Become a Chef Attending West Virginia Colleges
West Virginia has a long home-cooking tradition that is part of the Appalachian style of cooking – emphasizing wild ingredients and game, as well as canning and preserves. It offers a strong foundation for any aspiring chefs from which to build and explore new territory or to improve upon traditional techniques. And West Virginia has a number of small programs with a homey feel to help start your culinary career.
Picking a School
The main dish in your program entrée should be the kitchen. That’s where you’ll be doing all your learning and all your practicing (and, hopefully, perfecting). Make sure your program has a kitchen that’s student run and is fully operational. The side dishes to your program should include experienced professors (preferably chefs), job placement and career counseling and opportunities for internships and apprenticeships.
Finding the culinary school that’s right for you may be harder than getting into the school. Typically, admission only requires the completion of a high-school diploma or GED. Some more competitive programs may ask that you provide more credentials, from work experience, attendance at culinary workshops or seminars, or an assessment of basic kitchen knowledge or techniques.
Getting your Degree
After deciding on a career path, most people are eager to get started as soon as possible. And culinary programs make getting started faster easy. Associate’s degrees can be completed in two years or less, depending on whether the program offers night classes or summer classes. Certificate and diploma programs can be completed in one year or less, and can be a good starting point for many culinary careers.
Online options are available if it better suits your schedule or if a suitable program isn’t located near you. Cooking is usually a hands-on, in-person experience, but video instruction can make that possible in your home. Online programs can also complement previous kitchen work or work experience, or can focus exclusive on hospitality or restaurant management.
Exploring the Job Market
Graduates are likely to find a job they love in any of the thousands of restaurants, resorts, schools, and hotels in West Virginia. Typical food industry salaries in West Virginia range according to position, city, and experience. A waiter/waitress will earn an annual average salary of $24,700; a Registered Dietitian earns an of $59,170; a first-line supervisor will earn about $30,510; a head chef will earn approximately $57,420; and a restaurant cook earns an average salary of around $23,910.
2019 wage data sourced from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. Current wage conditions in your area may vary.
Campus-based Programs
Davis and Elkins College
100 Campus Drive
Elkins, WV 26241
304-637-1900
dewv.edu
Hospitality Management
CIHENCACS Accredited
Fairmont State University
1201 Locust Ave.
Fairmont, WV 26554
304-367-4892
fairmontstate.edu
Food Service Management
Culinary Arts
Pastry and Baking
Dietary Manager
Resort and Hotel Management
ACF Accredited
Glenville State College
200 High St.
Glenville, WV 26351-1200
304-462-7361
glenville.edu
Resort Area Management
HLC Accredited
James Rumsey Technical Institute
3274 Hedgesville Road
Martinsburg, WV 25403-0259
304-754-7925
jamesrumsey.com
Culinary Arts
NCASSC Accredited
Marshall Community and Technical College
1 John Marshall Way
Huntington, WV 25755
304-696-6282
mctc.edu
Culinary Arts
Hotel/Restaurant Management
NCACS Accredited
Monongalia County Technical Education Center
1000 Mississippi Street
Morgantown, WV 26501
(304)291-9240
mtec.mono.k12.wv.us
Culinary Arts
NCASSC Accredited
Mountain State University
609 S Kanawha St.
Beckley, WV 25801
866-367-6781
ceased to operate effective January 1, 2013
Culinary Arts
HLC Accredited
Online-based Programs
American Culinary Federation
The ACF has over 200 chapters in the United States; its main campus is located in Florida
180 Center Place Way
St. Augustine, FL
904-824-4468
www.acfchefs.org
Continuing Education
Chef Certification
Chef Educators
Food Safety Certification
ACFEFAC Accredited
The Art Institutes of Pittsburgh – Online Division
The Ai has over 40 campus locations across North America, plus this online campus
420 Blvd of the Allies
Pittsburgh, PA
412-291-6200
www.aionline.edu
Hotel and Restaurant Management
Culinary Management
MSCHE Accredited
Ashworth College
430 Technology Pkwy
Norcross, GA
770-729-9400
www.ashworthcolleg.edu
Professional Gourmet Cooking and Catering
Hotel and Restaurant Management
DETC Accredited
DeVry University
This University has 90 campus locations in 26 different states
One Tower Lane
Oakbrook Terrace, IL
1-866-338-7934
www.devry.edu
Hospitality Management
HLC Accredited
eCornell
eCornell is an online program and subsidiary of Cornell University, located in New York
950 Danby Road, Suite 150
Ithaca, NY
607-330-3200
www.ecornell.com
Leadership and Strategic Management
Project Leadership and Systems Design
Financial Management
Management Essentials
Human Resources Management
Hospitality and Foodservice Management
Certificate in plant-based nutrition
HRCI and PMI Approved
Johnson and Wales University
JWU has campuses in Providence, Charlotte, and North Miami; its largest campus is in Rhode Island
8 Abbott Park Place, Providence, RI 02903
1-800-DIAL-JWU
www.jwu.edu
Baking & Pastry Arts and Food Service Management
Culinary Arts and Food Service Management
NEASC Accredited
New England Culinary Institute
NECI has two campuses in Vermont; its main campus is in Montpelier
56 College Street
Montpelier, VT 05602
877-223-6324
www.neci.edu
Hospitality and Restaurant Management
ACCSC Accredited
Penn Foster Career School
925 Oak Street
Scranton, PA 18515
570-343-9635
www.pennfoster.edu
Hotel and Restaurant Management
Catering
DETC & CHEA Accredited
Sullivan University
SU has three campuses in Louisville, Lexington and Fort Knox. The main campus for its Global e-Learning program is located in Louisville
2100 Gardiner Lane
Louisville, Kentucky 40205
502-413-8830
1-866-755-7887
www.sullivan.edu
Beverage Management
CCSACS & ACF Accredited
University of Phoenix
This University has campuses in over 40 states, and two locations in Canada
4602 East Elwood Street
Phoenix, AZ
480-968-0587
www.phoenix.edu
Hospitality, Travel and Tourism
HLC Accredited