Study HRM and Take Your Chef Career to the Next Level
Interested in pursuing a career in the hospitality field? There are a variety of degree and certificate programs to help you get what you’re looking for, without spending long years working your way up through the ranks on the job.
The hospitality venue encompasses many different job opportunities, such as travel, hotel service and restaurant management. The main focus of someone in these positions is to serve the needs of others to their utmost satisfaction. Travel agents, restaurant managers and hotel staff are there to make sure that the customer has the most rewarding and undisturbed experience possible.
In this article, we’ll cover the culinary aspect of the hospitality field. We’ll identify what sort of careers someone interested in the field can expect to have, what their potential salaries could be and what sort of training they can expect to find. From degree courses to online certificate programs, we’ll give an informative overview that will help you make a solid decision.
Majors in Hospitality and Restaurant Management emphasize the combination of management and restaurant skills, making these degrees at the Associates, Bachelors and sometimes the Graduate school level.
Who is Right for the Hospitality/Restaurant Major?
Tackle this major straight-on, with no formal training in the business, or with chef training. In some cases you may have experience in entry- or mid-level hotel jobs or restaurant jobs. It’s not uncommon for waitstaff, chefs, cooks, hotel desk assistants and other industry employees to pursue upper level jobs. The hospitality and restaurant management major provides the formal training you need to succeed in these very demanding jobs.
Graduate level majors and degrees require undergrad degrees. If you tackle restaurant and/or hospitality management from this angle you could have a wide variety of closely related majors under your belt, including culinary arts, baking and pastry, as well as business, leisure and recreation and many others that would be a good fit for the industry.
Popular Schools for Restaurant Management Programs
Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts Programs are some of the leading culinary arts schools in the world. You’ll find the specialized Hospitality and Restaurant Management program offered on 5 of the North American campuses:
- California Culinary Academy
- California School of Culinary Arts
- Western Culinary Institute
- Pennsylvania Culinary Institute
- Scottsdale Culinary Institute
Many other schools also offer majors similar to this. Here are some breif reviews.
An Overview of Several Different Culinary Institutions
Below you will find a brief description of some of the country’s culinary schools, their locations and what courses make them stand out. There are many, many more out there. You would benefit from thoroughly researching colleges before you choose one. There may be something closer to your area.
The Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago
The Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago is one of the most widely known schools in its field. They have campuses all over the country, not just in Chicago. From Georgia, Texas, Las Vegas, Maryland and Pittsburg, you are sure to find a school not far from either your home or an area you wish to live.
This school is renowned for their professional chef instructors, who will lead you through the most classic cuisine while also teaching you a variety of the most modern techniques and recipes. You’ll be introduced to global cuisine, thereby making your education solid enough to take you abroad, whether you intend to work for an upscale Paris hotel or take a chef position aboard a cruise ship.
Every graduate will receive the coveted Le Cordon Bleu Diploma, and can also earn an Associate’s in Applied Science and Patisserie and Baking. Instructors encourage creativity and individuality in cooking, and will teach you to embrace your intuition. This school also offers a 15-month online Bachelor’s Degree.
Southeast Culinary and Hospitality College
This college is located in Bristol, VA and takes on a small number of students each semester in order to give them the most concentrated and hands-on teaching they can. The school is under the direction of Chef Richard Erskine, and offers flexible schedules and a dedication to teaching traditional as well as modern cooking techniques.
In addition to the traditional culinary degrees and certificates, Southeast Culinary and Hospitality College offers a Bartending Certificate that will be taught in an actual bar in the area. You’ll learn 125 of the most popular drink recipes plus some of the newer ones. You’ll learn how to open and close the bar, provide responsible service to patrons - and this includes knowing when to cut a customer off for their own safety and the safety of others - proper sanitation, plus the history of many of the drinks you’ll be serving.
The Bartending Certificate is a 40-hour class that is given over a 5-week period and can be adjusted to fit your needs. There are weekday, weeknight and Saturday classes available.
Culinary Institute of Charleston, SC
This institute is a division of the Trident Technical College in hot and beautiful Charleston, only fifteen minutes away from historic downtown. They offer the Associate’s in Applied Science as well as a range of certificates. They have certificates in Baking and Pastry, and the Culinary Arts.
They also offer advanced certificates, from Culinary Arts and Baking to the Advanced Beverage Service Management.
With the Advanced Beverage Service Management, you will learn wine and beer basics, the origin and styles of liquor products, proper food and beverage pairing to recommend to your customer as well as a course in building your own beverage business.
Culinary Arts and Tourism Institute
This school is a part of the Anne Arundel Community College in Arnold, Maryland. They offer the usual degrees and certificates, but also have two exciting internship programs on an annual basis.
