Culinary Arts Schools
How to Choose the Right One Near Tempe Arizona
You have made a great career choice to become a chef or cook by enrolling in a culinary institute near Tempe AZ. You'll be able to earn a nice living doing something you love by learning to create spectacular dishes or prepare fancy pastries and desserts. But now that you've decided, just how do you set about selecting a culinary arts college? Before arriving at your final choice, what criteria should you review and compare among the culinary institutes you are considering? In order to be successful in the restaurant and hospitality business you must choose the appropriate culinary program and degree. There are a wide variety of alternatives to pick from, beginning with a certificate or diploma program and advancing to earning an undergraduate as well as a graduate degree. You can enroll in a small culinary school, an online training class, or enroll in a prestigious culinary institute that provides advanced degree programs. The type of credential and school you choose will undoubtedly be dependent upon the amount of money and time you can afford to commit, as well as your ultimate career goal. After 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 choose, you can be working as a professional chef or cook in just 6 months. So before we delve more into the method of choosing a school, let's speak a little bit more about the degree alternatives that are available.
It Takes Just a Few Minutes to Start Your Culinary Arts Career Below!
Culinary School Degree Options
Just as with a number of other trades or professions in Tempe AZ, there are a variety of degree options that are offered in the culinary arts. At the most elemental level, you can join a local cooking class, which are more casual in nature and can last from just a few hours to several weeks. Often a certificate or a diploma is awarded upon completion. They may be comprehensive in nature, such as instructing how to cook Spanish meals, or they can be quite specific and focus on one dish, such as Crepes Suzette. Of course if you are looking for a more conventional education applicable for a career in the restaurant industry, you will undoubtedly choose to enroll in a degree program. With a degree program, you will be required to devote considerably more time.
- Associate's Degrees can take as long as 6 months to 2 years to complete.
- Bachelor's Degrees generally require as much as 4 years of education.
- Masters Degrees may take an added two years or even longer after obtaining a Bachelor's.
Even more advanced training options may be available, including Doctoral or specialized programs made available by culinary arts institutes. Probably the most important issue to remember when deciding on which degree to strive for is making sure that it provides the education and degree required to advance your ultimate career goals.
Culinary Online Programs
A number of prospective students may discover that there are no cooking programs that are within travelling proximity of their Tempe AZ residence. One option is to attend online classes within the convenience of one's home. The practicality and flexibility makes it the only solution for some students that are still working full time while attending college. Plus there are more programs online than ever that are accredited. Bear in mind that a significant component of the instruction will be provided through an externship. Externships are programs where students work under local chefs or other culinary arts practitioners so that they receive practical training outside of the online classroom. Just be sure that the online school you enroll in is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved organization (more on this later). Therefore if you are disciplined enough to be able to attend classes and study using this more independent fashion, attaining a culinary online degree might be the right choice for you.
Evaluating Cooking Schools
At this point you should have made a decision regarding the type of degree that you wish to earn, and whether or not you would like to enroll in a private or a public college. Since there a large number of culinary programs in the Tempe area and across the USA, you will want to create a checklist of essential qualifications so that you can begin narrowing down your options. Certain obvious qualifications, for example cost and location are an excellent place to start. But selecting a school because it is the closest or the least expensive is not the ideal way to make a decision regarding your education. There are other variables, including accreditation and reputation that you need to review also. Therefore, following are some key areas that you will need to investigate for every school as you compare and contrast them and make your final choice.
Accreditation. It's essential that the culinary arts institute you select has some type of accreditation from either a local or a national authority. As previously stated, the accrediting organization should be a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged organization, for example the American Culinary Federation (ACF). ACF accredited schools have successfully completed a detailed evaluation relating to their course of study, teachers and facilities. Therefore not only does accreditation help ensure that you will receive exceptional training, but it can also help in securing a student loan or financial aid which are generally not offered for non-accredited schools.
Age. Recently established schools often have the benefit of possessing modern facilities and equipment. However, they may not have been in operation 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 history of success and earned one or more accreditations. Also, the much more a school has been in business, the more alumni the school can solicit for its job placement program. Obviously there is some give and take dependent on the age of the culinary arts schools. And older, more renowned schools typically update their equipment and facilities. The important lesson is that in the best case scenario, your selected school will have an exceptional reputation, accreditation and a modern facility with modern equipment.
Job Placement Rates. Initially, find out what the graduation rates are for the cooking institutions you are looking at. Low graduation rates are indications that many students were unhappy with either the institutes or the programs and dropped out. They can also signify that the instructors were not competent to teach the course of study. Ask the schools to supply their job placement rates also. If a school has a higher job placement rate, it will help verify that it has a good or exceptional reputation within the culinary arts field, in addition to a large network of professional associations. Be suspicious of any school that will not provide this information.
Location. The cooking institute that you enroll in must be within driving distance of your Tempe residence, unless you are able to relocate. You may consider attending college online, but you would still have to travel for your externship training. Conversely, maybe you have opted to enroll in a specific culinary institute located in a different state because of its prominence and courses offered. It would be a wise decision to visit the facility before enrolling, to make certain that you are comfortable with the area and your prospective living conditions. Check the training facilities in person to make certain they are up to date and that the equipment is state of the art. Keep in mind also that some schools target their job assistance programs within their regional communities, so pick a location where you will satisfied working.
Class Sizes. The most effective approach to learn how to cook is with a lot of personalized instruction. If the cooking institute you enroll in has bigger classes, you will probably get minimal personal attention from the teachers. The ideal means to assess the communication and interaction between instructors 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 level of attention they receive in class as well as the entire course of training. Also, talk with a couple of the instructors and learn what their teaching styles are along with their histories and qualifications.
Flexible Class Schedules. There is no sense in enrolling in a culinary program if you will be unable to attend the classes. Therefore confirm that the school you pick offers class scheduling that can accommodate your busy lifestyle. If you can only attend at night or on weekends near Tempe AZ because of your work schedule, check that the school you choose offers either weekend or night classes. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, confirm that the culinary college has a part-time alternative. Also, ask what the make-up policy is if you must miss a class because of work, family or other obligations.
Learn More About Culinary Colleges in Tempe
Enroll in the Right Tempe Cooking School
A successful career in the restaurant and hospitality industry is contingent upon enrolling in the right culinary program. As we have discussed, there are several things that you need to take into consideration when comparing schools, such as their accreditation, reputations, and training facilities. As with any career decision, you should begin by gathering information, and the best approach to accomplish that is by contacting culinary schools directly, either in person or over the telephone. If you're unsure about which schools to explore, you might want to think about talking to chefs in your area about any culinary arts institutes they endorse. Then go on the Web to investigate these schools even more before contacting them. By making the effort to thoroughly evaluate each of your education options, you will be in a much better position to make an educated decision. And when you select the ideal school, you will have a wonderful start toward your goal of becoming a chef in Tempe Arizona.