Fast Track Professional Cooking Majors

Here is a fast-track culinary major that usually puts you into a job in a fairly short amount of time. “Professional” is key. A major in Food Preparation/Professional Cooking is a straight-up vocational education, which means you get skills, skills, skills, and technique.

Here is a major designed for students uninterested in a long-term academic investment, no liberal arts requirements, only boiled down training applicable to station cook or kitchen assistant.

Professional Cook majors are perfect for:

• College age high school students
• Adults with no post-secondary education
• Professionals seeking a rewarding and refreshing career change.

Schools that Offer Food Prep/Professional Cooking Majors

In the U.S. you’ll find that the culinary arts major or pastry and baking major are much more common tracks than a professional cooking or professional culinary major.

Because this is a diploma and certificate level major look to the following types of schools to offer this major:

• Community colleges with hospitality programs
• Select culinary arts programs
• A few hospitality and restaurant management colleges and universities, such as Baltimore International College Associates program in Professional Cooking

What You Learn in a Pro Cooking Course

Since the emphasis is on profession and vocation these fast-track programs typically include a combination of skills including:

• Basic kitchen skills
• Use of professional kitchen equipment
• Basic cooking techniques and methods
• Basics of major cuisines
• Preparation of some basic dishes
• Production cooking methods
• Food preparation, hygiene and kitchen sanitation

If you are fortunate enough to find a comprehensive program you could also get basic training in kitchen management, inventory and cost control, wine and beverages, and even menu development and deployment.

Careers for Cooks

Graduate as a Professional Cook and expect to shop for very entry-level kitchen jobs:

• Dishwasher
• Line Cook
• Institutional cook
• Station cook/chef

Remember that many celebrity chefs began their multi-million dollar careers are station cooks, dishwashers and vegetable choppers. Get the training you need to get foot in the door then bring your vision, creativity and ambition.