. Learn about the relationship between effective recruitment and development.
- Sales and MarketingCore20 credits
Module details
Marketing plays a significant role in any industry, but particularly in the service sector. Organisations cannot operate without promotion or market research for communicating with a range of customers. Examine factors that influence the marketing of products and services and analyse the effectiveness of promotional campaigns for organisations to achieve their marketing objectives.
- Starting a BusinessCore20 credits
Module details
Working on a hypothetical organisation of your choice, apply your wider learning by setting up your own business, considering all aspects and providing supporting documentation to demonstrate your capability.
- The Work Environment and Self-AnalysisCore20 credits
Module details
The range of employment opportunities in any industry are diverse, from specialist operatives to strategic managers. Research and explore your industry of interest and formulate a career action plan, detailing your strengths and weaknesses to bridge any skills and knowledge gaps.
- Advanced Colour for the Hair PractitionerOptional20 credits
Module details
Get an advanced insight into colouring within the hairdressing sector, learning the science of colour and correction techniques. Gain the theoretical and practical skills required to pursue a career in hairdressing, and explore a holistic approach to colour, examining product effectiveness and considering health and safety requirements.
- Sustainable Beauty and AestheticsOptional20 credits
Module details
Examine sustainable beauty and aesthetics in a commercial environment and develop advanced creative products, skills and understanding. Explore common management practices and cultures including key competencies required to offer this type of product. Study the relationship between key products, product development and customer experience.
Year 2 7 modules
- Cultural Awareness in IndustryCore20 credits
Module details
Increasing globalisation within service industries presents a range of cultural awareness and diversity challenges to managers. Use recognised theory and principles to understand their impact on business activities, exploring different approaches to working across national boundaries, and developing an appreciation of the complexities faced by managers in dealing with this.
- Industry-related ProjectCore40 credits
Module details
Apply your wider learning in a working environment. Take part in a project with an organisation of your choice to improve an aspect of its operations. This provides a solid platform to showcase your skills, enhancing employability, and supporting you to understand the application of research methodologies and analysis of results.
- WellbeingCore20 credits
Module details
Understand the importance of diet and exercise, and examine the effects of stress and hereditary conditions on hairdressing and beauty aesthetics. Demonstrate your understanding of the impact of poor health practice and explore the benefits of products and treatments in relation to health and wellbeing.
- Advanced and Creative StylingOptional20 credits
Module details
Explore current creative styling trends in the hairdressing sector and their key drivers and influences. Examine issues relating to design and development, as well as staffing, health and safety, and use of specialist equipment. Develop your practical skills and creative flair, working with professional hairdressers in a commercial environment. Bring together your creative and practical skillset, essential to management in the sector.
- Setting Standards and the Commercial EnvironmentOptional20 credits
Module details
Explore the salon environment including products, their application and commercial benefits. Learn about common management practices and culture, and key competencies required to assess in a salon. Understand the relationship between key products, their development and marketing, and the customer experience.
- Aesthetic Principles and PracticeOptional20 credits
Module details
Gain advanced insight into aesthetic beauty therapy within the sector, considering the science behind aesthetic techniques, and understanding the theoretical and practical skills required to pursue a career in this environment. Explore a holistic approach to the products and procedures used in aesthetics, alongside their effectiveness. Determine safe and hygienic working practices.
- Ageing and the Physiology of SkinOptional20 credits
Module details
Gain an overview of ageing and styling in beauty and aesthetics. You explore current treatments within the sector, as well as key drivers and influences. Examine issues such as property of the skin, skin histology and age-related declines, as well as health and safety. Develop practical skills and creative flair, working with professional practitioners in a commercial environment. Bring together your creative and practical skillset, essential to successful management in the sector.
Source: provider course page. Modules can change; required/optional status, credits, descriptions and assessment are shown only when explicitly published.
Course in depth
What this course covers, who it suits and where it leads.
What you'll study
This Foundation Degree in Salon Management equips you with practical and strategic skills for leading salons and beauty businesses. You'll usually begin with core management and organisational fundamentals, how salons operate, structure and culture, alongside business economics and marketing principles relevant to the beauty and salon sector. In your second year, you'll move into operations and supply chain management, organisational behaviour and people management (essential in a service business), and strategy. Throughout, a course like this normally offers specialisation options such as entrepreneurship, digital business and marketing, allowing you to tailor your focus. You'll develop practical problem-solving skills and may undertake a capstone project or consultancy work with real salons, integrating your learning with workplace experience.
