November 28, 2024

Cooking School Curriculum: What You’ll Learn

N. Jay Sorensen, MBA RDN

Are you considering cooking school but not quite sure what you’ll learn? In this guide, we’ll go over what you learn in cooking school, from basic knife skills to advanced cooking techniques. You’ll also find out about the different programs available and the kinds of jobs you could get afterward. By the end, you’ll know what it takes to start a successful career in the culinary world.

Degree and Certificate Options in Culinary Arts

If you’re in high school and thinking about culinary school, it’s good to know the different kinds of programs you can choose from. Culinary schools offer Certificates, Associate’s Degrees, and Bachelor’s Degrees in culinary arts.

Certificate Programs: These are shorter programs, usually lasting a few months to a year. They’re great if you want to get started in the culinary field quickly or focus on something specific, like baking or pastry arts. With a certificate, you can get a job as a prep cook, baker, or in other entry-level roles. This is a good option if you want to learn practical skills without spending years in school.
Associate’s Degree: An Associate’s Degree in Culinary Arts usually takes about two years. It teaches you cooking techniques, kitchen management, and food safety. This program is ideal if you want to start working quickly after graduation. Graduates often become line cooks, prep cooks, or work in catering, with plenty of chances to move up as they gain experience.
Bachelor’s Degree: A Bachelor’s in Culinary Arts typically takes about four years. It includes more advanced training, management courses, and even some business classes. This kind of degree can lead to jobs like sous chef, executive chef, or restaurant manager. It’s also a good choice if you want to start your own food business someday.

Hands-On Cooking Experience

A big part of culinary school is hands-on cooking practice. Students spend a lot of time in the kitchen working on their skills, learning to follow recipes accurately, and managing the fast pace of a busy kitchen. Practicing in this kind of environment is the best way to improve your skills and get ready for a professional kitchen.

Internships and Real-World Experience

Most culinary programs offer internships where students work in real kitchens with professional chefs. These internships are super important because they let you see what it’s really like to work in the industry. You’ll help with food prep, assist in cooking, and learn how to manage different tasks efficiently. Internships also help you make connections that can be very helpful when you’re looking for a job after graduation.

Final Culinary Projects

Towards the end of your training, you’ll work on a final project, like creating a multi-course menu. This project is your chance to show off everything you’ve learned—from choosing the best ingredients to cooking and presenting a beautiful dish. It also shows your creativity and the skills you’ve gained during the program.

Workforce Expectations Over the Next Decade

The culinary industry is expected to grow over the next ten years, with more demand for skilled chefs and food service workers. Restaurants are changing, and there’s more focus on sustainable practices, local ingredients, and plant-based options. Employers are looking for chefs who are creative, adaptable, and able to run a kitchen efficiently.

There is also a trend towards food entrepreneurship—like food trucks, pop-up restaurants, and catering services. These are great opportunities for chefs who want to start their own ventures without the costs of opening a traditional restaurant. Culinary graduates who are willing to take risks and be innovative can do well in these emerging areas.

Technology in the kitchen is also growing. Things like digital ordering, inventory management apps, and even automated cooking tools are becoming more common. Culinary students should be comfortable with both traditional cooking skills and new technologies to stay competitive.

Career Pathways and Earning Potential

Culinary school opens up many different career paths in the food industry, from restaurants to hotels and beyond.

Typical Foodservice Work Settings and Employment Opportunities

Graduates from culinary programs can work in many different foodservice environments, including:

Restaurants and Cafés: Most culinary graduates start in restaurants, which can range from fast-casual places to fine dining. Jobs include line cook, sous chef, executive chef, and pastry chef.
Hotels and Resorts: Hotels often have different dining options, such as restaurants, buffets, and room service. This offers chefs a chance to work in a diverse setting.
Catering Companies: Catering involves preparing food for large events, like weddings and corporate parties, which can be very rewarding.
Cruise Ships and Airlines: Chefs can also work for travel companies, preparing meals for cruise passengers or airline travelers.
Institutional Foodservice: Schools, hospitals, universities, and corporate cafeterias all need chefs to manage large-scale food production, ensuring the food is safe and high-quality.

Other Foodservice-Related Employment Opportunities

Besides traditional cooking roles, culinary graduates can work in other parts of the food industry, such as:

Food Broker: Food brokers represent food producers and manufacturers to retail stores and restaurants, helping connect products to the right buyers.
Foodservice Distributor: Distributors need people who understand food to help sell and market products effectively to restaurants and stores.
Food Manufacturer Representative: Culinary graduates can work for food manufacturers, helping promote products and teaching customers how to use them.
Product Demonstrators: These people showcase food products at stores or trade shows, using their culinary skills to market the products.
Test Kitchen Chef: Test kitchens for magazines, TV shows, or product manufacturers need chefs to develop and test recipes. This job makes sure that recipes are delicious and easy for home cooks.
Food Stylist: Food stylists prepare food for photography in ads, cookbooks, and magazines, combining culinary skills with artistic presentation.

These different roles allow culinary graduates to use their skills in ways that go beyond working in a restaurant, giving them flexibility and variety in their careers.

Here are some common roles and their earning potential:

Line Cook: Starting out as a line cook is common after getting a certificate or associate’s degree. The average salary is around $30,000 to $35,000 per year, depending on experience and location.
Sous Chef: With a few years of experience or a bachelor’s degree, you could become a sous chef. Sous chefs make about $45,000 to $55,000 per year and help the head chef run the kitchen.
Executive Chef: This is the top position in a kitchen. It usually requires several years of experience, and often a bachelor’s degree. Executive chefs can earn $60,000 to over $100,000 annually, depending on the restaurant.
Restaurant Manager: If you like both food and business, a bachelor’s degree could help you become a restaurant manager. Managers usually earn between $50,000 and $70,000 per year.
Food Business Owner: Some graduates use their skills to start their own businesses, like food trucks or catering companies. Earnings depend on the success of the business but can be very rewarding.

Conclusion

A cooking school curriculum provides a complete education that gets you ready for a career in the culinary arts. You’ll learn essential skills like knife techniques, cooking methods, and even business skills through internships and hands-on projects. Whether you decide to earn a certificate, an associate’s degree, or a bachelor’s degree, culinary school can open up many exciting opportunities. The experience you gain will be invaluable as you enter a growing and changing industry full of diverse career paths.

References

Institute of Culinary Education. (n.d.). What Do You Learn in Culinary School?. Retrieved from https://www.ice.edu/blog/what-do-you-learn-in-culinary-school
Dorsey College. (n.d.). What Do You Learn in Culinary School?. Retrieved from https://www.dorsey.edu/blog/what-do-you-learn-in-culinary-school/
Chef’s Resource. (n.d.). What Do You Learn in Culinary School?. Retrieved from https://www.chefsresource.com/faq/what-do-you-learn-in-culinary-school/
Stanford University Open Virtual Assistant Lab. (n.d.). Teaching Kitchen at Stanford. Retrieved from https://rde.stanford.edu/dining-hospitality/teaching-kitchen
Escoffier School of Culinary Arts. (n.d.). Baking and Pastry Online Programs. Retrieved from https://www.escoffier.edu/blog/culinary-arts/8-knife-cuts-every-professional-cook-should-know/
Food-Safety.com. (n.d.). Culinary Student Food Safety Assessment. Retrieved from https://www.food-safety.com/articles/4240-culinary-student-food-safety-assessment

Author: N. Jay Sorensen, MBA RDN

Filed Under: Food

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