Types of Culinary Majors: What Will You Study?

Cooking school takes passion, motivation and ambition, whether your career goal is sous chef, top chef, executive chef/owner, pastry chef (or patissier), or a manager or supervisor. You will target your studies when you choose a major field of study and a degree level.

Common Cooking School Majors

Use this resource as a guide to the most common majors available in most culinary arts schools.

• Culinary majors include culinary arts, or chef training, baking and pastry arts, and professional cooking. These study tracks emphasize hands-on culinary work that includes basic kitchen techniques, major Western, European and international cuisines and dishes, hygiene and sanitation, food inventory and cost control, knowledge of various kitchen stations, and possibly basic kitchen management and menu development
• Management Majors include culinary arts management, restaurant and hotel management, and wine, spirit and beverage management. Emphasis in these majors is on the business aspects of each specialty. Your coursework will generally include background in culinary arts, or chef training, pastry and baking, plus the addition of business marketing, sales, communication, human resources management, business and finance, accounting, types of wine and beverages and general hotel and restaurant operations.

Choosing a Cooking School

Start with your passion. What do you most want to do in the restaurant industry? Then check out the various majors available and decide which one(s) help you achieve those career goals, short-term and long-term.

Remember, culinary arts majors tend to be certificate, diploma and Associates degrees. Management level majors tend to require background coursework in culinary or baking arts and may be offered at the Associates, Bachelors and graduate school degree level.

Advantage of Hands-On Instruction

Think “job,” when it comes time to choose a school. Hands-on cooking skills in a professionally outfitted kitchen with experienced chef/instructors are a big plus. Also, you’ll be much better positioned to leap into a good job if you choose a school that offers career placement assistance and has a good track record of placing new grads. Externships, internships and apprenticeships are all good features of a solid cooking school major. Schools that have their own student-run restaurants, hotels, and bistros are a big bonus, as well—these give you work/learn environments that look great on your resume.