Founded in Paris in 1895, Le Cordon Bleu operates campuses on four continents and in 17 U.S. cities, as of January 2011. Le Cordon Bleu offers five culinary arts programs, four hospitality and culinary language programs and nine specialized programs that focus on regional cuisines and oenology. The school has strategically placed campuses located in several international culinary epicenters, including Kobe, Japan; Las Vegas and London. The school provides associate of science degrees in culinary arts, bachelor of arts degrees in baking and pastry, and bachelor of arts and master of business administration degrees in hospitality management.
The coursework alternates between classroom-based instruction and kitchen-based instruction, and classes progress according to the class that preceded it. For instance, upon successful completion of the kitchen-based culinary skills I class, a student will attend the classroom-based safety and sanitation course, then return to the kitchen for culinary skills II. Le Cordon Bleu also offers certificate programs, which mirror the associate of science culinary arts degree programs, with the exception of the liberal arts coursework required for the associates degree. The culinary arts and baking and pastry programs culminate with a final class taught in an on-campus, school-operated restaurant, followed by a 12-week externship at a school-approved restaurant or hotel.
The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) has one primary and one satellite campus located in Hyde Park, New York; a St. Helena, California, campus that specializes in the cuisine and wines of Napa Valley; a San Antonio campus that focuses on Latin American cooking and a Singapore location that offers extensive instruction in Asian cuisine. The CIA offers associate and bachelors degree programs in culinary arts, baking and pastry arts, and wine and beverage arts. The CIA's teaching staff includes master chefs and bakers, culinary Olympians and renowned culinary authors. Several of their chefs also have masters of business administration degrees in hospitality management. The final CIA classes before program completion are taught in one of the school's Michelin-starred restaurants, and followed by a 15-week externship at a school-approved hotel or restaurant.
The International Culinary Schools at the Art Institutes has 35 campuses in North America. The Art Institutes' programs are rooted in classical French technique and augmented with study in more than 20 regional cuisines focusing on the Middle East, Africa, the Americas, Europe and Asia. The school's degree and certificate programs include the art of cooking, baking and pastry, culinary arts and hospitality management. Upon successful completion of an Art Institutes' culinary program, the school facilitates job placement assistance and apprenticeship opportunities.
The French Culinary Institute has a main campus in New York City, as well as reciprocity arrangements with the Professional Culinary Institute in Campbell, California, and the Italian Culinary Academy in Parma, Italy. The French Culinary Institute has a trademarked, accelerated learning program called "Total Immersion" which, after six to nine months, places the student in an internship at the school's acclaimed L'Ecole restaurant in Manhattan. The school offers programs in culinary arts, baking and pastry and hospitality management, as well as specialized studies in wine and spirits, food styling and culinary media.