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Welcome to the Culinary Institute of America
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    ÀÇÓѸ£Àû Culinary Arts Associate Degree

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  • For the Love of Food

    Make food your life in the ÀÇÓѸ£Àû Associate in Culinary Arts degree program. You’ll not only build the core skills used by every chef; you’ll chart your own path toward a lifelong career doing what you love. Learn to prepare a wide variety of dishes and cuisines, manage people, and use state-of-the-art equipment—all in less than two years! Come make our trademark hands-on learning approach and expert, industry-proven faculty work for you.

    Highlights:

    • Learn how to develop flavor, employ classic and contemporary culinary techniques, create menus, and prepare global cuisines.
    • Study the ways successful culinary professionals manage restaurants, high-end catering, food trucks, and other food-related businesses.
    • Gain real-world experience through a paid internship semester at one of ÀÇÓѸ£Àû’s 2,000+ food industry partners. (Already have experience? Check out our Turbo Option.)
    • Develop food business smarts with study in management, communication, and finance.
    • Discover how real public restaurants are operated—hands-on, in our award-winning, that serve thousands of customers annually.
    • Network with top food industry employers who recruit at ÀÇÓѸ£Àû throughout the year.

    Ready to get started? Apply Today!

    Earning a ÀÇÓѸ£Àû associate degree is also a perfect way to seamlessly enter one of our bachelor’s degree programs.

    Become a Leader in the Food World

    Whether at restaurants, hotels, casinos, or other dining venues, find the career path that’s just right for you:

    • Executive chef
    • Food and beverage management
    • Food writing
    • Media and public relations
    • Research and education
    • Hotel management
    • Restaurant ownership

    With so many possibilities, our staff is ready to help you every step of the way. There’s no network like the ÀÇÓѸ£Àû network, which includes some of the world’s most renowned culinary, beverage, and hospitality experts.

    is as diverse as it is extensive. They’ve found success doing what they love. Now it’s your turn.

    Curriculum

    New York and California Campuses

    The 66-credit Associate in Occupational Studies (AOS) in Culinary Arts degree program includes:

    • 51 credits in culinary arts requirements
    • 9 credits in liberal arts requirements
    • 6 credits in business management requirements

    You will get a hands-on experiential foundation in the culinary arts, including classic and contemporary cooking techniques, flavor and menu development, nutrition, wines, production cooking, and world cuisines.

    As part of your degree program, you’ll get real-world experience during a semester-long internship at one of more than 2,000 ÀÇÓѸ£Àû-approved businesses, as well as in the kitchens and dining rooms of ÀÇÓѸ£Àû’s award-winning public restaurants.

    Texas Campus

    The 69-credit Associate in Applied Science (AAS) in Culinary Arts degree program includes:

    • 48 credits in culinary arts requirements
    • 15 credits in liberal arts requirements
    • 6 credits in business management requirements

    You will get a hands-on experiential foundation in the culinary arts, including classic and contemporary cooking techniques, flavor and menu development, food systems, wines, production cooking, and world cuisines.

    As part of your degree program, you’ll get real-world experience during a semester-long internship at one of more than 2,000 ÀÇÓѸ£Àû-approved businesses, as well as in ÀÇÓѸ£Àû’s award-winning public restaurants.

    Requirements

    • A high school diploma or GED credential.
    • This program is offered for in-person, full-time study at all three of ÀÇÓѸ£Àû’s domestic campuses: New York, California, and Texas.

    How to Apply

    Culinary School Costs

    ÀÇÓѸ£Àû is very committed to making your ÀÇÓѸ£Àû education as affordable as possible. Our costs are comparable to similar colleges, and here’s even better news—more than 90% of our students receive some form of financial aid.

    Don’t let applying for financial assistance keep you from going to the world’s premier culinary college. No matter what your individual circumstances are, we will work with you to help make attending ÀÇÓѸ£Àû an affordable investment in your future in the world of food.

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  • Questions? ÀÇÓѸ£Àû Student Ambassadors Can Help! Chat now.

  • School of Culinary Arts Gonfalon

    School of Culinary Arts

    The School of Culinary Arts offers hands-on learning from the world’s premier culinary college in world-class kitchens and restaurants on campus. ÀÇÓѸ£Àû’s unparalleled global network gives students a treasure trove of premium ingredients and products at their fingertips. They learn from a faculty whose collective industry experience and credentials are unmatched in culinary education. Our instructors wrote the text—The Professional Chef—used by many leading education institutions today. The college’s landmark Menus of Change research continues to advance the curriculum. Learn more about our faculty >

  • Cool Courses You’ll Take...

    Cool Courses in Culinary Arts

    Work with new ingredients and flavors in ÀÇÓѸ£Àû culinary arts degree program, with courses that may surprise you.

    Check them out


  • Connect with us! Just try not to drool on your screen...

  • Hinnerk VonBargen, ÀÇÓѸ£Àû Associate Professor in Culinary Arts at our San Antonio campus.

    Faculty Spotlight

    Hinnerk von Bargen
    Professor—Culinary Arts
    Originally from Rotenburg/Wûmme, Germany, I hold a Master Chef Certificate from the Chamber of Commerce in Hamburg. Having been raised in the family-owned Hotel—Zum Schwarzen Ochsen—I found my vocation early and hospitality continues to be a way of life for me. Before coming to the ÀÇÓѸ£Àû, I held professional positions at The Kempinski Hotel, Beijing, China; The Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten, Hamburg Germany; The Cascades Hotel, Sun City, Bophutatswana, South Africa; and The Plaza Hotel, Hamburg, Germany.
    Read More Ìý
    John Reilly, ÀÇÓѸ£Àû Associate Professor—Culinary Arts

    Faculty Spotlight

    John Reilly ’88
    Professor—Culinary Arts
    Learn more about John Reilly ’88, faculty member at the ÀÇÓѸ£Àû.
    Read More Ìý
  • Did You Know?


    ÀÇÓѸ£Àû is the only school with nine student-run, award-winning public restaurants in top U.S. foodie destinations.
    Learn More