Take Advantage of Culinary Arts Distance Education

If you are involved in the culinary arts field and want to either enhance your skills or advance your career, online education may be the way to meet your goals. All you need is a desire to learn and a computer with online access. Increasingly, educational institutions offer the option of online course work. It is an option, but it is not for everyone.

Advantages of Online Learning

Here is a way to take coursework from the best culinary arts schools without the need to quit your job, move to another city, and immerse in on-campus course work. You can work from home, at your convenience, according to your schedule all while you keep your job. You don’t have to wait for a course to come around in some future semester, it is available when you are ready to take it. One of the big advantages is you work at your own pace. It can also be one of the big disadvantages.

Disadvantages of Online Learning

Some students need the structure of scheduled class periods and instructors demanding assignment completion. Online learning is not a good option for anyone who lacks self discipline. You need time management skills. Also, one of the benefits of on-campus study is the interaction with other students which missing with online learning. If you are thinking of the online option, take a class to test the waters before you jump in. This is an exciting option for those who want to move forward with their education while maintaining professional positions.

Culinary Arts Online

Several of the best culinary arts schools offer an online option; including Le Cordon Bleu and the Arts Institute of Pittsburgh. Most online course offerings cater to those who want to move into restaurant or hotel management. Theory courses work well online. Here is a sampling of national averages of management salaries from the Bureau of Labor Statistics: hotel manager – $67,000 to $124,000; assistant hotel manager – $44,000 to $60,000; restaurant manger – $38,000 to $56,000; assistant restaurant manager – $31,000 to $45,000.

Online Culinary Arts Schools

The Art Institute has been around since 1921 and has a solid reputation in a variety of art fields, including culinary arts. The Art Institute of Pittsburgh Online offers two bachelor’s degrees relating to culinary arts: culinary management, and hotel and restaurant management To apply for the culinary arts program, you need to either complete an accredited cooking program, or an accredited apprenticeship program, or hold an ACF certification. Course work includes business management, accounting, hospitality law, marketing, customer service, and leadership courses. The program prepares you to work in or own a catering business, be involved in research and development, become a food critic, or a culinary or food inspector, or manage or own a restaurant. Entry into the hotel and restaurant management program requires a high school diploma or a GED certificate with a 225 or better pass rate. Course work includes hospitality law, accounting, management, strategic planning, catering, banquet events, and strategic planning. Graduates may find work in the catering field, banquet event management, or as restaurant or hotel management trainees. Both programs are MSCHE accredited. For more information go to artinstitutes.edu/online or call 888-822-8869.

The University of Phoenix began operation in 1976 and is now the largest private university in the country. Its philosophy is to offer quality educational opportunities to the working public. University of Phoenix Online offers an associate’s degree in hospitality, travel and tourism, and a bachelor’s degree in hospitality management. To enter any undergraduate program, you need a high school diploma or a GED and a job or access to the work environment to be able to apply course objectives. The associate degree program includes six courses, three-credit hours each. Courses included food service and lodging management. The bachelor’s course load is 23, three-credit hour courses. Course work includes hospitality management, finance, business law, hospitality decision making, and accounting. The university is NCACS accredited. For more information go to: phoenix.edu or call 866-766-0766

Stratford University is a private school located in Northern Virginia. Course work is offered as on-campus, online or a combination of both. Two degrees in the culinary arts field are offered online: An associate’s degree in hotel and restaurant management, and a bachelor’s degree in hospitality management. Prerequisites for entry into either program include a high school diploma or a GED certificate. The associate degree program is 90 credit hours of course work, including a core curriculum and general education classes. The bachelor’s degree is another 90 credit hours long, or a total of 180 credit hours. Course work includes hospitality and human resources management, control systems, food and beverage operations, managing for profit. Stratford University is ACICS accredited. Graduates from the associate’s degree program receive certification from the American Hotel and Motel Association (AHMS), and are Certified Hospitality Supervisors (CHS). For more information go to stratford.edu or call 703-734-5311.

Sullivan University, e-Learning offers a bachelor’s degree in hospitality management on line. To enroll, you need an associate degree in culinary arts, baking and pastry, hotel management or another related culinary arts discipline. It takes 180 credit hours of course work to graduate, including the associate degree hours. Course work includes accounting, business law, hospitality management, economics, and human resources. The school is CCSACS accredited. Their online contact is sullivan.edu or phone 800-844-1354.

Since 1987, Ashworth College has followed a mission of bringing self-guided studies to a worldwide student population. The school offers two online diploma courses: hospitality and restaurant management, and gourmet cooking and catering. Each discipline consists of 20 lessons. Gourmet cooking centers on meal preparation, catering and special events coordinating. Graduates can expect to know how to open their own home-based catering business or work as a hotel banquet manager or catering manager. The hotel and restaurant management course focuses on learning front desk management, office management, coordinating banquets, and staffing. There are no prerequisites to entering the programs. The school is DETC & SACS CASI accredited. For more information go to: ashworthcollege.edu, or call 800-957-5412.

Le Cordon Bleu is synonymous with the finest in culinary arts instruction. With more than 100 years of experience and an international reach, the school continues the tradition of excellence with an online culinary management bachelor’s degree program. Entry into the program is through an associate’s degree in culinary arts, bakery, hotel management or other accredited programs. The course is designed with flexibility in mind. Classes include research and writing, marketing, small business development, financial management, and facilities and events management. Graduates receive, in addition to their degree diploma, the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu Diplome. The school is CCSC accredited Contact the school at: chefs.edu/programs/le-cordon-bleu-online-programs, or call 800-736-6126.

Cornell Hotel School – eCornell offers an extensive list of certification courses designed to enhance the knowledge and skill base for people involved in hotel and restaurant management. Under the hospitality and food services management track are 23 short, certificate-based courses, each approximately five hours long dealing with management issues. Longer courses that carry credit-hour completion certificates include: master certificate in essentials of hospitality management—6 credit hours, master certificate in food services management—6 credit hours, and certificate in food services management—3 credit hours. Each course stands alone with specific course goals for advancing career potential. The school is MSACS accredited. For further details go to: ecornell.com or call 866-326-7635.

Virginia College offers an online associate degree in culinary arts. The course prerequisite is formal training comparable to the course offered by Culinard, the Culinary Institute of Virginia College. Call to make sure you qualify. The course has a general education requirement of 16 hours and a core coursework load of 80 hours for a total of 96 credit hours for graduation. Be advised that there may be an on campus requirement. Check before committing to the program. The school is ACICS accredited. For details on course work go to: vc.edu or call 888-827-7770.