The culinary world is teeming with life and possibility. Aspiring professionals searching for a creative, skills-based field will love the fact that they can explore their passion for flavor and nourishment with a culinary arts career. By pursuing a culinary arts degree, you can begin developing the skills needed to pursue a wide range of career paths in the food and hospitality industries.
Understanding Culinary Arts and the Culinary Arts Degree
The culinary arts program is an associate degree program that provides students with foundational industry knowledge as well as hands-on, skills-based training in state-of-the-art facilities. This degree program is crucial to culinary career development, as it prepares students for a variety of professional opportunities in the industry.
What Is Culinary Arts?
Indeed defines the culinary arts as the art of preparing, cooking and presenting food in a way that is both appealing and impactful. Culinary artists, sometimes referred to as cuisine artists, work to balance the flavor, texture and appearance of food to create a dynamic and memorable dining experience.
What Does a Culinary Arts Degree Entail?
The culinary degree curriculum has a narrow scope, focusing almost entirely on skills-based training for professionals who want to work in the food and beverage industry or hospitality sector. Courses in the curriculum cover a wide range of relevant topics, such as cooking techniques, food safety, nutrition, menu planning and data analysis. Most courses require students to participate in hands-on training or internship programs to adequately prepare for the leading culinary careers.
Core Career Paths with a Culinary Arts Degree
There are a wide range of culinary arts careers to choose from, allowing you to consider a career path that blends your professional skills with your personal passions.
Restaurant and Hospitality Roles
Commonly, graduates with a culinary arts degree go on to pursue professional opportunities in the restaurant industry or hospitality sector. These are a few of the typical career paths within these industries:
Chef and Sous Chef
Culinary artists who want to be in charge of crafting unique menu items and planning elaborate menus for restaurants may pursue positions as a chef or sous chef. According to the Food Network, chefs work to prepare the menu and oversee operations in the kitchen, while sous chefs report directly to the chef and manage day-to-day activities in the kitchen. Both are considered to be premier positions in the restaurant kitchen.
Pastry Chef
A pastry chef is a culinary artist who specializes in creating pastries and baked goods. They may work at a restaurant and be in charge of planning the dessert menu for that facility.
Restaurant Manager
A restaurant manager is a food service professional who oversees daily operations at a restaurant. In addition to managing kitchen staff, they will also oversee wait staff and other professionals who work in the restaurant. They are often in charge of managing and improving the customer experience as well.
Food and Beverage Industry Careers
Utilizing their vast knowledge of the food and service industry, culinary arts graduates often consider careers in the food and beverage sector. These are a few job opportunities to be aware of:
Food Stylist
A food stylist is defined by Indeed as a creative professional who may work in the marketing industry or on a freelance basis. They are responsible for planning and designing artful food displays to promote products, restaurants or experiences.
Culinary Consultant
A culinary consultant is an experienced culinary artist who is able to share their wealth of expertise and industry knowledge with clients looking to improve their offerings. A culinary consultant, for example, may work with a restaurant group to enhance their menu and increase their revenue.
Catering Manager
A catering manager is a professional who oversees catering operations at a restaurant or event venue. They often collaborate with other service industry professionals to provide delicious and nourishing meals for large groups of people at events, conferences and large gatherings.
Entrepreneurship and Self-Employment
The skills-based curriculum in the culinary arts degree program prepares graduates for creative and entrepreneurial endeavors. Some entrepreneurial career opportunities may include:
Restaurant Owner
Culinary artists looking to branch out on their own may consider opening their own local restaurant. Restaurant owners work to develop the concept of the restaurant and bring their vision to life, often taking a hands-on approach to development and management.
Food Truck Operator
As a key part of the mobile vending industry, food trucks have been increasing in popularity in recent years. Food truck revenue has increased by more than 300% in the past three years, and more than 300 cities across the country have active food trucks. Food truck operators can bring a select menu of specialized food offerings to a wide variety of customers, making this an exciting and versatile career choice for culinary artists.
