Why Choose Culinary?
If you dream of working as a chef or running a restaurant, CCAC’s Culinary Arts program provides the skills to turn your passion into a successful career.
For nearly fifty years, CCAC’s pioneering culinary program has trained leaders in the industry, even serving as a model for other colleges across the nation.
Our students get hands-on experience in everything from slicing and dicing to sautéing and flambéing—but we’re not just a cooking school. Classes on leadership, communication, purchasing and menu design will prepare you to thrive in a wide range of professional settings.
All of our program faculty bring real-world experience from careers in restaurants, clubs, hotels and bakeries. Students rotate through roles like sous chef, practicing the different responsibilities of a professional kitchen.
CCAC’s world-class facilities include three state-of-the-art kitchen labs, providing an authentic restaurant environment and enabling students to work with the latest industrial equipment and appliances.
Graduates of CCAC’s Culinary Arts program have not only run their own restaurants, they’ve garnered such prestigious accomplishments as medals at the International Culinary Olympics.
Culinary Arts, A.S. (670.2)
Our associate of science degree is the perfect choice for students who not only enjoy the preparation, cooking and presentation of food, but have the ambition to become a leader in the culinary industry. Our students don’t just learn to cook—they learn to manage a restaurant from top to bottom, honing the entrepreneurial skills that transform dreams into successful businesses.
Beyond the CCAC campus, degree students complete an externship with a minimum of 100 hours. By graduation, you’ll be ready to take on a variety of positions in the restaurant, hotel, club, bakery and retail food industries.
Culinary Basics, Certificate (671)
Are you interested in fast-tracking your journey to a good job? Whether you’re fresh from high school or supplementing previous experience, the Culinary Basics certificate trains you in the fundamentals to start working in a professional kitchen.
Certificate holders may find employment as prep cooks, line cooks, short order cooks, foodservice workers or bakery assistants in the restaurant, hotel, club, bakery and retail food industries. Plus, if you later decide to transition to the associate degree track, you can apply the credits you earned at the certificate level.
Baking & Pastry Arts, A.S. (673)
There’s nothing quite like a perfectly golden crust or the delicate flakiness of a croissant, to say nothing of the artistry in decorating a wedding cake. In CCAC’s Baking & Pastry program, students specialize in the skills needed to excel in a professional bakery setting. This includes mastering practical techniques like knife skills and pastry bags, as well as the business savvy to manage responsibilities like purchasing and business communications.
Baking & Pastry courses are only open to students who enroll in the program, ensuring that everyone present takes their studies seriously as a pathway to their chosen career. The program, which pairs classroom and hands-on food laboratory experiences, also requires students to complete an externship with a minimum of 100 hours. Graduates are prepared to thrive at jobs in bakeries, hotels, restaurants, clubs and catering operations, or even to start their own small business.
Foodservice & Restaurant Management, A.S. (672)
If you love the world of restaurants but want a role beyond the kitchen, Foodservice & Restaurant Management is the program for you. This degree track combines classroom instruction and food laboratory work to train students for careers in event management, catering and beyond.
CCAC’s faculty all have real-world industry experience, which they share to prepare students for responsibilities like cost control, human resource practices and marketing. Graduates are prepared to apply management principles, performance metrics and critical thinking skills to make sound business decisions, running a foodservice operation that’s both ethical and profitable.
Take the Next Step
powered by
This data is national aggregate data, which may or may not be reflective of current local labor market circumstances.
Testimonial
I fell more in love with cooking since I came to CCAC. The program has opened me up to new ideas. Each week I learn something, a new technique that I've never heard of before. I love all the instructors—when you need anything, they're always there.