Oklahoma Cooking Schools for Ambitious Student Chefs

Number one reason to go to culinary school if your passion is to be a chef is that more and more job postings require candidates to have some sort of culinary education under his or her belt. Lucky for you there are a few good schools strewn around Oklahoma.

Choosing a Cooking School in Oklahoma

If time is your issue and you’d rather just jump right into the fire ASAP then isolate your school search to the community and technical colleges on the list. Most offer diploma, certificate and at the most two-year Associates degrees. These accelerated courses are very career-targeted. They carve away any smidge of academia so all you’re left with is concentrated skills—professional cook, professional pastry baker, professional kitchen worker, certificate in culinary skills, certificate in baking skills—these are samples of some fast-track programs you might find in your school search.

If, however, you are more the academic type and think you’d rather be ultra-prepared to compete in the culinary marketplace, then explore the degree options provided by the four-year colleges and universities. Also some community college Associates programs may fit your needs, as well. Four-year culinary degrees tend to have a generous helping of business courses worked in: hospitality management, culinary arts management, and restaurant and beverage management, are some samples of the more intensive curriculums.

Explore the Local Food Scene

Here is your opportunity, too, to deeply dive into the local food scene. Your chef training should not just be limited to what you learn within the four walls of your school teaching kitchen. Sample the best-reviewed local restaurants in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and Stillwater. Each of these offers its cluster of innovative, inventive and even complex cuisines. Learn about the most talked about local chefs, how they each have built their careers and dissect their best dishes. Experience the seasonal ingredients of the area and the flavor nuances unique only to that region.

The cooking school you choose should have most of the following to adequately prepare you for your entry into the food service job market:

• Well-equipped professional kitchens
• Student-run restaurant that serves the public, the busier the better
• Internship/apprenticeship opportunities
• Career guidance and job placement services
• Well-connected professional chef/instructors

Salaries for chefs in Oklahoma differ widely especially between entry-level cooks and chefs and those of executive and even experienced sous chefs in Okie. Here’s a metric: salary for a sous chef in Oklahoma City is typically between $30,000 and $40,000.

List of Schools in Oklahoma that Offer Culinary Arts, Pastry Arts, Restaurant Management, and/or Hospitality Degrees

Carl Albert State College – Poteau
Eastern Oklahoma State College – Wilburton
Francis Tuttle Technology Center - Oklahoma City
Kiamichi Technology Center - Idabel
Meridian Technology Center – Stillwater
Metro Technology Centers – Oklahoma City
Northeastern State University – Tahlequah
Oklahoma State University – Okmulgee-Stillwater
Pioneer Technology Center - Ponca City
Platt College - Oklahoma City
Tri-County Area Vocational Technical School – Bartlesville
Tulsa Technology Center - Tulsa
Western Technology Center - Burns Flat