Who it's for
This course suits school leavers and career changers with A-levels or equivalent qualifications. Most accepted students held A-levels or equivalent, with a typical UCAS tariff of 48–63 points. It's designed for those with a genuine interest in salon management, entrepreneurship, and the beauty industry who want to progress into supervisory or management positions without committing to a full three-year degree.
Careers & job market
Across Business & Management courses nationally, 87% of graduates are in work or further study within 15 months of graduating. Starting salaries typically range from £24,000 to £32,000, rising to £26,350–£37,200 after five years (national Graduate Outcomes data). Around 60% of working graduates progress into highly skilled roles. Many salon management graduates move into salon ownership, regional management, or related business roles within the beauty and hospitality sectors.
University & format
This FDA (Foundation Degree) in Salon Management is delivered by Hartlepool College of Further Education, a higher education college located in Hartlepool. The course is full-time, lasting 2 years, and taught in English. It is a nationally recognised UK degree-awarding body qualification. Typical entrants hold A-levels or equivalent qualifications (90% of recent accepted students), with a UCAS tariff in the 48–63 points band.
Student satisfaction
How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.
Share of students responding positively.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Applicant information
The next application dates for this course, followed by facts the provider publishes.
- 2027 entryCompleted applications can be submitted
Your application needs a reference before you can send it.
- 2026 entryFinal date for 2026 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2026 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
- 2027 entryEqual-consideration deadline
18:00 UK time for most undergraduate courses.
Show 5 later dates
- 2027 entryUCAS Extra opens
Applicants who used all five choices and hold no offer may be able to add another choice.
- 2027 entryLast day applications go directly to providers
Applications received after 18:00 UK time are entered into Clearing.
- 2027 entryClearing opens
Eligible applicants can see vacancies and release themselves into Clearing.
- 2027 entryFinal date for 2027 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2027 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
See and book current events. Dates can fill or change.
Entry & how to get in
Who gets in
What recently admitted students actually held, official admissions data, not a stated requirement.
UCAS tariff of entrants
Grades are the A-level equivalent of each points band. Tap a band to check your own chances below.
Qualifications held on entry
| Qualification | Share |
|---|---|
| A-levels or equivalent | 90% |
| another higher-education qualification | 10% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Accepted students came in with a broad spread of qualifications and UCAS points. If you're worried about grades, this course has historically taken a wide range, and contextual offers may apply.
Will you get in? Plot your grades
Pick your predicted A-levels and watch your UCAS points land on the real spread of students admitted to this course.
Each bar is the share of admitted students in that UCAS-points band (lower → higher). Grades show the A-level equivalent.
Based on the official admitted-student tariff distribution. Many universities make contextual (reduced-grade) offers, so a result below the range doesn’t rule you out.
How to apply
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Here’s what matters for this course, the right deadline, the grades to aim for, and the steps in order.
- 1Register on UCAS Hub
Create your UCAS application and add this course. One application covers up to five choices.
- 2Write your personal statement
A single statement covers all your choices, so keep it broad enough for similar courses while showing genuine interest in this subject.
- 3Submit by 13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time
UCAS equal-consideration deadline for most undergraduate courses. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.
- 4Reply to your offers
When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.
- 5Results day & confirmation
On results day (mid-August) your place is confirmed if you meet the offer. Just missed? Talk to the university, or find a place through Clearing.
Fees & funding
What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.
Tuition per year
The cap depends on the UK nation the provider sits in; the provider's page is authoritative.
Check fees at HCFE →Check the finance route that applies to you
Support depends on ordinary residence, assessed fee status, course and provider nation. The provider nation is unresolved here, so no national cap or loan amount is being guessed.
Find your official student-finance route →Paying for it
- Tuition fee loan: applied for through the student-finance body for the UK nation you live in.
- Living-cost support: means-tested on household income, from your nation's student-finance body.
- Repayment: only above the income threshold set by your nation's student-finance system.
- Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.
Each UK nation runs its own student-finance system; check gov.uk for the rates that apply to you.
Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for
That does not mean no funding exists. Check the university directory for current amounts, eligibility and application dates.
We only display a named award when its provider source identifies the award and who it is for.
Still deciding what to study?
