It is possible to find schools and institutions all over the country that offer Culinary Arts degrees. There are local schools serving specific areas such as the Culinary Academy of Austin in Texas, Arizona Culinary Institute in Scottsdale, Culinary School of the Rockies in Colorado and The Italian Culinary in New York City.
Additionally, there are programs at schools with campuses all over the country such as The Culinary Institute of America, which offers three U.S. campuses in New York, California and Texas. The famed Le Cordon Bleu Institute has campus locations all over the United States in cities like Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle and Miami. These are just a few of the hundreds of options available all over the country.
Finding a school that features professional and recognized chefs that will serve as teachers will give students a leg up in their training. For example, The French Culinary Institute in New York City employs some of the most famous chefs in the world including Jacques Torres and Andre Soltner. Schools that specialize in one particular type of cooking should employ experts in that field of cooking, such as the Italian Culinary Academy, where the Dean of Studies is famed New York Italian chef Cesare Casella.
Every program varies in its total duration. For example, due to small class sizes and personal attention, the majority of students at Arizona Culinary Institute are able to complete the Culinary Arts program in as little as nine months. Similarly, The French Culinary Institute's program of total immersion training allows students to complete the program in as little as six months. The Italian Culinary Academy's program can be completed in less than five months. Some of the longer more in depth programs are schools like the Culinary Institute of America and the International Culinary Institute at the Art Institute, which take most students two and a half to three years to graduate.
Hands-on training is an important part of any program. While some schools offer the hands-on training in the classroom, many offer it in on campus restaurants or externships. For example, at The French Culinary Institute the last third of a student's training is spent working at the on-campus restaurant, L'Ecole, which is rated by both Michelin and Zagat. The Italian Culinary Academy students spend their last two months of training in Italy working at fine restaurants all over the countryside.