- Associate Degree Program
Culinary Arts
Program Overview
For the Love of Food
Make food your life in CIA’s Associate in Culinary Arts degree program. You’ll not only build the core skills used by every chef; you’ll chart your own path toward a lifelong career doing what you love. Learn to prepare a wide variety of dishes and cuisines, manage people, and use state-of-the-art equipment—all in less than two years! Come make our trademark hands-on learning approach and expert, industry-proven faculty work for you.
Quick Facts
Start Dates: September, January, April
Campuses: New York, California, Texas
CIA Core Advantage: Culinary
Internship Included
Program Highlights
- Learn how to develop flavor, employ classic and contemporary culinary techniques, create menus, and prepare global cuisines.
- Study the ways successful culinary professionals manage restaurants, high-end catering, food trucks, and other food-related businesses.
- 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.)
- Develop food business smarts with study in management, communication, and finance.
- Discover how real public restaurants are operated—hands-on, in our award-winning, live-action restaurant classrooms that serve thousands of customers annually.
- Network with top food industry employers who recruit at CIA throughout the year.
Careers
Become a Leader in the Food World
Whether at restaurants, hotels, casinos, or other dining venues, find the career path that’s just right for you:
- Executive chef
- Food and beverage management
- Food writing
- Media and public relations
- Research and education
- Hotel management
- Restaurant ownership
Curriculum
Cutting-Edge Curriculum
New York and California Campuses
The 66-credit Associate in Occupational Studies (AOS) in Culinary Arts degree program includes:
- 51 credits in culinary arts requirements
- 9 credits in liberal arts requirements
- 6 credits in business management requirements
You will get a hands-on experiential foundation in the culinary arts, including classic and contemporary cooking techniques, flavor and menu development, nutrition, wines, production cooking, and world cuisines.
As part of your degree program, you’ll get real-world experience during a semester-long internship at one of more than 2,000 CIA-approved businesses, as well as in the kitchens and dining rooms of CIA’s award-winning public restaurants.
Texas Campus
The 69-credit Associate in Applied Science (AAS) in Culinary Arts degree program includes:
- 48 credits in culinary arts requirements
- 15 credits in liberal arts requirements
- 6 credits in business management requirements
You will get a hands-on experiential foundation in the culinary arts, including classic and contemporary cooking techniques, flavor and menu development, food systems, wines, production cooking, and world cuisines.
As part of your degree program, you’ll get real-world experience during a semester-long internship at one of more than 2,000 CIA-approved businesses, as well as in CIA’s award-winning public restaurants.
Cool Courses You’ll Take…
Work with new ingredients and flavors in CIA culinary arts degree program, with courses that may surprise you.
CIA Restaurants and Internship Experiences
High-Energy Experience in Our Restaurants
The CIA restaurant experience will really make you stand out to food industry employers. The hands-on work you’ll do in our restaurant kitchens and dining rooms is exactly the kind of experience they value—and they often look to CIA grads first when hiring.
Internships: Real, Life Experience
You have a world of choices for your semester-long internship, giving you unprecedented access to Michelin three-star restaurants, international hotel groups, innovative test kitchens, and more throughout the food and hospitality industry.
Faculty
The Best of the Best
We want you to become the best of the best, which is why our faculty members are masters in their fields. Learn from acclaimed chefs, industry executives, world-famous restaurateurs, restaurant owners, published authors, sommeliers, and more.
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
Get an Up-close look at CIA
Tour Campus or Attend an Online Event
Whether you’re looking to visit one of our campuses or would prefer the convenience of a virtual event, there’s no better way to learn more about CIA than with one of our admissions events.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Culinary School Costs
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—more than 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 CIA an affordable investment in your future in the world of food.
Speak to 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 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.
CONNECT WITH US
Just try not to drool on your screen…