Associate’s Degree in Culinary Arts: Launch Your Career in the Kitchen

Every career begins with education. Education can come from a variety of sources ranging from school to experience; the best education uses both. When it comes to an art form the best way to understand, appreciate, and develop the necessary skills is to dive in and get hands-on experience while you learn all of the ins and outs. This is exactly what an associate’s degree in culinary arts offers.

There is a huge variety of different professional opportunities in the culinary world. Earning your degree in culinary arts with a specific concentration is the first step toward these options. Furthermore a culinary arts degree prepares you for mid to upper-level positions upon graduation. It was with this degree that you’ll learn knife skills, nutrition, presentation, kitchen procedures and terminology, as well as business communication, and management skills. All of these combined with a hands-on learning environment will allow you to successfully enter the food service and hospitality sector.

The Louisiana Culinary Institute offers three different types of associate’s degrees. Each program can be completed over four semesters, in a 16 month time period. Depending on where your passion and career goals lie, you can opt for a degree with a savory concentration, a baking and pastry concentration, or hospitality and culinary management.

Associate’s Degree in Occupational Studies in Advanced Culinary Arts with a Savory Concentration

In this program classes are held Monday through Thursday from 8am to 1:45pm. The classes in your first semester range from food safety and sanitation and professional cooking lectures to a variety of professional cooking labs. Your second semester features new labs focused around restaurant production and service. Semester three moves to more advanced professional cooking and nutrition lectures, as well as leadership and mathematics classes, in addition to more complex labs. Your final semester features more specific cuisine concentrations and career management.

Associate’s Degree in Occupational Studies in Advanced Culinary Arts with a Baking and Pastry Concentration

In this program classes are held Monday through Thursday from 8am to 1:45pm. The classes in your first semester are similar to the savory concentration, but also feature Bread Basics and an Introduction to Baking and Pastry. The second semester brings a focus to restaurant production and professional cooking, as well as catering and English composition. During the third semester desert production and cake methods will be introduced. In your fourth and final semester you’ll learn about custom cakes, confections, centerpiece design, as well as career management.

Associate’s Degree in Occupational Studies in Hospitality and Culinary Management

In this program classes are held Monday through Thursday from 8am to 1:45pm. First semester classes focus on kitchen basics and food production from a management perspective, as well as an introduction to hospitality management. Your second semester will feature entrepreneurship lessons, industry trends, accounting, and technology. The third semester will feature concentrations on management within different sectors of food service and hospitality. Your final semester will focus on communication, finances, marketing, and quality.

No matter which concentration you choose, starting your path towards becoming a culinary professional begins with an education that allows you to learn and do. This is exactly what an associate’s degree in culinary arts offers.