Community colleges commonly offer certificate and associate of occupational science (A.O.S.) degrees in culinary arts. The number of culinary arts programs at the community college level has grown in the 21st century, and several programs offer much of the same curriculum as culinary schools. Like formal culinary schools, many community colleges have an on-site restaurant that students work in before graduation. A.O.S. programs typically last two years, whereas certificate programs range from nine to 12 months. The cost of culinary training at a community college ranges from $2,000 to $5,000 as of February 2011.
Several schools offer online culinary programs that deal primarily in cooking theory and hospitality management. Although online programs do not offer practical, kitchen-based instruction, they provide extensive training in the logistics, financials and human resource aspects of the chef profession. The programs' curriculum commonly includes accounting and budget management, food safety and sanitation, human resource management, formal restaurant management, marketing, leadership and culinary mathematics. The degree programs offered by online programs include bachelor of arts (BA) in hospitality management and AOS in hospitality management. The cost of online chef training ranges from $5,000 to $79,120, as of February 2011.
Public universities offer programs in culinary arts, hospitality management, and baking and pastry. Programs range in duration from two years to four years, and they combine practical instruction with lectures. Attending a public university for chef training has several advantages over private schools, such as lower tuition. University AOS and B.A. programs share many of the same courses, although the bachelor's curriculum typically includes additional liberal arts coursework. These schools offer many of the same courses as culinary schools, such as fundamental culinary skills, kitchen management, garde manger and international and regional cuisine. The cost of chef training at a public university ranges from $3,000 to $18,000 as of February 2011.
Private culinary schools include internationally known schools that focus specifically on the culinary arts and related fields. These schools offer several degrees, such as B.A. and A.O.S. in culinary arts, hospitality management, travel and tourism, wine and beverage management, and hotel and restaurant management. The coursework includes in-depth instruction taught in empirical and classroom environments, and many schools sponsor trips to well-known culinary regions, such as northern Italy, California's wine country and Manhattan. Typical classes include culinary skills I through IV, baking and pastry I through III, garde manger I and II, confectionary art and molecular gastronomy. The cost of culinary school ranges from $14,000 to $52,000 as of February 2011.