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Culinary Arts Colleges

As a Culinary Arts major you’ll learn cooking and restaurant management skills to prepare you for a career as a chef, baker, line cook, catering service manager and more. Your college education may last anywhere from a few months to a few years a result in a certificate, associate degree, online degree, bachelor’s degree or master’s degree.

Many Culinary Arts students choose to go to a culinary arts-focused career college or technical school, while others enroll in programs at community colleges, online schools, 4-year colleges and universities. No matter where you go to school, much of your education will be spent gaining hands-on training in the kitchen both on campus and through internships.

To succeed in Culinary Arts, you shouldn’t just have a keen sense of taste and an affinity for food, you should also be creative, energetic, a good communicator, a team player and able to work well under pressure. An eye for details and a thick skin to handle criticism can help, too. Many Culinary Arts majors also consider a Baking and Pastry Arts degree.

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Choosing a Culinary Arts School

You can find reputable Culinary Arts programs across the country from well-known career colleges to big state universities. When you chose a Culinary Arts school, start by checking out the kitchens you’ll spend most of your time in. Real world experience is also important, so find out what opportunities exist for internships and other fieldwork. The faculty-to-student ratio can make a difference at Culinary Arts school because one-on-one instruction and critique is invaluable. You can also learn a lot about a program by looking at the careers of recent grads.

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Culinary Arts Degree Programs

You can earn several types of Culinary Arts degrees. Certificate programs, which last from a few months to two years can give you the basic skills you need to begin work in the Culinary Arts. With a certificate you’ll learn cooking procedures, how to handle foods and kitchen safety and qualify for entry-level positions. Some longer certificate programs give you advanced or specialized skills that can increase your job prospects.

Other Culinary Arts students choose to pursue an associate degree. Two-year degrees include more advanced and specialized courses. You may also learn more about the business side of Culinary Arts as well as nutrition and menu planning.

A bachelor’s degree often comes from a state or private college or university rather than a Culinary Arts school. Often, these programs give you a broad liberal arts education beyond kitchen skills, which may qualify you for more jobs or prepare you to run or open a food service establishment down the road.

A small number of Culinary Arts majors go for a master’s degree. Often, these students want to learn restaurant business skills or add specialized culinary skills to their list of current cooking expertise.

Culinary Arts Degree Programs:

Online Culinary Arts Degree Programs at Online Schools

You can enroll in an online school for some Culinary Arts programs. While highly specialized kitchen skills such as Baking & Pastry Arts can only be learned in on-campus classes, other subjects work well at online school. You can earn an online degree in food service management for example.

Online Culinary Arts Degree Programs:

Online Culinary Arts Schools:

High School Preparation

If Culinary Arts school is in your future, take as many cooking classes in high school as you can. Even if your high school only offers the basics, consider enrolling in a community class to learn more advanced techniques. For understanding nutrition and recipe making, pay attention in chemistry class. When it’s time to find a part time job, look to restaurants, cafes, catering businesses and bakeries to gain hands-on experience in Culinary Arts.

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Popular Careers in the Field of Culinary Arts

A college degree in Culinary Arts can lead to a variety of careers. Most commonly, Culinary Arts graduates go on to become chefs, cooks and bakers, including line cooks, executive chefs, pastry chefs and short-order cooks. Jobs are found at restaurants, resorts, cafeterias, catering services and high-end establishments. Salaries are as broad as the career possibilities ranging from $15,000 to $55,000 a year on average.

Other Culinary Arts majors begin their careers as food preparation workers, cake decorators or artesian bread bakers. Careers exist in food service management as well. Culinary Arts degree-holders may open their own restaurant or run a chain of bakeries.

The highest salaries in Culinary Arts go to chefs, pastry chefs and food service managers with the most experience. You can boost your earning potential by owning your own business or scoring a job at a prestigious establishment, too. Degree-holders that boast a range of specialized skills can also find more jobs—having both a business sense and the taste buds to develop recipes for example, or being able to cook up authentic French cuisine and cutting the perfect fillet of beef.

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