Culinary arts schools maybe a great fit for you if you love to cook and bake and like a hands-on work environment in which you're always learning new things. If you're creative and you have a sharp palate and an eye for visual presentation, a culinary arts career may be the right choice for you. Some culinary arts programs have an online as well as an in-person component, so you can complete some of the coursework at home, on your own time.
Most culinary arts schools offer a degree in fewer than two years. Some schools offer bachelor's degrees in subjects such as culinary arts management. Other culinary arts schools and programs may offer an associate's degree or certificate.
Culinary arts programs are available to students of all ages and levels of experience and expertise. For example, some schools offer an Associate's Degree in Occupational Studies in Culinary Arts (A.O.S) for those who may be changing careers later in life, or already possess a B.A. or B.S. degree. Many culinary arts schools offer an Associate's Degree in Culinary Arts, which may take one to three years, depending on how rigorous a schedule you can handle.
Upon completion of a culinary arts program, trained chefs pursue one or more of these careers:
The service industry is one of the largest and fastest-growing major industry groups in the U.S., and W3 Education predicted that, by the end of 2010, three out of five jobs would be in this industry (2010). Professionals with a culinary arts degree tend to have many job options.
Minimal education and training requirements and a large number of part-time positions make the culinary arts a very appealing area of work. Projected employment growth varies by geographical area and specialty.