Virginia Culinary Arts Degree Programs

Culinary arts programs: your gateway to a tasty career in Virginia

Many Virginia colleges and universities are centrally located and within a two to three hour drive of other key towns or neighboring states. If you like to travel or have friends in school in North Carolina or Washington, DC, you can reach them easily from two main interstates that run through Virginia.

Culinary Arts Programs: Your Gateway to a Tasty Career

If you enjoy good food, love cooking, and don't mind working long hours, a career in culinary arts could be the right choice for you. Culinary arts career paths are numerous, including:

Chef or head cook
Pastry chef
Sous chef
Personal chef
Sommelier
Restaurant manager
Food preparation or serving supervisor

You can expect good job opportunities plus earnings slightly above the national average. Chefs and head cooks earned a mean annual wage of $44,780 in 2010. The highest 10 percent of earners took home over $70,000 per year.

Getting started in a culinary arts career

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that most chefs, head cooks, and food preparation and serving supervisors have some formal training, either from a culinary arts school, a technical school or community college, or from a training program sponsored by an independent cooking school, a professional culinary institute, or through the armed forces.

You could earn a certificate, a diploma, a 2-year associate degree or 4-year bachelor's degree. You can begin your career in a lower level occupation and advance through experience plus training and education.

Culinary arts programs usually involve a great deal of time in the kitchen learning practical skills such as knife techniques and use of equipment, and the various arts and techniques that are required to produce restaurant-standard food and presentation.

You can also expect to learn other aspects of a culinary career such as safe food storage, portion sizes, purchasing, menu planning, and public health rules. Many culinary arts programs provide valuable experience through an internship, apprenticeship, or out-placement program.

Culinary Arts Career and Technical Schools in Virginia:

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Culinary Institute of Virginia - Norfolk

Have a passion for fine food? At the Culinary Institute of Virginia, you'll get the hands-on training you need to launch a fantastic career in the culinary arts. With recent growth in the tourist industry, there's never been a better time to become a food service professional. Our program focuses on mastering basic professional culinary skills, and offers hands-on training in real world settings. Start now and earn your Associate of Applied Science Degree in Culinary Science in less than 2 years.

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The Art Institute of Virginia Beach

The Art Institutes system of schools is a leading educator of students in the creative and applied arts, including design, media, fashion, and culinary programs. Every program of study offered to you is regularly reviewed by industry leaders, advisors, and employers for relevance in the marketplace. Changes are made, if necessary, to integrate subject matter into the curriculum so that our degree programs reflect the way things are done in the real world of work. Programs listed are not offered at all locations.

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The Art Institute of Washington

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Higher Education: Colleges and Universities

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University of Phoenix

“University of Phoenix is the largest private university in North America.” Whether you’re seeking an associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree, University of Phoenix can help you reach your goal much sooner than you might expect..

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Ashford University

Experience a new way of learning through the innovative online experience at Ashford University that integrates engaging curricula, modern digital tools, a vibrant online community, and cherished tradition.At Ashford, you get the feel of a traditional college campus with effective online learning. Your education at Ashford University is a shared experience that unites you with students and faculty around the world.

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