Culinary Arts Degree Programs
How to Find the Right One Near Atlantic City New Jersey
You have made a great career choice to become a cook or chef by enrolling in a culinary school near Atlantic City NJ. You will not only learn how to create spectacular meals or make lavish desserts, you'll also be able to make a good income doing it. But just how do you set about selecting a culinary arts institute now that you've decided to enroll? What qualifications should you consider and compare among the contending culinary institutes before making your final choice? In order to be successful in the hospitality and restaurant fields you must select the appropriate culinary program and degree. There are a wide range of options to select from, starting with a diploma or certificate program and advancing to earning an undergraduate as well as a graduate degree. You may attend a small baking school, an online training class, or enroll in a prestigious culinary institute that provides more advanced degrees. The type of credential and school you select will probably be based on the amount of time and money you can afford to commit, as well as your ultimate career objective. After you have determined what your main area of interest and budget are, you can begin assessing the culinary arts schools that meet your initial qualifications. Depending upon the degree and type of culinary school you choose, you could be working as a professional chef or cook in as little as 6 months. So before we dig more into the process of choosing a school, let's speak a little more about the degree and culinary school options that are available.
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Cooking Institute Degree Options
Just as with a number of other fields or professions in Atlantic City NJ, there are several degree option programs that are offered in the culinary arts. At the most elemental level, you can sign up for a nearby cooking course, which are more casual in nature and can last from a few hours to a few weeks. Typically a diploma or a certificate is offered at the time of completion. They may be comprehensive in nature, such as teaching how to cook French meals, or they may be quite targeted and concentrate on one dish, such as Crepes Suzette. Naturally if you are searching for a more formal education geared towards a career in the restaurant industry, you will undoubtedly choose to enroll in a degree program. With a degree program, you will be obligated to commit significantly more time.
- Associate's Degrees can require as long as six months to 2 years to complete.
- Bachelor's Degrees typically involve as much as four years of education.
- Masters Degrees can take an additional 2 years or even longer after attaining a Bachelor's.
More advanced training options may be available, such as Doctoral programs or specialized programs offered by culinary arts institutes. Probably the most important point to remember when determining which degree to pursue is making sure that it supplies the education and degree required to advance your ultimate career goals.
Culinary Arts Institutes
After you have made your selection regarding the type of instruction and degree that you want to pursue, you can launch your search for the cooking school, college or institute that offers it. For instance, if your desire is to train to be a chef specializing in German cuisine, then obviously you will concentrate on those schools that provide the suitable training. Or you can opt for an institute based on its reputation or other criteria (we'll discuss some of those later) and then pick the most suitable degree program offered that is compatible with your career objectives in Atlantic City NJ. However you arrive at your decision, culinary schools typically fit within three distinct categories:
- Cooking Schools. Certain cooking schools do offer degree programs, but usually they offer diplomas or certificates. Their courses tend to be more specialized 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 most private colleges and many have excellent programs. They almost solely offer Associate's Degrees and are established and maintained by either state or local governments.
- Culinary Schools and Institutes. The more advanced degrees and training are offered by culinary arts schools and institutes. Several institutes provide the most respected as well as the highest standard of training in academia. Unfortunately, since they are private schools they generally can be more costly than their public counterparts, some a lot more.
Choosing a culinary school will not only be dependent on the kind of program or degree you want to pursue, but also the amount of money you have to spend on your education. If you decide to attend a public institution to lower expenses, keep in mind that out-of-state residents normally are required to pay a higher tuition than in-state residents. In addition, many community colleges and regional public schools have lower tuition charges for local residents. So be sure to explore the public alternatives within New Jersey as well as within the Atlantic City NJ area to locate the most economical options.
Online Culinary Degree Programs
A number of prospective students may discover that there are no culinary colleges that are within commuting distance of their Atlantic City NJ home. One option is to attend online classes within the comfort of one's home. The practicality and flexibility makes it the single solution for some students that continue working full-time while attending college. Plus there are more programs online than ever that are accredited. Bear in mind that a substantial part of the instruction will be provided under an externship. Externships are programs where students train under area chefs or other culinary professionals so that they obtain hands-on training beyond the virtual classroom. Just make sure that the online school you decide on is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized organization (more on this later). So if you are disciplined enough to be able to go to classes and study in this more independent fashion, attaining a culinary degree online just might be the right choice for you.
