• Programs

Bachelor’s Degree Completion

program overview

Make the Most of the Credits You’ve Already Earned

You’ve realized that a career in the food world is what you really want. So dust off those college credits and apply them towards a CIA Bachelor of Professional Studies in Culinary Arts or Baking and Pastry Arts, offered at our New York campus. In our bachelor’s degree completion programs, you’ll get immersive, hands-on instruction from our industry-experienced faculty that will prepare you to confidently launch your career in the exciting world of food and hospitality.

Quick Facts

Start Dates: January, April

Campus: New York

Internship Included

Concentrations Available

30+ Transfer Credits Required

Program Highlights

  • Pursue your dream of a food career—quickly—by applying your eligible college transfer credits (a minimum of 30) towards a bachelor’s degree from CIA.
  • Learn and build mastery of the foundational techniques of culinary arts or baking and pastry arts.
  • Gain real-world experience through a paid internship semester at one of CIA’s 2,000+ food industry partners. (Already have experience? Check out our Turbo Option.)
  • Customize your degree with a food- or beverage-focused concentration or approved culinary or baking and pastry electives.
  • Discover how a real public restaurant or café is operated—hands-on, in our award-winning, live-action classrooms that serve thousands of customers annually.
  • Network with top food industry employers who recruit at CIA throughout the year.

CAreers

Plate Expectations

Complete your bachelor’s degree, then explore the opportunities at restaurants, cafés, bakeries, hotels, casinos, and other dining establishments. Career options include:

  • Purchasing manager
  • Private chef
  • Café owner
  • Catering manager
  • Chocolatier
  • Food entrepreneur
  • Research and development chef
  • University or corporate dining chef
  • Food media
  • Public health and wellness
Three chefs, two women and one man, are wearing white uniforms and engaged in an attentive discussion about food service management. The man is holding and pointing to an open magazine while the others look on with interest. The background shows a blurred indoor event setting.
Curriculum

Cutting-Edge Curriculum

This program is designed for students who wish to complete their bachelor’s degree. Therefore, you must have at least 30 eligible credits to matriculate into this program.

In this degree completion program, you will take carefully selected courses that build experiential, hands-on culinary or baking and pastry skills, as well as beverage and service skills, in CIA’s legendary kitchens, bakeshops, tasting theaters, cafés, and restaurants.

The curriculum also features a semester-long internship experience (which, if you already have significant food industry experience, you may be eligible to waive). You’ll also have the opportunity to focus on an area of the food world that interests you most, during a specialized study concentration that includes immersive experiences in California, Japan, Singapore, Spain, or Texas.

The 123-credit Bachelor of Professional Studies in Culinary Arts program includes:

  • 48 culinary arts requirements credits
  • 30 liberal arts credits
  • 3 advanced concepts requirements credits and 12 approved culinary electives credits OR a 15-credit concentration
  • 30 elective credits

The 123-credit Bachelor of Professional Studies in Baking and Pastry Arts program includes:

  • 48 baking and pastry arts requirements credits
  • 30 liberal arts credits
  • 3 advanced concepts requirements credits and 12 approved baking and pastry electives credits OR a 15-credit concentration
  • 30 elective credits

Admissions

Have Questions? We Have Answers!

Whether you’re curious about our degree offerings, need guidance on the application process, or want to know more about campus activities and student life—we’re here to help! Just submit your contact information and we’ll ensure that you:

  • Learn more about our programs and find out which one is right for you
  • Hear what our students love about their CIA journey
  • Receive help with the application process from your admissions counselor

Tuition and Financial Aid

The Value of a CIA Education

If you’re looking to advance your career in food, there is no better investment than a CIA education. From hands-on opportunities and expert faculty instruction to unique concentrations and exclusive networking events, our education and experiences are unparalleled. We are also committed to making your CIA education as affordable as possible. Our costs are comparable to similar colleges, with more than 90% of our students receiving some form of financial aid.

Chat With a Student

Are you curious about what it’s really like to attend CIA? We’ve got you covered. Our students are ready to answer the questions you haven’t asked anyone else, share their own personal experiences, and give you genuine advice—because they’ve gone through it, too.

School of Baking and Pastry Arts

The School of Baking and Pastry Arts advances baking and pastry skills in state-of-the-art bakeshops, classrooms, and restaurants on campus. Through the college’s vital industry partnerships and gift-in-kind program, students work in spectacular facilities such as the public-facing Apple Pie Bakery Café and have access to premium products like Ghirardelli chocolates. They also explore contemporary methods and concepts, such as baking for vegan, gluten-free, no-sugar, and dairy-free diets. The faculty’s expertise and extensive industry experience bring vibrant creativity and inspiration to learning.

A green banner with a red top and bottom border displays "School of Baking and Pastry Arts" in white text at the top. Below is an emblem of a stylized golden wheat and flame, symbolizing the culinary institute of america graduation. "Culinary Institute of America" is written in white text near the bottom.

School of Culinary Arts

The School of Culinary Arts offers hands-on learning from the world’s premier culinary college in world-class kitchens and restaurants on campus. CIA’s unparalleled global network gives students a treasure trove of premium ingredients and products at their fingertips. They learn from a faculty whose collective industry experience and credentials are unmatched in culinary education. Our instructors wrote the text—The Professional Chef—used by many leading education institutions today. The college’s landmark Menus of Change research continues to advance the curriculum.

A vertical banner in green with an orange border at the top and bottom. White text reads "School of Culinary Arts" and "Culinary Institute of America." The banner features an orange and white stylized emblem in the center resembling a flame and leaf, perfectly capturing the essence of a Culinary Institute of America graduation.

Contact Us

Lindsey Delvecchio

Admissions Counselor

Specializes in assisting transfer students