Michael Wells, Program Coordinator(606) 376-7604michaele.wells@kctcs.edu
Eduardo Nazario(606) 376-7606ed.nazario@kctcs.edu
Program offered at Somerset Community College’s McCreary Center.
The Culinary Arts program at Somerset Community College is designed to prepare students for careers in the Culinary Arts, Food and Beverage Management, Restaurant Management, Catering, Institutional Food Service, and as Professional Chefs.
Course work covers a broad spectrum: the preparation of basic and specialized foods, catering and special event planning, international cuisine, baking and pastry arts, nutrition, sanitation, management techniques and functions, cost control, purchasing and culinary fundamentals. Students work in new, state of the art facilities at the college’s McCreary Center, along with other commercial kitchens and dining rooms through the course of study.
The program uses the teaching philosophy of the American Culinary Federation, the Academy of Chefs, the National Restaurant Association Education Foundation, and the American Personal Chef Association. The program competencies are those of the American Culinary Federation.
Progression in the Culinary Arts program is contingent upon achievement of a grade of “C” or better in each technical course and maintenance of a 2.0 cumulative grade point average or better (on a 4.0 scale).
Job opportunities in the culinary industry are diverse. Cooks, chefs and food preparation workers can work in restaurants, in private homes, in schools and institutions, as caterers, pretty much anywhere there’s a need for professional food services. The kind of work is as varied as the kinds of food people want.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the job outlook for those in the culinary arts, particularly cooks, chefs, and food preparation workers, will grow at the average rate (about 8.72 percent) through 2018.
To learn how to apply, see the Admissions Checklist.