Comparing Culinary Arts Schools
By now you should have decided on the type of degree that you want to earn, and whether or not you want to enroll in a private or a public institute. Since there a large number of culinary colleges in the Atlantic City area and across the Country, you need to develop a checklist of important qualifications so that you can start narrowing down your options. A few obvious qualifiers, such as location and cost are an excellent place to begin. But choosing a school because it is the closest or the cheapest is not the optimal way to decide on your education. There are other factors, including reputation and accreditation that you must assess as well. Therefore, below are some key areas that you need to research for each school as you compare them and make your final choice.
Accreditation. It's essential that the culinary school you decide on has some type of accreditation from either a regional or a national agency. As aforementioned, the accrediting organization should be a U.S. Department of Education recognized authority, for instance the American Culinary Federation (ACF). ACF accredited schools have passed a comprehensive review regarding their course of study, teachers and facilities. Therefore not only does accreditation help ensure that you will receive quality training, but it can also assist in acquiring a student loan or financial assistance which are often not offered for non-accredited schools.
Age. Newer schools frequently have the benefit of possessing modern facilities and equipment. However, they may not have been operating long enough to acquire 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 long track record of excellence and earned one or more accreditations. Also, the much more a school has been in operation, the more graduates the school can reach out to for its job assistance program. Obviously there is some give and take based on the age of the cooking schools. And older, more renowned schools usually modernize their equipment and facilities. The important lesson is that in the best case scenario, your school of choice will have an excellent reputation, accreditation and a state-of-the-art facility with modern equipment.
Job Placement Rates. First, ask what the graduation rates are for the culinary programs you are examining. Lower graduation rates are indications that a number of students were dissatisfied with either the colleges or the programs and quit before graduating. They can also indicate that the teachers were not competent to teach the curriculum. Request that the schools supply their job placement rates also. If a college has a high job placement rate, it will help affirm that it has a good or excellent reputation within the cooking community, in addition to a wide network of professional connections. Be skeptical of any school that will not supply this information.
Location. The culinary arts institute that you choose must be within commuting distance of your Atlantic City residence, unless you are able to move. You may consider attending classes online, but you would still need to travel for your externship training. On the other hand, perhaps you have decided to attend a particular culinary arts school located in another state because of its prominence and programs offered. It would be a good idea to visit the campus before enrolling, to make sure that you are satisfied with the area and your prospective living conditions. Inspect the training facilities personally to make certain they are up to date and that the equipment is contemporary. Keep in mind also that some schools concentrate their job assistance programs within their regional communities, so select a location where you will enjoy working.
Class Sizes. The ideal approach to learn how to cook is with plenty of one-on-one instruction. If the cooking college you enroll in has larger classes, you will undoubtedly receive little personal attention from the teachers. The optimal way to evaluate the communication and interaction between faculty and students is to audit a few of the classes. Ask a couple of the students what their experience has been. Ascertain if they are happy with the level of attention they get in class as well as the overall training. Also, speak with several of the instructors and learn what their teaching philosophies are along with their experiences and credentials.
Flexible Class Schedules. There is no benefit to in enrolling in a culinary institute if you will be unable to attend the classes. Therefore make sure that the school you choose provides class scheduling that can accommodate your busy lifestyle. If you can only attend at night or on Saturdays or Sundays near Atlantic City NJ because of your work schedule, verify that the school you decide on offers either weekend or night classes. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make certain that the cooking school has a part-time offering. Also, check to see what the make-up protocol is if you need to miss a class due to family, work or other responsibilities.
Learn More About Culinary Arts Schools in Atlantic City
Find the Right Atlantic City Cooking School
A rewarding career in the restaurant and hospitality business is dependent upon selecting the ideal culinary institute. As we have covered, there are several things that you need to take into account when evaluating schools, for instance their reputations, accreditation, and training facilities. As with any life changing decision, you need to start by collecting information, and the most effective approach to accomplish that is by contacting cooking colleges directly, either face to face or over the phone. If you're unsure about which schools to look into, you might want to consider consulting with chefs in your area about any culinary arts institutes they endorse. Then use the Web to investigate these schools further before you contact them. By making the effort to carefully assess each of your education options, you will find yourself in a much better position to make an educated decision. And when you choose the perfect school, you will have a wonderful start toward your aspiration of becoming a chef in Atlantic City New Jersey.
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