Bakery Owner
Experienced pastry chefs may want to consider a career as a bakery owner, as this entrepreneurial endeavor allows them to showcase a wide variety of cakes, cookies, baked goods, sandwiches and more.
Emerging and Specialized Culinary Careers
In addition to the traditional career paths that have long existed for graduates with an associate degree in culinary arts, there are several new and emerging careers that aspiring professionals can consider.
Health and Wellness Roles
The health and wellness sector is rapidly expanding, leading to specialized opportunities within the culinary arts field. Some health and wellness opportunities for culinary artists are:
Nutritionist or Dietitian
Nutritionists and dietitians often work to provide their clients with advice about how to make healthy and positive food choices. Culinary artists, with their extensive experience crafting wholesome and balanced meals, are uniquely suited to pursuing careers as nutritionists or dietitians.
Personal Chef
Culinary artists who want to work directly with high-profile clients may consider a career as a personal chef. Personal chefs often work in their clients’ homes, crafting nutritious and balanced meals throughout the day for their clients.
Culinary Arts in Media and Education
Increased interest in the art of preparing and presenting meals has led to additional opportunities in the media and education sphere, giving culinary artists the chance to branch out from traditional roles. These are some of the positions to consider:
Food Writer or Critic
A food writer is one of the leading culinary career opportunities for those interested in working in the media. Food writers and critics often sample and review food from local restaurants, offering insight into the flavor and overall experience.
Culinary Instructor
Culinary instructors work either individually or with groups of interested students, giving them hands-on lessons about cooking, preparing and presenting food.
Television Chef or Cooking Show Host
In the midst of the streaming era and the social media age, there are endless opportunities for culinary artists to become television chefs or cooking show hosts. Whether you host a cooking show online, make online tutorial videos or become a culinary social media influencer, you can leverage the power of the media to enhance your culinary career.
Sustainability and Food Innovation
As thought leaders across all industries look to curb the impact of climate change and promote sustainability in the local environment, there have been several new opportunities for culinary artists to explore, such as:
Farm-to-Table Advocate
Farm-to-table dining experiences are becoming increasingly popular, and they are very beneficial for the local economy and the environment. As a farm-to-table advocate, you can raise awareness about this powerful restaurant initiative.
Food Scientist or Technologist
Food scientists typically work to oversee the safety of a food supply within a specific environment, such as a laboratory or an agricultural facility.
Culinary R&D Chef
A research and development chef works to test out new recipes and food products using innovative and sustainable methods to improve the offerings at a restaurant.
How to Advance in a Culinary Career
By taking a strategic and intentional approach to culinary career development, you will be able to explore new opportunities throughout your entire professional career.
Build a Strong Foundation
The key to building a long and lasting career in the culinary arts is to start with a strong foundation. A culinary arts degree will provide you with the skills and knowledge that you need to truly succeed in this dynamic industry.
Gain Experience and Build a Portfolio
In addition to focusing on your education, you also need to prioritize professional experience. Through internship opportunities, you can start to gain hands-on industry experience that will allow you to build a strong portfolio. Within your portfolio, you should highlight your culinary creations, professional achievements and your unique culinary style.
Network and Focus on Professional Development
Within the culinary industry, networking is critically important, as it allows you to expand your professional horizons and discover new opportunities. Some of the best ways to network in the culinary industry include attending food festivals, joining professional organizations and connecting with mentors.
Expand Your Business Skills
In addition to prioritizing practical and technical culinary skills, you also need to focus on business skill development. Business skills, such as financial management and marketing, allow you to explore the many entrepreneurial endeavors available in the food and hospitality industries.
Start Your Culinary Journey at Baker
With an emphasis on skills-based training in state-of-the-art facilities, the Associate of Applied Science in Culinary Arts at Baker College prepares you for a dynamic and lasting career in the field. Graduates from this program often go on to pursue positions as sous chefs, pastry chefs or restaurant owners, showcasing the vast range of options for those interested in a culinary career.Request more information about our associate degree in culinary arts today.