The first is the Italian Culinary Internship. Students who qualify for this internship will spend ten weeks on the beautiful Amalfi Coast in Italy, working for local restaurants and getting the absolute best hands-on knowledge and immersion in Italian culture.
There is also the Internship in Hawaii. Students will spend part of their summers in Hawaii, living on campus at a Hawaiian college and cooking in Hawaii’s restaurants, noted for their excellent seafood culture.
Culinary Degrees & Certificates
There are so many different schools that provide training for the culinary field that we can’t possibly list them all here. However, most of them offer similar degrees and certificates, and we’ll describe them here.
- Associate’s Degree in Applied Science
- Associate’s Degree in Applied Science in Le Cordon Bleu
- Bachelor’s in Applied Science
- Baking and Pastry Certificates
- Culinary Arts Certificates
- Advanced Culinary Arts Certificates
- Beverage and Service Management Certificates
- Bartending Certificates
Most schools will only require that you have at least a GED in order to apply for their curriculum. Others will require that you have SAT scores in a range high enough to meet their criteria.
The culinary arts is a very hands-on education. It’s difficult to learn how to create a soufflé that doesn’t fall, or a crème brulee that doesn’t scramble without being in the room with a professional chef there to guide you, and for you to be able to see the results of success or failure for yourself. However, there are some courses that are offered online, depending on the college you want to attend.
More often than not, the Bachelor’s Degree is offered online, the reason being that the person who already has an Associate’s Degree has enough knowledge to be able to take it to the next level without having someone there to assist them. Online courses are flexible and meet the needs of your schedule.
Some bartending certificates are offered online as well, though in general the in-school classes are offered so flexibly that this shouldn’t be necessary. If you can, being there in person is preferable, as it will allow you to not only benefit from hands-on learning but to get familiar with the surroundings of a bartender career, as several of these certificates are taught within an actual bar setting.
Curriculum for the Major
The Hospitality and Restaurant Management major, regardless of school, covers some common curriculum. Emphasis is on both aspects of the industry and as a hospitality AND restaurant manager it becomes your job to marry both components.
Typical coursework covers:
- Basics of culinary and pastry arts
- Professional kitchen skills
- Station cheffing
- Waitstaff
- Inventory and cost management front and back of house
- Management of staff
- Engagement with guests
- Money and cash handling
- Marketing for hospitality industry
- Hospitality operations
The skills are varied and must strike a harmonious balance between both front and back of house.
Getting a Job in the Business
This industry’s professional demands depend upon a number of factors:
- Country or region
- Economy
- Season
- Type of facility
- Your experience and education
A degree in the hospitality and restaurant management industry can give you leverage when it comes time to look for a job. But if you’re smart you’ll only attend a school that provides grads with career placement assistance and job help. Many programs require you to participate in externships within the industry, which can be a key to professional networking and may even be a job.
Hospitality and Restaurant Managers may work in:
- Restaurants
- Hotels
- Resorts and Spas
- Cruise lines
- Casinos
Careers and Income in the Culinary Field
It’s nothing to be ashamed of that everyone wants to know: how much will I make? The purpose of getting a degree or an advanced certificate in your area of knowledge is to improve your ability to be hired for the better positions, and earn more money.
Careers range from restaurant management, head chefs and pastry chefs to the more exotic jobs, like chefs aboard cruise liners, top chefs in European hotels and restaurants and catering. Bartenders also fit in this career category, and they actually make a pretty good amount of money.
How much you will make will depend largely on the type of company you work for, the clients you’ll have and the area you live in. People with an education in the culinary field may be sure that they can easily make $50,000 and above if they look in the right places.
On the other hand, a manager for a fast food chain can expect to begin in the upper thirty’s, though the benefits will often be good. A manager in a more elegant chain can expect to earn in the upper forty’s to begin with, and bonuses are added to this. Bonuses come from the profit the company is showing during certain periods of the year, either quarterly or annually. If the company has earned nicely for the year, bonuses can add up to $10,000 annually, which makes a big difference to your income.
Head Chefs can expect to begin at $60,000 if they choose a well-established, independent restaurant with a well-heeled clientele. Head Chefs that have been in the business for a good while and have earned themselves a great reputation can expect to make much more than this, some in the range of $150,000 and more a year.
Working as a private chef for an illustrious client can earn you a ticket as high as $200,000, but these types of jobs are very difficult to come by without already having established a reputation for providing faultless food and service. This would be a good goal to have in mind for several years down the road.
It’s also been noted that bartenders often make quite a bit of money, and usually don’t work full-time. Someone who pours great drinks and who also loves talking with people can expect to earn $50,000 a year or more.