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Phoenix Arizona culinary arts students at cooking schoolDeciding to become a chef and enrolling in a culinary school near Phoenix AZ is a great career choice. You'll be able to make a good living doing what you love by learning to cook spectacular dishes or make lavish pastries and desserts. But just how do you set about picking a culinary arts school now that you've decided to enroll? What criteria should you review and compare among the contending culinary colleges before arriving at your ultimate choice? In order to be a success in the hospitality and restaurant fields you must select the right culinary program and degree. There are a wide variety of options to select from, starting with a certificate or diploma program and progressing to earning an undergraduate as well as a graduate degree. You may attend a small culinary college, an online school, or enroll in a large culinary institute that offers more advanced degrees. The type of credential and school you select will no doubt be based upon the amount of money and time you can afford to spend, in addition to your ultimate career goal. When you have decided what your primary area of interest and budget are, you can begin evaluating the cooking programs that satisfy your initial requirements. Depending on the degree and type of culinary school you select, you can be employed as a professional cook or chef in just 6 months. So before we delve more into the method of picking a school, let's speak a little bit more about the degree and culinary school alternatives that are available.

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Cooking Institute Degree Programs

Phoenix Arizona chef preparing flaming dish

As with many other trades or professions in Phoenix AZ, there are multiple degree options that are available in the culinary arts. At the most elemental level, you can sign up for a nearby cooking course, which are more informal in nature and can last from just a few hours to a number of weeks. Generally a diploma or a certificate is presented after completion. They may be broad in nature, for instance instructing how to cook Spanish meals, or they can be quite specific and focus on one dish, for example Crepes Suzette. Of course if you are seeking a more conventional education applicable for a career in the restaurant profession, you will most likely want to pursue a degree program. With a degree program, you will be required to devote significantly more time.

  • Associate's Degrees can require anywhere from six months to 2 years to complete.
  • Bachelor's Degrees usually call for as much as 4 years of education.
  • Masters Degrees can take an additional 2 years or even longer after receiving a Bachelor's.

Even more advanced degree alternatives may be offered, such as specialized or Doctoral programs offered by culinary arts institutes. The most important point to bear in mind when deciding on which degree to pursue is ensuring that it supplies the education and credential required to advance your ultimate career goals.

Cooking Colleges

Phoenix Arizona chef preparing gourmet food platter

Once you have made your selection regarding the kind of instruction and degree that you wish to pursue, you can launch your search for the culinary arts school, college or institute that offers it. As an example, if your desire is to become a chef specializing in Spanish cuisine, then of course you will concentrate on those institutes that furnish the proper training. Or you can select an institute based on its reputation or other criteria (we'll review several of those later) and then pick the most ideal degree program offered that is consistent with your career objectives in Phoenix AZ. However you make your choice, culinary arts schools generally fall under 3 distinct categories:

  • Cooking Schools. Certain cooking schools do offer degree programs, but generally they offer certificates or diplomas. Their courses tend to be more focused in nature, and they can last anywhere from one or two months to as long as 3 to 4 years.
  • Community Colleges. Local community colleges tend to be more inexpensive than the majority of private schools and many have exceptional programs. They almost exclusively offer Associate's Degrees and are established and managed by either local or state governments.
  • Culinary Arts Schools and Institutes. The more advanced degrees and training are provided by culinary schools and institutes. Some institutes provide the most highly regarded and highest level of training in academia. Unfortunately, since they are private schools they generally can be more costly than their public counterparts, some much more.

Selecting a culinary school will not only be dependent on the type of degree or program you would like to pursue, but also the amount of money you have to spend on your education. If you decide to enroll in a public institution to reduce expenses, keep in mind that out-of-state residents normally must pay a higher tuition than in-state residents. Furthermore, a lot of community colleges and regional public schools have lower tuition rates for local residents. So be sure to research the public options within Arizona and also within the Phoenix AZ area to discover the most economical options.

Online Culinary Arts Classes

Phoenix Arizona female attending online culinary classesA number of prospective students may find that there are no cooking colleges that are within travelling proximity of their Phoenix AZ home. One alternative is to enroll in online classes within the convenience of one's residence. The convenience and flexibility makes it the only solution for many students that are still working full-time while going to classes. In addition there are more programs online than ever before that are accredited. Keep in mind that a substantial component of the training will be provided through an externship. Externships are programs where students work with regional chefs or other cooking practitioners so that they obtain hands-on training beyond the internet classroom. Just make certain that the online school you enroll in is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized agency (more on this later). Therefore if you are dedicated enough to be able to go to classes and study in this more independent method, earning a cooking degree online might be the best choice for you.

