Frequently Asked Questions

Spa Business Education was created by Raison d’Etre, a global leader in spa and wellness consultancy with decades of international industry experience.

With our programs and courses, you will:

• Receive business management training that is specific to the spa and wellness industry.

• Study curriculum created by Raison d’Etre’s leading spa and wellness professionals, bringing decades of international industry experience.

• Learn more than academic principles of management by studying real-life scenarios that you’ll encounter as a spa manager;

• Learn through real-life industry scenarios, practical examples and ready-to-use business templates that help you put what you learn into practice.

• Gain knowledge and skills that can be applied across different spa and wellness businesses around the world.

You have several options to choose from:

The program will give you a stronger understanding of the business and management side of running a spa, including finance, leadership, human resources, marketing, operations and service quality.

After completing the program, you will receive an internationally recognized diploma which you can add to your CV and highlight to potential employers.

If you want to focus on a specific area of spa management, we offer short courses in Marketing & PR, Finance, Leadership, Human Resources and Spa Operations.

They are completed entirely online and the assessment is an online multiple-choice quiz. There are no formal assignments or personal mentor feedback included in the short courses.

After successful completion, you will receive a Certificate of Completion.

Each short course usually takes 2–3 weeks to complete, but you will have access for 3 months.

Yes. If you decide after completing a short course that you would like to continue with one of our full programs, the price you paid for the short course will be deducted from the full program price. In that case, please contact us and we will create a manual invoice for you.

The course content is the same for the Spa Management Program as well as the CIDESCO Beauty & Spa Management Diploma Program, however they differ in final assessment and certification.

Both programs follow the same 300-hour syllabus, which includes study time and time to complete your assignments.

The program covers these 7 modules which include educational videos, comprehensive training manuals, ready-to-use templates, practical examples and assignments:

• Introduction
• Marketing & Public Relations
• Leadership & Strategic Planning
• Finance
• Human Resources
• Spa Operations & Service Quality Management
• Business Plan

Your final assessment for the Spa Management Program is to create a business plan. After successful completion you will be awarded a diploma by Raison d’Etre.

In addition to the above, for the CIDESCO program, you will be required to complete two online CIDESCO examinations (a theory and practical exam). After successful completion, you will receive an internationally recognized CIDESCO diploma and a CIDESCO badge.

Your diploma(s) will be shipped to you at no additional cost.

Yes, absolutely. Since the content and assignments are the same, you can upgrade later and complete the CIDESCO examination process.

Yes. You’ll have mentor support throughout the program and can reach out whenever you need guidance.

There are no fixed or scheduled mentoring sessions, but if you need support, we’re happy to arrange an online call with you.

The learning material can be applied across the industry, including hotel and resort spas, cruise ship spas, destination spas, day spas and other wellness spaces. The program does not currently cover longevity-specific concepts.

Yes, absolutely. You can use a real spa or create your own realistic spa concept.

Yes. The entire program is online, including all learning materials, assignments and mentor support. If you are completing the CIDESCO program, the examinations are also online. There is no need to travel as there are no in-person lectures.

You will need:

• A reliable internet connection
• Access to Microsoft Office or Google Workspace
• A PDF reader, and
• A computer or laptop with a webcam and microphone if you are completing the online CIDESCO examinations.

No, there are no live classes.

Yes. Most of our students work full-time, including working onboard cruise ships. You can study in your own time and at your own pace. We provide a recommended assignment timeline to help keep you motivated and on track, but it is your responsibility to manage your study time and complete the program within your access period.

We cannot recommend a set number of study hours per week as this depends entirely on your lifestyle and available study time.

This period begins as soon as you enrol and receive access to the program.

You have 6 months to complete the Spa Management Program and 12 months to complete the CIDESCO Beauty & Spa Management Diploma Program.

Please reach out to your course mentor if you need more time to complete the program. We can extend your access or reactivate your account for a 300 USD administration fee.

There are no prerequisites, and enrolment is open 365 days a year with no specific intake dates. You do not need previous experience in any of the subject areas. The program is designed to be accessible to students with or without experience. You can enrol at any time by simply purchasing the program you are interested in.

Simply add the program or course to your basket and complete the checkout, just as you would with any other online purchase. You can pay securely by credit or debit card.

Once your payment is complete, you’ll have immediate access to your program or course.

If you have any questions about payment, please contact us at smc@rdespas.com.

Please check the program page on our website for our current pricing. Add the program to your basket and proceed to checkout to see the final total, including applicable VAT.

VAT is a required tax and is added based on your location. The applicable amount will be calculated automatically at checkout.

If the program is being purchased by your company as a business expense, Swedish VAT may not be charged. This cannot be done directly through an online purchase from our website and we will need to create an invoice for you. Please contact us with the following information:

Please contact us with the following information: registered company name, address, VAT number and billing contact details.

No, there are no hidden costs. Your certification and international shipping of your diplomas are also included.

Yes. Please visit the relevant program page on our website, where you will see the available instalment option.

Yes. If a business is paying for your program, we can prepare an invoice and set up your account manually.

Please email us with the following information: registered company name, address, VAT number and billing contact details.

Yes. If you enrol in the CIDESCO Beauty & Spa Management Diploma Program, the CIDESCO examination process is included in the program price.

Yes. Both the theory and practical examinations are completed online. You do not need to travel.

The theory examination is a supervised online exam consisting of 100 multiple-choice questions.

The practical examination is a 10–15 minute live online presentation of your Business Plan, followed by questions from the CIDESCO examiner.

CIDESCO examinations are normally held once or twice per year, depending on the number of candidates ready to take the exam. As we have flexible enrolment throughout the year, examination dates also depend on the progress of our candidates.

No. We cannot guarantee examination dates in advance, as these depend on CIDESCO scheduling and the number of candidates ready to take the exam.

We recommend following the same timeline as the Spa Management Program and aiming to complete your coursework within 6 months.

The additional access time gives you flexibility to prepare for and complete the CIDESCO examinations.

Our focus is on providing you with the education, knowledge and tools to support your career development. While we don’t offer a formal recruitment or job placement service, we’re always happy to support our graduates where we can.

While we get to know our students throughout their learning journey, we don’t have first-hand experience of their work ethic or how they perform in the workplace. For this reason, we’re unable to make individual employment recommendations.

Our graduates have progressed far and wide in their careers across the international spa and wellness industry. We love hearing where their careers take them, although it’s up to each graduate to keep us updated on their journey.

The entire program, including all learning materials, assignments and mentor support is in English.

English does not need to be your first language, and many of our students are non-native English speakers. The program is written in clear, easy-to-understand English, so you simply need to be comfortable studying and communicating in English.

CIDESCO may offer examinations in other languages. However, our training, support and exam preparation are provided in English.