Cooking School

Cooking School and the Choices it Offers

Cooking School Degree Choices

For someone interested in a career as a chef, cooking school can be a great way to gain experience. Student who attend a university for a culinary education will find themselves faced with the same types of questions as students who are applying for any other major. How long will they want to go to school for? What type of school will they want to attend? What kind of degree will they work towards?

There are a few different options for cooking school undergrads. Associate’s degree programs usually take at least two years to finish, but are popular with culinary arts students who are not sure exactly what direction they would like to take with their education. This program focuses primarily on the basics, such as nutrition, kitchen skills and presentation. Bachelor’s programs for culinary students are more typically four years, and incorporate management skills into more basic programs. These are especially valuable if the goal is to run your own restaurant.

Another option culinary students can consider is diploma or certificate programs that are offered by culinary schools, universities and community colleges. These programs generally last only a few months and are perfect for beginner knowledge or those looking for fast work in the restaurant business. Although a lot of the training will be on the job, a certificate or diploma can give an edge over the competition in a difficult job market.

Careers After Cooking School

For a graduate of a culinary arts program, the career choices can seem endless. This can be a blessing for individuals who thrive on having a career full of options and different opportunities. Possibly the most obvious career choice for a graduate of cooking school lies in the restaurant world. However, even this option contains its own never-ending offering of choices, from small diners to five-star restaurants, from home-style cooking to trendy upscale eateries. Many chefs dream of owning their own restaurant, and the first step is to work in one.

Another career choice for a recent grad of cooking school is catering. This also offers its own plethora of subcategories; including party catering, business catering and dessert menu catering. Many full-time chefs or restaurant owners operate a catering business on the side to make extra money or fulfill more creative endeavors.

Hotels offer another option for graduates of the culinary arts. Hotels can be a popular choice, as they tend to offer more stable employment than more privately run restaurants or catering companies. One of the more glamorous careers associated with cooking is that of the personal chef. Not only just for the rich and famous, personal chefs have developed into household brands with the advent of widespread nutritional education.