This CIA has nothing to do with counter intelligence but cooking intelligence. The Culinary Institute of America is one of the most highly regarded culinary programs in the world.
The alumni read like a who's who in American cooking. Some of the most famous chefs you've heard of have graduated from The Culinary Institute of America or CIA.
Books have been written about how tough a program it is but if you want to learn the culinary or baking & pastry arts, this is a great place to start.
Why Consider The CIA?
"It's the best culinary school in the world."
Paul Bocuse, world-renowned French chef
The Culinary Institute of America is the place to go if you are looking for a complete soup to nuts culinary education. The number of great chefs that have graduated from the CIA is staggering.
From learning the basic skills needed to be a chef in today's market to learning the important management theories to run your own restaurant, you'll spend 1,300-plus hours in the kitchen learning the skills required to succeed in the food service industry.
Below is some basic information about The Culinary Institute of America and its programs, but if you really want to learn more, you should fill out the short questionnaire and someone will contact you to talk about how to apply, time requirements, costs and just about anything else you may need to know.
The Culinary Institute of America
1946 Campus Drive
Hyde Park, NY 12538
History
For more than 60 years, The Culinary Institute of America has been at the apex of the food world. It first opened back in 1946 as the New Haven Restaurant Institute in Connecticut with three instructors; a chef, a baker and a dietitian. It was a vocational school for WWII veterans and offered a 16-week program.
As the food industry grew, so did the school. By 1965 the enrollment grew to 400 students and operated a $2 million state-of-the-art facility. With continued growth, the school needed a larger facility so it moved to a former Jesuit seminary in Hyde Park, NY where it continues to prosper.
In 1981, the CIA became the only school authorized to administer the American Culinary Federation's (A.C.F.) master chef certification exam. The CIA employs the largest concentration of master chefs certified through the 10-day A.C.F.-sponsored exam.
Today the CIA's physical assets are valued at $148 million and its total annual budget is in excess of $102 million. The college currently enrolls more than 2,700 students in its degree programs and employs more than 125 chef-instructors and other faculty members representing 16 countries.
Programs of Study
Culinary Arts - Associate in Occupational Studies (AOS)
This is where you will develop the essential skills in all aspects of culinary arts to enter into the food industry with confidence that you can succeed. The 21-month intensive program will prepare you in classic and contemporary culinary techniques as well as international cuisines. You'll also learn basic baking and pastry skills, menu development, food safety and much more.
After completing your freshman year, you'll gain practical experience by participating in an 18-week paid externship at one of more than 1,100 CIA-approved locations around the world. You’ll return to campus for more classes and hands-on experience in three of four on-campus, public dining restaurants.
Baking & Pastry Arts - Associate in Occupational Studies (AOS)
If your goal is to enter the foodservice industry as a baker or pastry chef, this program will provide extensive knowledge and experience. The CIA's 21-month program develops competency in baking bread, preparing desserts, confections, pâtisserie and pastry. You'll also learn basic cooking skills and food safety, as well as how to write a menu and cost controls.
Like the AOS in Culinary Arts, you will spend 18 weeks on a paid externship. When you return to campus to complete your degree, you’ll gain another six weeks of real-world experience in the Apple Pie Bakery Café Sponsored by Rich Products Coporation.
Culinary Arts Management - Bachelor of Professional Studies (BPS)
The CIA’s Bachelor’s Degree Program is similar to the AOS in Culinary Arts Program but longer, more extensive and with a wider range of studies. This 38-month program will help prepare you to enter the ever-more demanding food industry by developing your culinary AND business skills. Not only will you learn to cook but you’ll also become an effective leader in a very challenging occupation.
Besides learning the skills described in the AOS in Culinary Arts, you will delve into world history, international cultures, marketing, finance, and how to work and supervise others. You'll have courses in psychology, ethics, management and interpersonal communications.
Again, you will gain a taste of the real world through an 18-week paid externship and rotations in on-campus, public-service restaurants.
Baking and Pastry Arts Management - Bachelor of Professional Studies (BPS)
Take the AOS in Baking & Pastry Arts, add business, psychology, communications, ethics, and management classes and you'll get an understanding of the bachelor’s program. An intense 38-month program designed to develop proficiency in baking and pastry arts along with the business skills you'll need to succeed in the world of professional baking.
This program takes you beyond baking skills, developing your leadership and creative abilities. As with all CIA degree programs, there is an 18-week paid externship and on-campus restaurant rotation.A Sampling of Courses
Accounting and Budget Management |
Cookies, Tarts, and Mignardises |
If you are interested in any of these great programs at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY, click the button below, fill out the form and a representative will contact you to answer your questions and send more information about the school including an application.
For a collection of cookbooks about The Culinary Institute of America or produced at the CIA.....
What Do You Need To Know to Get Into Culinary School?
As the Reluctant Gourmet, I have never been to cooking school, but I keep telling myself it's never too late. The best way for you to learn more about becoming a chef is to visit my new Culinary School Resource Center. Here you will find articles, books, school resources and many other useful resources.
Also, try reading as much as you can about going to cooking school and what it is like to be a professional chef. One book I highly recommend to anyone thinking about culinary school is, The Making of A Chef, by Michael Ruhlman. It will really help you understand what you may be getting yourself into. For a complete list of Books For Cooks.
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