StudyKit brings course choice, applications and funding together in one place, with a personal AI assistant. Find what really fits you and start your UCAS application step by step.
Careers & earnings
What Business & Management graduates actually earn, from real outcome data, 15 months, 3 years and 5 years after graduating.
Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course
- 1Graduate / AnalystOn a scheme or first role · 0–2 yrs
- 2Specialist / ManagerOwning an area, marketing, finance, ops · 2–5 yrs
- 3Senior / Head ofLeading a function and a team · 5–10 yrs
- 4Director / FounderRunning a business unit or your own company · 10+ yrs
How pay grows: this course vs Business & Management nationally
National figures for Business & Management graduates, HESA Graduate Outcomes (15 months) and the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset (3 & 5 years). These are national, not university-specific; actual pay varies by employer, region, role and experience. Different cohorts, so the bars are not one group over time.
Work out your pay
Headline figures hide a lot. Calculate realistic take-home pay for this field by role, region and experience, then check your CV before you apply.
What happened to 100 students?
Choose an outcome to translate the published percentage into a simple 100-person view. Each dot represents one percentage point, not an individual tracked student.
continued or completed
continued into the next year or completed their qualification
Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2022-23. Published threshold met. Sample size is not included in this snapshot. Each tab is a separate published measure; categories can overlap and should not be added together.
Job market & outlook
How Business & Management graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.
How AI is changing the work
AI doesn't replace the profession, it shifts it: routine tasks get automated, while judgement, working with people and using AI well become more valuable.
What AI takes off your plate
- Routine reporting and data pulls
- First-draft decks and copy
- Standard forecasts and reconciliations
- Scheduling and admin workflows
More human than ever
- Strategy and judgement under uncertainty
- Leading, negotiating and selling
- Sense-checking and owning what AI produces
- Relationships with clients and teams
The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.
Roles & employers
Where Business & Management graduates typically go, indicative destinations from graduate career data. Each role links to live openings on the StudySmarter job board.
Roles graduates go into
Where they work
- Consultancies
- Corporate graduate schemes
- Retail & FMCG
- Startups & scale-ups
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit Business & Management graduates.
Business Director, Marketing ScienceXcedeBusiness ManagerLGPS CentralBusiness Change ManagerIGA Talent SolutionsBusiness Case ManagerPeregrineBusiness DirectorMedialab GroupBusiness Rates SurveyorW TalentIs this course right for you?
The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.
Student finance
Home tuition is regulated and the cap depends on the UK nation the provider sits in; check the provider's course page for the exact figure. Eligible students can apply for a tuition fee loan and living-cost support from the student-finance body for the UK nation they live in. Repayment thresholds differ by nation.
Your entry chances
Use the UCAS points calculator above to see how your predicted grades compare with admitted students, and whether a contextual offer could apply.
Official-data snapshot
Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 8.7 out of 10: NSS 93.3% · continued 80%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
Business and management across the UK
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Local crime-data context
A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.
Around Hartlepool College
2,052 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.
Police.uk street-level API. Approximate locations, not confined to campus. England, Wales and Northern Ireland; not Scotland.
Is Business & Management right for you?
Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.
International students
What applying to HCFE from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is set per course by HCFE; international fees are typically £12,000–£30,000/year for classroom subjects and higher for lab/clinical ones. You’re not eligible for UK Tuition Fee or Maintenance Loans, so plan for fees plus living costs upfront.
English language
Most UK undergraduate courses ask for around IELTS 6.0–6.5 (no band below 5.5–6.0), or an accepted equivalent. If you’re just short, most universities run a pre-sessional English course that counts towards the requirement.
Student visa
You’ll usually need a Student visa (Student Route). After you accept an offer the university issues a CAS; you then show funds for fees plus about £1,023–£1,334/month living costs and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge for NHS access.
Scholarships & funding
Many universities offer international/global scholarships (often £2,000–£6,000/yr), check HCFE’s funding pages.
Living costs
Budget roughly £1,100–£1,400/month outside London and £1,400–£1,800/month in London for rent, food and travel; the figure also matters for your visa.
Working while you study
A Student visa usually allows up to 20 hours/week in term time and full-time in holidays, useful alongside study, though not something to rely on for fees.
Visa rules and fees change. Always confirm the current requirements with HCFE and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at HCFE
Business & Management at other universities
Common questions
How competitive is entry?
What are the entry requirements?
What do graduates earn?
What will it cost me?
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