Earn a Certificate or Degree from The California Culinary Academy

San Francisco is known as a cultural center and as a hotspot for setting trends. Young and aspiring chefs can find opportunities in the city for both starting a culinary career and for getting the training needed to get started. The California Culinary Academy is one of a number of Le Cordon Bleu programs that offers degrees teaching the foundations of culinary and baking skills. Here’s an overview of the program:

What’s Offered

The program at the California Culinary Academy focuses on a combination of industry-relevant courses – covering business and kitchen basics – and training in hands-on techniques. The program began in 1977 and is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges. Degrees offered include Culinary Arts and Patisserie and Baking (both accredited by the American Culinary Foundation), and Hospitality and Restaurant Management. Courses are taught by instructors who have spent time working as professional chefs and restaurant managers, and facilities include up-to-date training kitchens.

If you attend courses full time, it will take 60 to 84 weeks to complete an associate’s in Culinary Arts. The certificate programs in Culinary Arts and Patisserie and Baking will take much less time – about 36 weeks. The management track will take the longest – about 60 weeks. No matter the option you choose, you’ll be able to finish your degree in less than two years, faster than a typical associate’s and about half the time of a traditional degree. If you choose to attend part-time, your studies will be extended according to the pace at which you take classes.

Training and Placement

Students are prepared early in their training for entry into the job market. The academy sponsors a student-run restaurant that is open to public. At Careme 350, students prepare and serve the meals. The menu features French cuisine with contemporary twists. There is also a full bar. Externships in the community are also required in the programs for culinary arts and baking. To help find placement, career services are available. Counselors will also offer advice on job searches, networking and interviewing skills. Graduates are automatically inducted into the alumni association, which offers ongoing support in the form of networking opportunities and postings about jobs and events.

Program Logistics

After you’ve sent in your application and paid your $65 application fee, you’ll be required to have an interview with an admissions representative, either in person or by phone. If you have the interview in person, you are encouraged to bring parents and significant others. Students will also have to show proof of a high-school diploma or its equivalent and will have to pass academic entrance testing. International students may also have to take testing to show English proficiency and will have to show an affidavit of financial support.

The different programs will have different tuition. A Culinary Arts associate’s will cost $43,500, in addition to $3,386 in books and supplies. The certificate programs for Culinary Arts and Patisserie and Baking only costs $19,800. The associate’s in management will cost $32,000, with books and supplies at $5,381. Apply early for financial aid to be considered for federal grants and loans. Apply with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Check culinary groups and local organizations for scholarships that you don’t have to pay back.

School Information:

California Culinary Academy
350 Rhode Island St.
San Francisco, CA 94103
888-897-3222
www.chefs.edu/san-francisco