Comparing Cooking Colleges

At this point you should have decided on the type of degree that you plan to attain, and whether or not you want to enroll in a public or private school. Since there are numerous culinary colleges in the Phoenix area and across the USA, you will want to develop a checklist of important qualifications so that you can start narrowing your choices. Some obvious qualifiers, for example location and cost are an excellent place to begin. But picking a school because it is the nearest or the cheapest is not the optimal way to decide on your education. There are other criteria, for instance reputation and accreditation that you should evaluate also. So following are some critical areas that you will need to investigate for every school as you compare and contrast them and make your final selection.

Accreditation.  It's imperative that the culinary institute you choose has some form of accreditation from either a regional or a national organization. As previously stated, the accrediting agency should be a U.S. Department of Education recognized organization, such as the American Culinary Federation (ACF). ACF accredited schools have passed a detailed review pertaining to their curriculum, instructors and facilities. Therefore not only does accreditation help confirm that you will receive excellent training, but it may also help in acquiring a student loan or financial aid which are frequently not offered for non-accredited schools.

Age.  Recently established schools frequently have the benefit of possessing modern equipment and facilities. However, they may not have been open long enough to earn an accreditation or to develop a reputation. On the other hand, more established schools may still be using their original, outdated equipment, but have established a long track record of success and received one or more accreditations. Also, the longer a school has been in business, the more graduates the school can reach out to for its job placement program. Naturally there is some give and take based on the age of the culinary schools. And older, more reputable schools usually modernize their facilities and equipment. The important takeaway is that in the best case scenario, your chosen school will have an excellent reputation, accreditation and a state-of-the-art facility with newer equipment.

Job Placement Rates.  Initially, ask what the graduation rates are for the culinary arts institutes you are looking at. Low graduation rates are signs that a number of students were unhappy with either the colleges or the training and quit before graduating. They can also indicate that the teachers were not qualified to teach the course of study. Ask the schools to furnish their job placement rates as well. If a school has a higher job placement rate, it will help affirm that it has a great or exceptional reputation within the culinary field, as well as a wide network of professional contacts. Be suspicious of any school that will not supply this information.

Location.  The culinary arts school that you attend must be within driving distance of your Phoenix home, unless you have decided to move. You may think about attending college online, but you would still need to travel for your externship training. Conversely, perhaps you have chosen to go to a particular culinary arts school located in a different state because of its ranking and programs offered. It would be a good idea to pay a visit to the campus before enrolling, to make certain that you are satisfied with the location and your potential living conditions. Look over the training facilities in person to make sure they are modern and that the equipment is state of the art. Keep in mind also that some schools focus their job placement programs within their regional communities, so select a location where you will satisfied working.

Class Sizes.  The most effective approach to learn how to cook is with plenty of one-on-one training. If the culinary arts institute you enroll in has bigger classes, you will probably get minimal personal attention from the instructors. The best means to evaluate the communication and interaction between faculty and students is to attend a few of the classes. Ask some of the students what their experience has been. Find out if they are satisfied with the amount of attention they get in class in addition to the overall training. Also, talk with several of the instructors and determine what their teaching styles are along with their experiences and qualifications.

Flexible Class Schedules.  There is no sense in enrolling in a cooking program if you will be unable to attend the classes. Therefore make certain that the school you pick has available class scheduling that will fit in with your busy lifestyle. If you can only attend at night or on weekends near Phoenix AZ due to your job schedule, verify that the school you choose offers either night or weekend classes. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, confirm that the cooking institute has a part-time option. Also, check to see what the make-up policy is if you have to miss a class as a result of work, family or other responsibilities.

Find Out More About Culinary Classes in Phoenix

Enroll in the Best Phoenix Cooking School

A successful career in the hospitality and restaurant business is contingent upon selecting the ideal culinary institute. As we have covered, there are several things that you must take into consideration when evaluating schools, including their reputations, accreditation, and training facilities. Just like any life changing decision, you should start by acquiring information, and the most effective approach to accomplish that is by getting in touch with culinary arts schools directly, either in person or by phone. If you're unsure regarding which schools to explore, you might need to think about asking chefs in your city about any cooking institutes they endorse.  Afterwards go on the Web to investigate those schools even more before you contact them. By making the effort to exhaustively research each of your education alternatives, you will be in a more ideal position to make an educated decision. And when you pick the right school, you will have a great start toward your goal of becoming a chef in Phoenix Arizona.

 




 

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