The Culinary Institute of America
As a CIA student, you'll receive a renowned education from the world's premier culinary college. You will spend more than 1,300 hours in the kitchen or bakeshop and learn everything from basic techniques to management theories to international cuisines to interpersonal skills. Led by our accomplished faculty, including more American Culinary Federation-Certified Master Chefs than anywhere else in culinary education, you'll graduate from our programs with the cooking, baking and business skills to succeed in the competitive foodservice industry.
You'll also have plenty of real, practical experience under your belt thanks to an 18-week paid externship at one of more than 1,700 top foodservice establishments, a rotation of courses that put you right in the middle of our celebrated on-campus restaurants, and—for bachelor's degree students—a West Coast Food and Wine Seminar in California's bountiful wine country.
Your CIA experience won't just change the way you think about food; it'll change the way you think about the world.
Associate's in Culinary Arts
Prepare for success in the foodservice and hospitality industry with the CIA's Associate in Occupational Studies (AOS) in Culinary Arts degree. In this 21-month program, you will develop the essential skills of the culinary arts through extensive hands-on instruction in our kitchens.
In this program, you will:
- Develop proficiency in classic and contemporary culinary techniques and cooking methods in à la carte, table d'hôte and banquet settings.
- Prepare American, Asian and other international cuisines.
- Learn basic baking and explore nutrition, menu development, food safety, writing, communication and cost control.
- Gain practical experience in an 18-week paid externship.
It Takes Practice
As a Culinary Arts student, you'll finish your second year with a rotation in three of four restaurants—the American Bounty, the Escoffier, Ristorante Caterina de' Medici or St. Andrew's Café. Half of the time you'll be cooking or baking; half you'll be serving.
Bachelor's in Culinary Arts Management
To be a leader in the increasingly complex and ever-changing foodservice industry, you must be a skilled culinarian, an astute business person and a creative trendsetter. In the CIA's 38-month Bachelor of Professional Studies (BPS) program in Culinary Arts Management, you will gain extensive experience in the kitchen. You'll also learn the principles of effective leadership and explore subjects that will broaden your mind and grow your critical thinking skills.
In this program, you will:
- Develop proficiency in classic and contemporary culinary techniques and cooking methods in à la carte, table d'hôte, and banquet settings.
- Prepare American, Asian, and other international cuisines.
- Learn basic baking and explore nutrition, menu development, food safety, writing, communication and cost control.
- Gain practical experience in an 18-week paid externship.
- Explore the diverse languages, history and culinary traditions of the world.
- Discover how to make your culinary business profitable by studying marketing, computers and finance.
- Learn how best to work with and supervise others through subjects such as interpersonal communication, psychology, ethics and management.
Go West!
One of the benefits of pursuing a bachelor's degree at The Culinary is that it allows you to take part in our West Coast Food & Wine Seminar, a three-credit course that comes between your junior and senior years. For one month, you'll explore California's flavorful food scene, with visits to as many as 60 sites, including local wineries and farms, meat and fish purveyors, coffee roasters, chocolatiers and area restaurants.