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Culinary Arts

Overview

If you have a great passion for cooking and the drive to pursue your goal as a professional cook, food entrepreneur, and more, there is no better time to start a career in this thriving landscape. This program provides strong culinary foundations training with a hands-on optional externship.

Students can acquire intensive professional and practical experience with culinary preparations and operation of a professional kitchen. With a focus on foundational and fundamental skills development and reinforcement, universal and widely-adopted methods and techniques of cooking as well as recipes and activities, will reinforce the same principles taught in professional culinary schools around the world. This comprehensive course covers a full basic professional cooking school curriculum including, but not limited to kitchen and food safety, knife skills, moist- and dry-heat cooking methods, seasoning, culinary nutrition, basic breads and baking, salads and dressings, and pastry basics.

Who Should Attend

  • First-time cooks seeking to start a career as a professional cook
  • Entrepreneurs wishing to acquire foundational cooking techniques to help launch a culinary business
  • Experienced cooks brushing up on their techniques
  • Home cooks looking to learn these advanced techniques and methods

Career Insight

Occupational summary for chefs and head cooks.

134,749
Jobs
(2018)
12.2%
Projected Growth
(2018-2028)
$34k-$62k
Annual Salary
(25th-75th Percentile)

Program Benefits

  • Small class size
  • In-person training and optional externship
  • Professional kitchen facilities
  • Complete program quickly – 6 months part-time in the evening

Course Schedule

July 9, 2019 – January 22, 2020
Two week-day (TBD) evenings: 6:30pm – 10:30pm (at a professional kitchen facility in Orange County, CA)

While we can accept enrollment up to the start date of the course, we strongly encourage students to register no later than June 17, so that their uniform and kitchen supplies can be timely delivered. Space is limited to ensure an optimal learning experience and hands-on training. Payment plan information is available upon request.

Required Courses

TitleWinterSpringSummerFall
MISC 815.02
Professional Culinary Foundations (15.00 CEU)
MISC 815.02
     Campus  

Course schedules are subject to change. Individual courses may be taken without enrolling in the full certificate.

Receive Customized Training for your Employees

At the end of this course, students will be able to:

  • Understand basic food and kitchen safety and sanitation
  • Select, handle and maintain a knife and demonstrate knife cuts
  • Identify, describe and apply dry-heat cooking methods
  • Identify, describe and apply moist-heat cooking methods
  • Explain and demonstrate stock, short stock, and broth production
  • Demonstrate knowledge and application of seasoning and flavoring
  • Explain and apply principles of plating
  • Determine and evaluate basic nutrition in foods and specialty diets
  • Explain and demonstrate principles of egg cookery
  • Explain and demonstrate principles of salad production and vegetable cookery
  • Prepare and present a variety of classic and contemporary sauces
  • Explain and demonstrate principles of meat, poultry and fish cookery
  • Explain and demonstrate principles of pasta, legume, rice, and grain cookery
  • Demonstrate knowledge of basic bread, baking, and gluten functions
  • Demonstrate knowledge and application of basic pastry and chocolate use
  • Demonstrate and apply knowledge of plant-based and dairy-free diets

Certificate of Completion

Upon the successful completion of all course requirements, students will receive a Certificate of Completion from UCI Division of Continuing Education.

Where do trained chefs work?

Trained cooks are in demand in both the hospitality and tourism industries. Employment in the foodservice area is growing and will continue to grow. Some career possibilities include positions in restaurants, clubs, bakeries, hotels and institutions. There are many different kinds of foodservice organizations and, as a result, position titles vary.

Examples of position titles (depending on experience, education and other factors):

  • Chef de Cuisine
  • Chef de Partie
  • Sous Chef
  • Executive Chef
  • Line or Prep Cook
  • Caterer
  • Food Buyer
  • Food Stylist
  • Food & Beverage Director
  • Expediter
  • Assistant Cook
  • Research & Development Chef
  • Food Journalist
  • Food Critic or Blogger

Professional Kitchen

Our program highlights a professional training kitchen. The facility enables students to gain familiarity with the fast-paced environment and diverse tools of a working kitchen.

On-site Training Available

Our Corporate Training specialists can deliver this program or customize one that fits your organization’s specific needs. Visit Corporate Training or call (949) 824-1847 for information.

English Proficiency Requirement
All certificate programs at UCI Division of Continuing Education (classroom and online formats) require professional-level English language proficiency in listening and note-taking, reading comprehension and vocabulary, written expression, and oral presentation.