It Takes Just a Few Minutes to Start Your Culinary Arts Career Below!
Evaluating Culinary Arts Programs
By now you should have made a decision regarding the type of degree that you plan to attain, and if you would like to enroll in a public or private school. Since there are numerous culinary institutions in the Tempe area and across the United States, you need to create a checklist of essential qualifiers so that you can start narrowing your choices. A few obvious qualifiers, including cost and location are a good place to start. But selecting a school because it is the closest or the cheapest is not the ideal way to decide on your education. There are other factors, such as accreditation and reputation that you need to assess also. So below are some critical areas that you must research for every school as you compare and contrast them and make your final decision.
Accreditation. It's essential that the culinary school you choose has some form of accreditation from either a local or a national organization. As mentioned previously, the accrediting agency should be a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged authority, for instance the American Culinary Federation (ACF). ACF accredited schools have passed a thorough evaluation relating to their curriculum, teachers and facilities. So not only does accreditation help ascertain that you will receive quality training, but it may also assist in obtaining a student loan or financial assistance which are often not available for non-accredited schools.
Age. Recently established schools frequently have the benefit of possessing modern equipment and facilities. However, they may not have been in operation long enough to earn an accreditation or to establish a reputation. On the other hand, more established schools may still be using their original, dated equipment, but have established a lengthy track record of excellence and received one or more accreditations. Also, the longer a school has been in operation, 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 cooking schools. And older, more renowned schools commonly update their facilities and equipment. The important lesson is that in the best case scenario, your selected school will have an exceptional reputation, accreditation and a state-of-the-art facility with modern equipment.
Job Placement Rates. First, find out what the graduation rates are for the cooking programs you are looking at. Lower graduation rates are indications that numerous students were unhappy with either the institutes or the courses and dropped out. They can also indicate that the instructors were not qualified to teach the course of study. Ask the schools to furnish their job placement rates also. If a school has a higher job placement rate, it will help affirm that it has a great or outstanding reputation within the culinary community, as well as a wide network of professional associations. Be wary of any school that will not furnish this information.
Location. The culinary arts school that you choose must be within commuting distance of your Tempe home, unless you have decided to relocate. You may look into attending college online, but you would still need to travel for your externship program. Conversely, perhaps you have chosen to attend a particular culinary arts institute located in another state because of its reputation and courses offered. It would be a wise decision to visit the facility before enrolling, to make certain that you are satisfied with the location and your potential living conditions. Inspect the training facilities in person to make certain they are modern and that the equipment is contemporary. Keep in mind also that a number of schools target their job assistance programs within their local communities, so pick a location where you will enjoy working.
Class Sizes. The best method to learn how to cook is with a lot of personalized training. If the cooking institute you enroll in has bigger classes, you will probably get little personal attention from the teachers. The best means to assess the interaction between faculty and students is to audit several of the classes. Ask some of the students what their experience has been. Ascertain if they are happy with the amount of attention they get in class as well as the entire course of training. Also, speak with several of the instructors and determine what their teaching approaches are along with their backgrounds and credentials.
Flexible Class Schedules. There is no benefit to in enrolling in a culinary arts school if you will be unable to attend the classes. Therefore make certain that the school you decide on has available class scheduling that will work with your active lifestyle. If you can only attend at night or on Saturdays or Sundays near Tempe AZ because of your work schedule, check that the school you pick offers either weekend or night classes. If you can only attend part-time, confirm that the culinary program has a part-time option. Also, check to see what the make-up protocol is if you must miss a class as a result of family, work or other responsibilities.
Find Out More About Chef Institutes in Tempe