What are some of the specializations within this degree program?

• Chefs: A degree in culinary arts can lead to being a chef in a restaurant. From running the kitchen yourself to working on the line, there is plenty of room for growth as a chef.
• Restaurant Managers: Being a restaurant manager, you will manage the front of the house, wait staff and bartenders. You can also become a back of the house manager and manage the kitchen staff, line cooks and work directly with the executive chef and restaurant owners.
• Pastry Chefs: Being a pastry chef, you will create all the desserts and sweets within a restaurant or bakery. A pastry chef typically works in the early mornings and late evenings, they collaborate with executive chefs to create stunning desserts for restaurant menus.

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What degree levels are available?

• Associate Degree: 1-2 years to complete
• Bachelor's Degree: 4-5 years to complete

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What are the educational and certification requirements?

Culinary arts programs culminate with either associate degrees and bachelor's degrees. These programs can vary in length and time. Many students can work full time and attend these programs part time since they offer flexible schedules, night classes, and some online courses. The associate degree in culinary arts takes around two years to complete, and may be offered by art and design institutes, junior colleges, or traditional universities. These degrees introduce students to culinary basics, through courses in cooking and baking, management, and business. Graduates with this degree may go on to a career as a line cook or sous chef, though they may advance with experience and continuing education.

Students who are interested in launching into a full-blown culinary career may be more interested in pursuing a bachelor's degree in culinary arts. This four-year degree is usually the requirement to enter a formal internship with a chef -- professional experience that prepares graduates for a sous chef or executive chef job. Students take courses in different cuisine, knife skills, baking, management, business, and professional skills.

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What kinds of classes will I be expected to take?

Every culinary arts degree program in America will require at least one class in food safety. Most programs require this course at the beginning of a degree curriculum so that it can be practically applied as students learn to cook in a hands-on method. What's more, students will study food safety continuously as they take cooking classes. Most associate degree programs in culinary arts, especially those that are offered at cooking schools rather than community colleges, recognize that their students have a diverse array of career interests, and they will offer courses that can open the door to these careers.

For example, a class in restaurant management will help students become experts at food safety laws and will train future restaurant managers and owners in business fundamentals, such as budgeting and food ordering. Some schools have entire associate degree programs in culinary management. Similarly, some schools have entire programs dedicated to training future caterers, but in many cases a culinary arts student can choose to take only one catering class if they seek only a brief introduction to the field. Catering specifically implies preparing large quantities of food for large groups of people, as well as serving it and keeping it warm. 

The reason that most students sign up for culinary degree programs is because they love to cook and bake, and they are interested in improving their skills. A wide range of cooking classes will be offered, such as ethnic cooking. Ethnic cooking classes will provide an introduction to preparing traditional Asian foods, particularly from India, China, and Southeast Asia. Students who are more interested in baking may opt to take a class in cake decorating. Decorating cakes for weddings, birthdays, and other special occasions is a remarkably popular creative career in culinary arts.

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If I pursue this program online, will I be required to complete any on-site training?

In most cases, yes. Culinary arts requires hands-on learning. Some community colleges allow students to complete cooking assignments in their own kitchens, but in-person training is much more beneficial to students as they experience a communal kitchen setting and can get one-on-one help from instructors. 

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What are some other degrees that are related to this program?

Patisserie and baking degrees are a popular alternative to culinary arts degrees. Students who complete these degrees become master bakers, experts at creating delicious works of art; however, these programs usually require some general cooking study as well. There are some culinary degrees that are dedicated specifically to a certain type of ethnic cooking. There are degree programs dedicated to Italian cooking, French cooking, and Indian cooking, but students should keep in mind that these degrees are less marketable than general culinary degrees.

Culinary degrees that deal more in the business side of the culinary industry are popular alternatives for students who would like to work in food service but do not want to be chefs. Classes in culinary management degree programs, for example, include budgeting, human resources, and ordering. Students may use culinary management degrees as a springboard to bachelor's degrees in business. Food management degrees are also similar to culinary arts degrees, but they provide much more extensive training in food safety than traditional degrees. Graduates of food management degrees can apply their learning to restaurant management or could go on to work for such organizations as the FDA. 

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