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Culinary Arts and Management is a degree category that consists of the following common degrees:
- Read more about Baking and Pastry Arts
Degree programs in baking and pastry arts are generally offered by vocational schools and community colleges and provide students with theoretical knowledge and practical skills. Depending on the level and length of program, instruction may include training in:
- Pastry techniques
- Baking ingredients and technology
- Nutrition
- Principles of pastry design
- Classical and modern presentations
- Fundamentals of cooking and gastronomy
- Menu development
- Food safety
- Business skills: management, communications, finance/cost control
- Read more about Culinary Arts
Culinary arts are the arts of preparing, cooking, and presenting food. Food that is as pleasing to the eyes as it is to the taste buds is the goal of the culinary artist. Degree programs in the field prepare students for a variety of roles within the food and hospitality arenas. The typical curriculum covers the following:
- Professional cooking techniques
- Cuisines from around the world (classic, modern, ethnic)
- How to balance flavors and tastes
- Menu planning
- Catering
- Food aesthetics, styling, presentation, and plating
- Food science and components – proteins, carbohydrates, fats, water
- Food and safety standards
- Hospitality business management – how to run a kitchen, how to run a restaurant, inventory, budgeting
- Food media – food branding and marketing, freelance food writing
As the above program components suggest, culinary arts graduates have a fairly broad spectrum of both specializations, workplaces, and career options from which to choose. There is, of course, one element that characterizes every segment of the discipline: a passion for food.
- Read more about Food Service Management
Food service managers oversee the operation of restaurants and other venues that serve food and beverages. Degrees in the field are targeted at individuals who wish to combine their passion for food with an interest in managing a food-related business.
The typical curriculum consists of instruction in developing a profitable food service concept, writing a business plan, and marketing a venture to a target audience. Students learn how to troubleshoot restaurant and bar management issues concerning operations and staffing, how to analyze trends, and how to make changes to keep a food service business profitable.
Many programs focus exclusively on the business aspects of food service management. Others incorporate classes in the culinary arts – the arts of preparing, cooking, and presenting food to make it as pleasing to the eyes as it is to the taste buds.