Culinary Arts
Get Your Career Cooking
Is your idea of a good time curling up with the latest issue of Bon Appetit Magazine? Do you fantasize about being the next Rachael Ray or Wolfgang Puck? Realize your dream with a degree in Culinary Arts from PPCC. You’ll learn the skills necessary to manage a kitchen, restaurant, or catering company. If pastries and candy confections are your love, the Baking and Pastry degree can lead to a sweet career creating delectable confections.
Turn your passion for cooking into a sizzling career in Culinary Arts! You might choose this career area if you love hands-on creativity in food preparation and presentation. You will use your knowledge of menu planning, food preparation, nutrition, management, safety and sanitation to prepare items that taste wonderful and are pleasing to the eye.
Success in this career requires creativity, attention to detail, people skills, and stamina. Your reward is using your creativity to try new recipes, the satisfaction of creating tasty, nutritious food, combined with excellent employment and advancement opportunities. Want to find out if this career is for you? Check it out on the web at http://www.acinet.org/, and select Occupation Information.
Program Description
The Culinary Arts AAS degree and certificates provide training for culinary arts positions such as chef, cook, prep cook, station supervisor, and food prep worker. You will learn every aspect of working in a professional kitchen, including basic food prep, sanitation, nutrition, supervision, purchasing, baking, catering, wines and spirits, garde manger (cold kitchen), and soups, sauces and consommés.
The Baking and Pastry AAS degree option provides training for positions such as Assistant Pastry Chef and Bakeshop Station Chef. You will learn basic baking skills, equipment, decorating, show pieces, breads, advanced desserts and wedding cakes.
Short-term Certificate options are available in Culinary Arts Basic Skills, Culinary Arts, Baking, and Food Service Management, to get you working at your craft fast. Your Certificates apply toward the AAS degree.
Career Path Notes
Once you complete your AAS degree in Culinary Arts, you may apply for certification with the American Culinary Federation (ACF) to become a Certified Cook (CC) or Certified Pastry Cook (CPC). Being certified will greatly increase your employment opportunities nationwide.
Program Information
Click here for program specific information.
For More Information
Call the Division of Business, Social and Behavioral Sciences at 719-502-3300.
Employment Opportunities
You can find great career opportunities in the culinary arts everywhere there is food! Jobs are plentiful in every setting from restaurants, bakeries and cafes to hotels, supermarkets, schools, hospitals, catering companies, banquet services, resorts, theme parks, and even private homes – everywhere there are hungry people.
Earnings Outlook
In Colorado, the median hourly salary in 2005 for Restaurant Cooks was $9.89, with a salary range of $7.11 - $13.35. Those with a wider range of skills and sound experience command higher pay. Through 2014, there are expected to be an average of 1180 job openings per year. The median hourly salary in 2005 for Bakers was $13.16, with a salary range of $8.27 - $19.39 and an average of 140 job openings per year expected through 2014. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Financial Aid
Advising
Apply
www.ppcc.edu/Apply
Find Out More About Your Future Career
Contact Career Planning and Advising at (719) 502-3232
www.ppcc.edu/Advising
Associate of Applied Science Degrees
Culinary Arts Degree
1st Semester - Fall
CIS 118 Introduction to PC Applications
or
CSC 105 Computer Literacy
CUA 101 Food Safety and Sanitation
CUA 105 Food Service Concepts
CUA 125 Introduction to Foods
Semester 1 Credit Hours 12
2nd Semester - Spring
CUA 127 Soups, Sauces, and Consomme
CUA 145 Introduction to Baking
CUA 156 Nutrition
PSY 100 Psychology of the Workplace
Semester 2 Credit Hours 13
3rd Semester - Summer
CUA 116 Catering, Buffets, & Tableside
CUA 120 Wines and Spirits
CUA 129 Center of the Plate
MAT 112 Financial Mathematics
Semester 3 Credit Hours 12
4th Semester - Fall
BUS 115 Introduction to Business
CUA 210 Advanced Cuisine & Garde Manger
CUA 245 International Cuisine
ENG 115 Technical English and Comm.
Semester 4 Credit Hours 12
5th Semester - Spring
CUA 233 Advanced Line Prep
CUA 262 Purchasing
CUA 281 Internship
Semester 5 Credit Hours 11
Total Credit Hours 60
Baking and Pastry Degree
1st Semester - Fall
CIS 118 Introduction to PC Applications
or
CSC 105 Computer Literacy
CUA 101 Food Safety and Sanitation
CUA 105 Food Service Concepts
CUA 145 Introduction to Baking
Semester 1 Credit Hours 12
2nd Semester - Spring
CUA 125 Introduction to Foods
CUA 127 Soups, Sauces, and Consommes
CUA 150 Baking: Decorating and Presentation
CUA 156 Nutrition
Semester 2 Credit Hours 13
3rd Semester - Summer
CUA 116 Catering, Buffets, & Tableside
CUA 151 Baking: Intermediate Bread
MAT 112 Financial Mathematics
PSY 100 Psychology of the Workplace
Semester 3 Credit Hours 12
4th Semester - Fall
BUS 115 Introduction to Business
CUA 152 Individual Fancy Desserts
CUA 262 Purchasing
ENG 115 Technical English & Comm.
Semester 4 Credit Hours 12
5th Semester - Spring
CUA 161 Wedding Cakes
CUA 236 Advanced Baking
CUA 261 Cost Controls
CUA 281 Internship
Semester 5 Credit Hours 11
Total Credit Hours 60
Food Services Management Degree
1st Semester - Fall
CUA 101 Sanitation
CUA 105 Food Service Concepts
CUA 125 Introduction to Foods
CUA 156 Nutrition
MAT 112 Financial Mathematics
Semester 1 Credit Hours 17
2nd Semester - Spring
CIS 118 Intro to PC Application
Or
CSC 105 Computer Literacy
CUA 116 Catering, Buffets, Tableside
CUA 157 Menu Planning
CUA 190 Dining Room Management
PSY 100 Psychology of the Workplace
Semester 2 Credit Hours 16
3rd Semester - Fall
BUS 115 Intro to Business
CUA 256 Marketing
CUA 261 Cost Controls
CUA 262 Purchasing
ENG 115 Technical English & Comm
Semester 3 Credit Hours 15
4th Semester - Spring
CUA 120 Wines and Spirits
CUA 255 Supervision in the Hospitality Industry
CUA 263 Legal Aspects
CUA 281 Internship
Semester 4 Credit Hours 12
Total Credit Hours 60
Certificates
Baking
Culinary Arts
Culinary Arts: Basic Skills
Food Service Management