Culinary Schools

Whether cooking traditional comfort foods or amazing creative concoctions, the culinary arts meld together flavors, colors and textures to create new taste sensations for discerning palates. Beginning a culinary career often begins with one of the various culinary schools where students learn everything from basic food safety to preparing salads, appetizers, entrees and exquisite desserts.

Getting into Culinary School

Having a passion for food and cooking can equate to the desire to begin culinary school. While a degree in the culinary arts is not necessary for a career in the field, formal training can provide the tips and techniques needed to reach your career goals. Inexperienced chefs may choose a school that has a broad range of styles to help focus their careers, while experienced chefs may choose a school that focuses on a specific culinary specialty. Options include a diploma, an associate’s degree or a bachelor’s degree. When choosing a school, the location, the length of the program and costs need to be factored in. In addition, consider questions like: what experience do the instructors have? What work have previous graduates found? And, is there job placement or are there externship opportunities available?

Culinary Schools – Programs and Courses

Several areas of study are available within the culinary arts field including, baking and pastry arts, culinary arts, culinary management, hospitality management and restaurant management. In culinary programs, aspiring chefs learn to apply classic methodology to prepare food, including sanitation, nutrition, procedure and organization. They review practical applications of food preparation and all aspects of restaurant operations. Generally, classes are hands on and take place in fully equipped, stocked kitchens supervised by experts who are there to advise and correct any mistakes the students make while cooking.

Courses can range from the art of cooking to baking and pastry arts to culinary management to hospitality management depending upon the culinary school’s program options and credential levels. Creative experimentation is encouraged in coursework and each school’s requirements may be different. Expect to take classes in nutrition, culinary math, supervisory management and dining room etiquette. There will be some textbook learning, homework and quizzes. Classes will also be graded on attendance, professionalism, work ethic, sanitation and safety. Externships may also be required in a formal restaurant setting, although some culinary schools have their own restaurants, students run and operate.

Top Culinary Schools

Several culinary schools offer degrees in the culinary arts, however, amongst the top ranked schools in the country are: The International Culinary School at The Art Institutes, a school that teaches the fundamentals of cooking; Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts, which focuses on innovation; and the Keller Graduate School of Business, which focuses on hospitality. Deciding which program to enroll in depends on the level of education desired and the focus of study that potential students are seeking.

A creative passion for food is the basic requirement for the beginning of a career in the culinary arts. Discovering the techniques of professional chefs through a culinary school training program can lead to an exciting profession within the food services industry. The valuable hands-on experience received during a culinary school training program will help aspiring chefs to develop the tools necessary to launch a life-long appreciation of food and help graduates become competitive job candidates when searching for a career in the culinary arts.