Skip Navigation
 Home Certificates Arts & Entertainment Culinary Arts

Culinary Arts

Overview

In partnership with
RouxbeMCP

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. Leveraging both online and hands-on culinary training, this program delivers a far more flexible as well as affordable format than traditional cooking schools. By learning basic cooking theory and techniques with an online curriculum on their own time, students can then put their skills into practice in each scheduled live class meeting, which takes place in a professional kitchen alongside experienced chefs.

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

  • 510 hours blend of online, in-person training, and optional externship
  • Professional kitchen facilities
  • Complete program quickly – 6 months part-time
  • The online portion of the course is taught in partnership with Rouxbe Online Culinary School, and has been recognized for quality education by the American Culinary Federation Education Foundation

Course Schedule

October 23, 2018 – May 16, 2019
Tuesday, Thursday 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 10/16 so that their uniform and kitchen supplies can be timely delivered. For an optimal learning experience, space is limited to 15 students, first-come, first-served. Payment plan information is available upon request.

As a first-time offering, the program has been specially priced. Due to the costs associated with ensuring quality culinary training, we anticipate the program fee to increase significantly in 2019. If you are interested in enrolling in our program, we encourage you to join us this fall to take advantage of the special pricing.

Required Courses

TitleWinterSpringSummerFall
MISC 815.01
Professional Culinary Foundations (30 CEU)
MISC 815.01
     to be scheduled  

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

Receive Customized Training for your Employees

With an intuitive online learning platform, and under the tutelage of professional working chefs, you will engage in lectures and demonstrations, acquire hands-on experience in our training kitchen and, through discipline and practice, develop cooking skills that encompass everything from simple techniques to more difficult and complex preparations.

During the course, we will teach foundational cooking techniques in:

  • Core knife skills and care
  • Proper food handling and sanitation standards
  • Essential culinary techniques including:
    • Foundations of cookery: stocks, soups, sauces
    • Production cookery: sautéing, roasting, frying, stewing, braising, simmering, poaching, grilling
    • Bread and pastry/desserts
    • Plant-based cooking
    • Culinary nutrition
    • Artistic plating techniques
    • Advanced cooking techniques
  • The foundations of food and flavor
  • Introduction to kitchen culture and competency
  • Food cost controls
  • Cooking techniques of global cuisines
  • Current restaurant and food trends

Certificate of Completion

Upon the successful completion of all course requirements, students will receive a Certificate of Completion from UCI's 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.