The Culinary Institute of America

  • Associate Degree: Advanced Career Experience (ACE) Students

    Do you have meaningful foodservice experience? And do you want to advance your culinary career? You may have valuable work experience already. But to succeed in today's rapidly changing foodservice industry, you need the "complete package"—proven knowledge, skills, experience, and the right degree credential. And there’s no degree like a CIA degree.

    If you have 2.5 or more years of post-high school, full-time back-of-the-house foodservice experience, you may qualify for the CIA’s Associate in Occupational Studies (AOS) in Culinary Arts degree program created specifically for students with advanced career experience.

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    In the associate degree program in culinary arts for ACE students in New York, you will:

    • Begin your studies at the CIA with knowledge-equivalency credits which exempt you from the CIA's externship requirement so you can graduate in just 15 months.
    • Enroll on any of the college’s entry dates running from December through June with many entry dates to choose from.
    • Receive the ACE Quarter-Tuition Grant for each year, if you are a U.S. citizen.
    • Complete the same gold-standard course of studies on campus as non-ACE students.
    • Finish your associate degree with both back-of-the-house and front-of-the-house experience in our award-winning, on-campus CIA restaurants.

    Prerequisites

    Be an experienced professional, with 2.5 or more years of post-high school, full-time back-of-the-house foodservice experience in establishments that work with fresh, whole-food products and a varied menu.

    Curriculum

    FRESHMAN YEAR, FIRST SEMESTER

    CourseCredits
    Culinary Math
    		1.5 credits
    Food Safety*
    		1.5 credits
    Professionalism and Life Skills
    		1.5 credits
    Introduction to Gastronomy
    		1.5 credits
    Nutrition
    		1.5 credits
    Product Knowledge
    		1.5 credits
    Culinary Fundamentals*
    		6 credits
    Total Credits: 15
     + Mathematics Fundamentals (Non-Credit) may also be required based on the results of a placement test.*Students must receive a passing grade for both Baking and Pastry Techniques and the NRA ServSafe® examination (part of the Food Safety course) and meet GPA requirements in order to progress to the second semester of the freshman year.

    FRESHMAN YEAR, SECOND SEMESTER

    CourseCredits
    Introduction to Management
    		1.5 credits
    Meat Identification, Fabrication, and Utilization
    		1.5 credits
    Seafood Identification and Fabrication
    		1.5 credits
    Modern Banquet Cookery
    		3 credits
    Introduction to À la Carte Cooking
    		3 credits
    High-Volume Production Cookery
    		3 credits
    Culinary Practical Examination I
    		Non-Credit
    College Writing Plus
    		3 credits
    Total Credits: 16.5

    SOPHOMORE YEAR, FIRST SEMESTER

    CourseCredits
    Baking and Pastry Skill Development
    		3 credits
    Garde Manger
    		3 credits
    Cuisines of the Americas
    		3 credits
    Controlling Costs and Purchasing Food
    		1.5 credits
    Cuisines of the Mediterranean
    		3 credits
    Cuisines of Asia
    		3 credits
    Menu Development
    		1.5 credits
    Total Credits: 18

    SOPHOMORE YEAR, SECOND SEMESTER

    CourseCredits
    Introduction to Customer Service
    		1.5 credits
    Wine Studies
    		3 credits
    Culinary Practical Examination II
    		Non-Credit
    Contemporary Restaurant Cooking
    		3 credits
    Contemporary Restaurant Service
    		3 credits
    Formal Restaurant Cooking
    		3 credits
    Formal Restaurant Service
    		3 credits
    Costing Examination
    		Non-Credit
    Total Credits: 16.5

    Total Credits For an AOS Degree: 66

    Costs

    The CIA is very committed to making your CIA education as affordable as possible. Our costs are comparable to similar colleges, and here's even better news—approximately 90% of our students receive some form of financial aid.

    Don't let applying for financial assistance keep you from going to the world's premier culinary college. No matter what your individual circumstances are, we will work with you to help make attending the CIA an affordable investment in your future in the world of food.

    Careers

    Great Food Careers Start Here

    With a CIA degree, you don’t just have a foot in the door—you have thousands of feet in the door. Our alumni are an accomplished, supportive network throughout the industry, whatever your career goals. You can:

    And with so many possibilities out there, our Career Services staff is ready to help you every step of the way, not only for that ideal first job, but for a lifetime of great opportunities. There’s no network like the CIA network!

    The list of celebrated CIA alumni is as diverse as it is extensive. They’ve found success doing what they love. They fully embraced the idea that Food is Life™.

    Now it’s your turn.

    Related Links

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    Spotlight On: Andrea MartinAssociate Degree for Advanced Career Experience (ACE)

    The minute Andrea Martin set foot on the CIA’s Hyde Park campus she exclaimed, “I want to come here!” But she was no green adolescent ogling the wisteria-covered Roth Hall; she was an experienced chef, an educator, and a culinary program developer who just happened to bring one of her students up to visit the school.
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