Aspiring chefs can get a beginning education with an intensive short program, which generally lasts for six months or fewer. Colorado's Culinary School of the Rockies offers a part-time, eighteen-week program to get chefs started or a full-time six-month training program in culinary arts.
Students who already have a bachelor's degree or experience working in the culinary business can earn an associate's degree in twelve months at certain schools. Johnson & Wales University, which has several campuses in the U.S., offers such programs.
Students coming directly out of high school or without any industry experience can generally earn an associate's degree in culinary arts in around two years or a bachelor's degree in three to four years. New York's renowned Culinary Institute of America offers these programs, as do most other schools.
Despite the hands-on nature of culinary school, there are certain programs that can be completed online and at the student's pace. Johnson & Wales offers an online bachelor's program for students who already hold an associate's degree.