Culinary Arts, A.A.S.

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Program Code: CA100

The Culinary Arts program at JJC is recognized as one of the premier culinary training programs in the nation and is known around the world as a leader in culinary education. Servicing both the degree-seeking students as well as industry professionals seeking to upgrade their technical or supervisory skills, our American Culinary Federation accredited program offers an A.A.S. degree in culinary arts as well as several certificates to prepare students for success in a wide variety of hospitality and food service industry careers. The curriculum is continually reviewed and updated based on input from our esteemed advisory committee comprised of experts from education and the hospitality and food service industry. All courses are taught by industry certified instructors, each with many years of practical industry experience. Instructors regularly attend classes, seminars and conferences to stay current with trends in cuisine and culinary innovations so that they, in turn, can bring that expertise and innovation back to the classroom. Students learn about every aspect of the restaurant industry while developing their technical skills in cooking, food production, baking and pastry arts, garde manger, international cuisine, nutrition, supervision, purchasing and cost controls. The core of the program is hands-on coursework where students apply lessons learned in the classroom in a practical culinary lab setting.

The Culinary Arts program at JJC is designed to prepare individuals for technical, supervisory and managerial positions within the hospitality and food service industry. The program of study combines practical and theoretical facets of the industry, enabling students to apply the lessons and techniques they have learned. Students who successfully complete the program and earn an A.A.S. degree are qualified to apply for their first industry recognized certification as a Certified Culinarian (C.C.) from the American Culinary Federation.

According to the National Restaurant Association: The restaurant industry is growing strong with over $550 billion in sales annually. The forecast for jobs is strong in this industry with a projected 1.3 million new restaurant jobs by the year 2020.

According to the United State Department of Labor: Most food service managers have less than a bachelor’s degree; however, some postsecondary education, including a college degree, is increasingly preferred for many food service manager positions. Many food service management companies and national or regional restaurant chains recruit management trainees from two-and four-year college hospitality or food service management programs, which require internships and real-life experience to graduate. Although most food service managers qualify for the position based on their restaurant-related experience, an increasing number of employers prefer managers with a two-or four-year degree in a related field. JJC has transfer agreements with a number of four-year institutions for students that wish to pursue a baccalaureate degree if desired.

For further information from the US Department of Labor, go to:  www.bls.gov/oco/ocos330.htm