Associate degrees in culinary arts require 13 courses including Introductions to Foodservice Industry, Cooperative Work Experience Education, Elementary Nutrition, Food and Nutrition Orientation, Foodservice Sanitation and Safety, Food Service Production Management and Food and Nutrition Internship. Other classes include Advanced Foodservice Practicum, Food Service Production Laboratory I and II and Fundamentals of Baking and Food Production Theory I and II.
Introduction to the Food Service Industry is worth 2.0 units. The class teaches students about the food service industry including job opportunities, history, organization and trends in the industry. Skills learned include cutting techniques, knife skills, equipment identification, time management, safety, terminology, techniques and communication.
Advanced Foodservice Practicum teaches work ethics, skills and knowledge needed to understand off campus or on campus management and service functions and production. Students select sites to visit and learn from the employees. Students need uniforms and transportation. The instructor must approve practicum sites selected by the student.
The Fundamentals of Baking class teaches techniques in making cookies, cakes, pastries, meringues, dessert sauces and icings. Students learn about decorating, displaying, presentation techniques and marketing skills. The Food and Nutrition Internship is designed for students to work within a company under the supervision of an experienced chef. The students learn food preparation, nutritional values and discipline. The instructor must approve selected sites.
The certificate of achievement is for students who want to learn about culinary arts pertaining to food service and production in institutional and commercial operations. Students take the same classes for an associate degree, minus Advanced Foodservice Practicum. Students must have a passing grade of "C" or better in each class.