Start your culinary education in Falls Church, Virginia at Stratford University!
If you ever thought about going to cooking school in Falls Church, Virginia or the Washington DC area , here is one of the better cooking schools you should look into. By the way, there is another good metro DC school in Virginia you may be interested in called The Art Institute of Washington DC.
Falls Church, Virginia, is a city that manages to combine small town charm and advantages with bigger city culture and events. Only six miles from Washington, DC, Falls Church is a small town of 11,200 residents, one of the smallest in Virginia. Stratford University is fortuitously located in Falls Church and offers associate’s, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees in a variety of in-demand fields, including technology, and culinary arts.
What You Need to Know
Below is some basic information about the Stratford University and its programs, but if you really want to learn more, you should fill out the short questionnaire by clicking here and someone will contact you to talk about how to apply, time requirements, costs and just about anything else you may need to know.
Stratford University
777 Leesburg Pike
Falls Church, Virginia
About Stratford University
Stratford University offers students the very best culinary education because it is based on what employers want. Students learn the skills and knowledge necessary to be successful in the culinary field, while learning in a student-centered environment. Student success is the top priority at Stratford University and skills are assessed frequently to make sure learning is at the appropriate level. Stratford University is run like a business to further ensure that students are accountable for their own learning, as well as supported in their endeavors by the dedicated faculty and staff.
Programs Available
Advanced Culinary Arts Professional: Stratford University offers both an Advanced Culinary Arts Professional Diploma program and an Advanced Culinary Arts Associate’s Degree. In the diploma program, students learn the skills necessary to start a career in the culinary field. The diploma program requires students to complete 60 credits, which usually takes about 50 weeks. Courses include culinary theory, cooking techniques, sauces, soups, and stocks, entrée preparation, baking, pastry arts, dining room service, hospitality, nutrition, and menu planning.
Advanced Culinary Arts Associate Degree: The Advanced Culinary Arts Associate’s Degree provides similar content to the diploma program, with the addition of a liberal arts education. Students will be prepared to enter the culinary field as chefs, as well being able to work in managerial positions. 90 credits are required for completion of the program, which typically takes about 60 weeks. In addition to the classes required for the diploma program, AAS students also complete coursework in math, humanities, English, psychology, and science.
Baking & Pastry Arts Associate Degree: Upon completion of the Baking and Pastry program at Stratford University, students will earn an Associate in Applied Science Degree. Like the Culinary Arts Associate’s program, Baking and Pastry students also complete 90 credit hours over about 60 weeks. They take classes in math, humanities, English, psychology, and science in addition to career-specific courses. These include: baking fundamentals, artisan bread baking, culinary theory, cakes, custards and creams, specialty and wedding cakes, plated desserts, confectionary production and display work, nutrition and menu planning, hospitality, and food science. Graduates of the Baking and Pastry program will be able to enter the work force as pastry chefs.
Hotel & Restaurant Management Associate Degree: This is also a 90 credit program that culminates in an Associate in Applied Arts degree. Instruction combines industry-specific courses, such as dining room service, analysis of the hospitality industry, food and beverage management, housekeeping management, sales and marketing, office procedures and computer applications, hospitality law, supervision, accounting, facilities management, meeting and conference planning, with liberal arts courses. Students who complete the program also receive certificates from the American Hotel and Motel Association. They may also qualify to become a Certified Hospitality Supervisor.
Hospitality Management Bachelors Degree: The Hospitality Management program allows students to earn a Bachelor’s Degree upon completion of 180 credit hours. Students take general education classes in math, science, psychology, English, and Humanities. In addition, they take specific courses in Hospitality Management, such as facilities design, marketing, resource management, business and restaurant law, food and beverage controls, entrepreneurship, and financial analysis of the hospitality industry. Students are then required to choose from two concentrations – Culinary Arts or Hotel and Restaurant Management -- and complete coursework in that concentration. There are also electives from which students can choose that suit their interests, including topics in hospitality, recipe and product development, catering, wine appreciation, chocolate and sugar arts, and much more.
Faculty
The faculty at Stratford University is dedicated to student success. Toward this end, students are given the time and support they need to properly learn techniques and material. From the Stratford University web page:
The school is careful not to confuse learning rate with learning capacity, knowing that the employer does not care whether students took five or ten weeks to learn the "theory," but rather that they actually know it. In this environment of instructional flexibility, against a backdrop of firm standards, students who formerly were not successful, achieve real success.
This demonstrates the student-centered philosophy is the actual operating principle of the faculty. They focus on hands-on learning in an atmosphere where students can experiment, explore, and discover.
Facilities
Stratford University offers its Culinary Arts, Baking and Pastry, Hotel Management, and Hospitality Management students classrooms and great lab spaces. Students have access to spacious, modern, professional kitchens. The Chef’s Table is an on-campus restaurant that offers fine dining to the community, which also gives students more real-world experience. Stratford University can help you with housing needs. There are several apartment complexes from which to choose, and Stratford will help match you with compatible roommates. This allows you to live independently, yet still enjoy the benefits of college life.
Accreditation
Stratford University is accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Schools and Colleges (ACISC).
Financial Aid
Stratford participates in federal student aid programs, so students need to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to determine if they meet eligibility requirements. Financial Aid representatives are happy to discuss individual needs with students. Private scholarships are also accepted.
Falls Church, Virginia
Falls Church has a rich history. It was a community shared by Native Americans and settlers in the late 1600’s and it grew around the Falls Church, whose congregation included such illustrious members as George Washington. Falls Church is proud of its heritage, as well as the quality of life it offers to residents. Its proximity to DC provides ample work and cultural experiences for visitors and citizens alike.
With the city nearby, Falls Church values open space; this is why there are eleven parks within the city’s 2.2 square mile limits. The local schools are outstanding: George Mason High School has been named one of the 25 best in the nation. The local are also treated as valuable citizens: the Falls Church Police Department is one of the only departments left wiling to offer daily house checks while residents are away on vacation. All of this and its rich restaurant and service industries makes Falls Church an ideal place to study and begin a career.
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.
