Pet Grooming Career Certificate Program

Whether you're just starting out, switching careers, or expanding your pet care skills, the Pet Grooming Career Certificate Program offers a complete pathway into the professional grooming industry. This comprehensive program combines flexible online learning with hands-on training in a real grooming salon, allowing you to learn at your own pace and build job-ready skills step by step. Upon enrollment, you'll begin your journey with engaging online modules on breed identification, safety, anatomy, sanitation, and canine first aid/CPR. After successful completion of the online modules, you'll transition into our open lab salon, where you'll gain real-world grooming experience working with live pets under expert supervision. As you progress, earn digital badges that showcase your growing mastery from essential grooming tasks to advanced styling and emergency care. To enrich your experience even further, students also have access to exclusive in-person workshops offered throughout the year. These sessions cover specialty topics like hands-on canine CPR training, creative grooming, business basics, and advanced techniques led by guest professionals, giving you extra exposure to trending skills and industry insights. Graduates complete the program with a professional portfolio, a capstone credential, and the confidence to succeed in salons, vet clinics, mobile grooming services, or as independent business owners. Tuition assistance may fund up to 100 percent of your registration cost for this program. Fill out our funding referral form at www.kirkwood.edu/cefunding.