Several degrees are available to culinary students, including associate of applied science (AAS), bachelor of arts (BA) and master of arts (MA). Many schools also offer certificate programs in culinary arts and in baking and pastry arts. Most culinary degree programs prescribe that students complete an externship at an approved hotel or restaurant after the school-based practical and lecture classes.
Certificate
Several types of schools have programs that award certificates of completion in culinary arts, including community colleges, trade schools and private universities. Certificate programs often last two years or less, and share many of the same classes as degree programs. However, certificate programs do not require the completion of liberal arts classes necessary for a degree. Certificate programs commonly include classes such as sanitation, nutrition, fundamental culinary skills, and baking and pastry. As of February 2011, the cost of culinary programs at the community-college level ranged from $2,000 to $5,000, Cooking Schools 101 reports.
Associate
Community colleges and culinary schools commonly offer AAS degrees in culinary arts and baking and pastry arts. In addition to cooking and baking classes, AAS programs require students to complete liberal arts courses such as humanities, social sciences and oral and written communications. An AAS program in culinary arts usually includes classes such as culinary skills I through III, food safety, garde manger I and II (the craft of cold preparations), basic baking and pastry, regional and world cuisines, and wine and beverages. Baking and pastry arts programs include fundamental cooking classes, such as cooking skills I and II, and supplement them with advanced instruction in baked goods and pastry fabrication, classic and contemporary cakes, yeast breads, chocolate, sugar work and plating, decoration and presentation. The cost of culinary instruction at a public university ranged from $3,000 to $18,000 as of February 2011, Cooking Schools 101 says.
Bachelor's
In addition to certificate and associate programs, culinary schools offer bachelor of arts (BA) degrees. Comprehensive BA programs expand on AAS programs' curricula with classes in accounting and budget management, restaurant and hotel operations, culinary and baking mathematics, food culture and molecular gastronomy. Some schools also offer BA programs in hospitality management. Hospitality management programs focus primarily on the administrative and supervisory aspects of the field, and include classes such as restaurant law, culinary media, hotel and restaurant operations, organizational behavior, economics, leadership and catering operations. Culinary programs at formal culinary institutions cost between $7,000 and $36,000 as of February 2011, according to Cooking Schools 101.
Master's
Master's degrees in culinary arts are not as common as certificate, AAS and BA programs, and typically center on gastronomy (the science of food) or hospitality management. Master's programs' curricula in gastronomy often include instruction on food in the context of business, communications and anthropology. Master's programs in hospitality management include competencies such as food-service-based accounting, economics, law and health codes.
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