Culinary Arts Degree Programs - myFootpath

Everybody has to eat.  And more and more Americans are doing it outside of the home.  The restaurant industry currently employs almost 13 million people, or about one out of every ten employed people in the U.S. – second only to the government in terms of size – and the National Restaurant Association estimates that millions more jobs will open up in this area in the coming years.  Outside of the tourism industry, the food service sector is the fastest growing of the U.S. economy, with more than $400 billion in sales every year.

Now is a great time to pursue a degree in the culinary arts.  A degree is a must if you want to make a career out of cooking.  And that is exactly what most people with degrees in the culinary arts find work doing: cooking for restaurants, hotels, private clubs, corporations or catering companies.  But positions are also available in other areas, such as kitchen management and shift supervision.

Types of Culinary Arts Degrees Available
There are three types of culinary arts degrees for you to choose from: associate, bachelor’s and certificate programs.  All of the degrees will involve hands-on cooking classes, and the bachelor’s programs also tend to include more training in management.

The associate degree is the most popular type of degree that is offered and usually takes about two years to finish.  Certificate programs are shorter and can be completed in as little as eight to ten weeks; they can give you a very basic education that will help you find entry level work in a culinary environment.

Featured Campus Schools for Culinary Arts Degree Programs:

• The Art Institutes – Request Information
• Virginia College – Request Information

What a Culinary Arts Degree Teaches You
An associate or bachelor’s degree will give you an overview of the culinary arts and teach you about knife skills, kitchen procedures, food presentation, beverage selection, nutrition, sanitation and safety and other fundamentals of cooking.  Specialized certificates or focused degree programs will give you specific training in a certain area; the most popular are baking, pastries, international cuisine, dining room operations and restaurant management.

Featured Careers in the Culinary Arts:

• Chef
• Pastry Chef

Questions to Ask About a Culinary Arts Degree:

1. Do I enjoy working with my hands?

2. Will I be comfortable in a position that is fast-paced and requires me to be on my feet for long periods of time?

3. Do I enjoy serving and helping others?  Am I interested in a hospitality position?

4. Am I adventurous and not afraid to try and experiment with new things?

5. Can I handle and even thrive when under lots of pressure?

Still have more questions?  Need to talk with one of our college experts?  Call us at 1-866-305-8525 and we can assist you in your search for schools that offer culinary arts degrees.