Culinary Arts

Career and Major Information
Earnings
Related Occupations
Related Web Sites

 

Career and Major Information:

Walters State's Associate of Applied Science and Technical Certificate in Culinary Arts are designed to increase the culinary skills of graduates, and prepare them for opportunities in the field of food preparation and service.  As chefs and cooks, graduates will be expected to develop and follow recipes using kitchen utensils and equipment such as ovens, grills, broilers, blenders, and slicers.  Other duties may include preparing foods for cooking, keeping the preparation area clean, or developing menus.  Chefs can specialize their trade to a particular area such as bakery chef.  An executive chef or head cook may coordinate the kitchen staff, order food supplies, ensure quality, and direct the preparation of meals or direct the operations of several different kitchens such as in a large hotel.  Jobs may be specialized in the form of private chefs or catering chefs. 

Jobs may be found in all public and private sectors and in all levels of government and education.

There is no minimum education requirement for these jobs, but training and experience such as that obtained in a postsecondary education program are highly valued.  Openings are usually expected to be abundant; however, competition is tight for jobs in the top kitchens of higher end restaurants. 

 

Earnings:

The Tennessee Career Information Delivery System website lists the salary range for a beginning-level position in this field in Tennessee as $20,195 to $24,880 annually.  With experience, the range increases to $27,990 to $39,925.  The national average is higher by up to $4,000 per year.  Salary figures quoted are based on national figures. Local or regional salaries may be lower.

 

Related Occupations:

Sous Chef

Caterer

Personal Chef

Pastry Chef

Baker

Bartender

Food Scientist

Food Processing Technician

 

Related Web Sites:

National Restaurant Association

            http://www.restaurant.org/

 

American Culinary Federation

            http://www.acfchefs.org/

 

International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education

            http://www.chrie.org/

 

Much of the above information was collected from the 2004-2005 Occupational Outlook Handbook published by the U.S. Department of Labor.  For additional information on these and many other careers, please visit the following web sites:

 

Occupational Outlook Handbook - U.S. Department of Labor

www.bls.gov/oco/

 

Tennessee Career Information Delivery System (TCIDS)

http://tcids.tbr.edu/.

 

 

For information regarding specific degree program requirements, curriculum, or faculty, please see the department website at  http://www.ws.edu/businessdiv/default.asp.