NQ Beauty with Make-up Artistry (Level 5) (January)
- Location
- Langside Campus
- Start Date
- 26 Jan 2026
- Qualification Type
- NQ
- Course Type
- Short Full-Time
- Duration
- 18 weeks (January to June)
This exciting course will get you ready for working in the beauty industry at an introductory level, or to progress to higher level courses. You’ll learn a huge range of cosmetic application techniques that have been designed to help you develop your creative skills, working on your fellow classmates and then progressing to real clients - you’ll be a model for treatments, too!
If you love make-up and are creative, adaptable, have a visual imagination and pay attention to detail, then this could be the ideal course for you.
What will I learn?
NQ Beauty with Makeup Artistry covers the basic skills you need to carry out face and make-up treatments. During the course you'll learn:
- Facial Skin Care – to help you gain understanding and knowledge of facial skin care and to prepare and perform a skin care routine correctly for make-up application.
- Developing Make-up Skills – to develop knowledge of the influencing factors when carrying out a make-up application and gain an understanding of colour theory knowledge.
The course also includes development of bridal, evening, fantasy and face-painting techniques to equip you with basic make-up artistry skills and the opportunity to create a professional portfolio of your creative make-up designs.
Entry requirements (minimum)
- Three National 4 qualifications (one to be English or National 4 ESOL in Context & ESOL for Everyday Life), or equivalent qualifications; or
- NPA Beauty Skills or Cosmetology (Level 4), or equivalent
- You must be 16 years or over before the course start date
- Mature students will be assessed at interview
The Scottish Credit and Qualifications (SCQF) Framework can help you to check if you're choosing the right level of study. Take a look at the SCQF Interactive Framework here.
Employer and industry links
There are opportunities to attend online training events and workshops with external training providers from prestigious skincare and make-up companies.
Jobs and further study
What's the best that could happen? You could move into jobs in the beauty industry or progress to other courses to develop your skills further, including NQ Beautician (Level 6) starting in August at Glasgow Clyde College.
You could also find employment in beauty salons, department stores or self-employment.
Take a look at the course progression map for hair, beauty and complementary therapies courses.
I've applied — what happens next?
You will receive an automated email confirming that we have received your application (remember to check your SPAM folder).
Your application will be reviewed by the admissions team and you will either be:
- Made a direct offer (unconditional or conditional)
- Invited to book an interview session
- Advised that your application is unsuccessful – you have not met the entry requirements for this course and are advised to contact the College Student Advice Centres to discuss alternative options which may be available to you.
- We aim not to reject an application and if you don’t meet the entry requirements you may be referred to a different course or level.
If you are invited to interview, you will be informed of the outcome of your interview by email within 14 working days. The outcome will be one of the following:
- Unconditional offer of a place – you have met all the entry requirements and your place is guaranteed. You will be required to accept this offer to secure your place.
- Conditional offer of a place – your place is secured pending you meeting the entry requirements. This may mean achieving school or college qualifications which you may not be able to provide to us yet. You will be required to accept this offer to secure your conditional place. Once your conditions are met this will change to an unconditional offer of a place which you must accept before you can enrol on the course.
- Waiting list – you have met all entry requirements, and have been interviewed however, the course is now full so you have been placed on a waiting list. If any spaces become available you may be contacted, usually around the course start date. We would advise that you also consider other application options.
- Reserve list – following your interview, you have unfortunately not been successful in this round of recruitment. We have placed your name on a Reserve list and your application may be reconsidered at a later date. This could happen any time up to the start date of the course but it is very possible that you will not be offered a place. We would advise that you also consider other application options.
- Unsuccessful – your interview has been unsuccessful. You may be offered a place on a course at a different level, or advised to contact the College Student Advice Centres to discuss alternative options which may be available to you.
Once an offer is received, you must reply within 14 working days or risk losing your place, as the system will automatically decline your offer after 14 days.
Once you have accepted your offer, you will be sent out instructions about student funding, joining instructions and induction date. This will normally be sent out in December / January.