From Culinary Programs to Culinary Careers

If you love to cook and envision yourself in a particular culinary career, understanding what it takes to get into and complete culinary school is the first step to getting you on your desired career path. Keep in mind that the specific requirements you need to fulfill to earn a culinary certification will depend on which school you attend and the specific area of expertise you study.

Types of Culinary Programs

With such a variety of careers available in the culinary and hospitality industries, culinary schools offer a number of different programs to help train and prepare you for each one. If you love baking, you'll want to specialize in pastry production. If you're vegan and are interested in vegan cooking, you'll be interested in culinary arts degree vegan programs. Some of the programs you'll find offered by culinary schools include:

• art of cooking
• baking and pastry arts
• beverage management
• confectionary show pieces
• kitchen management
• patisserie
• professional cooking
• restaurant management
• wines and spirits.

Because the above is by no means a complete list of the types of courses and certifications culinary schools offer, check with your particular school for more in-depth information.

Most culinary schools offer both Associate's and Bachelor's Degrees. With the variety of programs and degrees available, it's best to determine what career path you want to follow and then find out which degree program is best suited for your desired culinary arts job.

Possible Culinary Careers

Here is a quick look as the necessary training for some of the more popular career paths in the culinary arts industry:

• Chef training: You can take any of the regular program courses offered by culinary schools, from basic cooking to pastry baking geared specifically for fanciful shows. Although you can earn a certification in as little as eighteen months, the longer you attend culinary school, the higher your certification will be, which leads to better paying job opportunities as well as a higher degree of expertise. Culinary school tuitions for chef training programs are typically high and can range in the thousands of dollars. There are multiple levels of certification in this field, ranging from certified sous chef to certified master chef. For most, it takes about two to four years to complete chef training.
• Restaurant management: If you want a career in this field, expect to spend at least four years in college earning a Bachelor's degree. For hospitality experience, which will help you in landing a job in restaurant management, you'll probably be required to document a large number of hours in work-related and community service. Most students take about two years to earn a restaurant management certification.
• Sommelier training: Knowing your way around a wine cellar can greatly impact your success in the restaurant business. Training in this field will give you an edge over your colleagues who don't know how to recommend the best wine for a meal. Many restaurants depend greatly on their wine sales, so being an expert in this field gives you an authority not everyone possesses. Courses include introductory wine classes and can branch out into other areas, such as beer and cigars. You can train in this field in some schools in as little as a couple of months for less than $1000. This should be viewed as an additional learning experience on top of extensive food knowledge. For those interested in furthering their careers in the culinary arts industry, consider earning a sommelier or master sommelier certification
• Mixology: Knowing how to mix drinks well is key when working in establishments that serve hard liquor. Many restaurants rely on alcohol sales to help turn a profit, so completing mixology training and becoming a certified mixologist is a useful and lucrative skill to have. Mixologists are more than bartenders; they have extensive knowledge, more intense training and, as a result, command higher salaries. Forty-hour courses can be completed in time spans of one, two or five week periods and usually cost a minimum of a couple hundred dollars. Chefs and even pastry cooks can enhance their cooking skills by earning a certification in mixology.

Although a love and appreciation for food is essential for pursuing a degree in the culinary arts, you can use your certification and degree to work in or outside of the kitchen. Your culinary arts degree will come in handy for the following careers:

• culinary arts management
• hotel and restaurant management
• personal chef
• wine, spirits and beverage manager.