As with any educational path, it is important to research the industry that you want to pursue. Before starting an education in the culinary arts, ensure that you are prepared for long hours spent in a hot kitchen. This can be done by working at a local restaurant in any capacity, including in the kitchen or even as a server. Any restaurant job entails long hours on your feet, with a highly active work environment. When the decision has been made to pursue an education in culinary arts, research the school and be certain that they offer the experience that you want to get out of it. Things to inquire about would be if they offer hands-on experience in an industry standard kitchen, what experience the professors have in the industry and what rate of job placement and graduation they offer. Also, check is if the school is accredited by the American Culinary Federation, which is a respected institution in the culinary industry.
Many culinary schools offer the option to pursue a bachelor's degree. These are normally accredited to the standards of the state in which they are located. They are normally four-year colleges with focus on cooking and baking. The bachelor's programs tend to be accompanied by a minor in business management, with a focus on restaurant management. Courses offered in management of food and beverage focus on the back-of-house, or kitchen management. The management programs offered may also include hotel and restaurant management. These programs all prepare students for management in the specific area that they wish to pursue, and may include classes in accounting, marketing and business management. The baking and pastry arts are normally a separate program's focus, due to the extensive amount of variety in this area.
Culinary schools that offer an associate's degree are normally seen as a good starting point for students looking to further their education at another school. Due to their two-year program, they do not go into the depth of focus that schools with a bachelor's program will go into. These schools will give students a good grounding in basic kitchen skills including knife handling, presentation and nutrition. Some schools will offer more advanced classes in their curriculum, including courses dabbling in baking and pastries, and some basic restaurant management. In addition to the stand-alone culinary schools, many state schools and universities offer associate programs in the culinary arts.
The most basic study in the culinary arts, schools that offer a diploma or certificate, are an alternative for students wishing to avoid the high costs of culinary school, or wish to add some knowledge of cooking or baking for entry level into the restaurant or hospitality industry. These programs are normally very short in length, taking eight to 10 weeks, and extremely limited in their focus. Basic operation in the kitchen is a common focus in these programs, as are basic cooking, baking and nutrition training. Many students who have already achieved a higher education and merely want to improve their cooking skills tend to gravitate towards these programs.