Program Information
Do you love food? Do you enjoy cooking? Do you have a taste for a fast-paced, high-energy career in the kitchen? Do you dream of being the next celebrity chef? If so, San Jacinto College can help your dreams come true! Our program allows you to work within the industry while you build your education. If your ambitions are more specific, you can also choose to specialize as an assistant cook, baker, or baker’s helper, or in basic cooking or specialty foods.
The San Jacinto College Culinary Arts program:
- Provides basic education and training for cooks and apprentice chefs, and
- Places emphasis on the development of technical food preparation and service skills, understanding of the principles of food composition, experience in the use of maintenance of professional food service equipment, and basic supervisory skill.
Accreditation by American Culinary Federation Education Foundation Accrediting Commission (ACFEFAC) assures that a program is meeting at least a minimum of standards and competencies set for faculty, curriculum, and student services.
Program Accreditation
American Culinary Federation Education Foundation Accrediting Commission (ACFEFAC)
American Culinary Federation
6816 Southpoint Pkwy Ste 400
Jacksonville, FL 32216
904-824-4468
Fax: 904-940-0741
Career Opportunities
The Culinary Arts program can help prepare students for employment in the following areas of the culinary industry:
- Hotels
- Restaurants
- Private clubs
Earning Potential
Chef and Head Cook: $51,085 per year1
- 1
Source: texaswages.com, median salary Gulf Coast region, 2022
For more information, students may contact North campus at 281-998-6350, x7759.
Campus
North Campus
Information
The Culinary Arts program provides basic education and training for cooks and apprentice chefs. Sequential courses provide for development of technical food preparation and service skills, understanding of the principles of food and beverage composition, experience in the use and maintenance of professional food service equipment, and basic development of supervisory skills.
Students enrolling into San Jacinto College programs with external learning experiences (i.e., clinical, practicum, externship, cooperative, etc.) will be required to comply with the immunization requirements and policies of the clinical/external learning sites to engage in all clinical/external learning experiences. Vaccination requirements at clinical/external learning sites are implemented pursuant to the independent authority of such facilities and are not mandated by San Jacinto College. Failure to meet the immunization requirements mandated by clinical/external learning sites may limit a student’s ability to complete the program and/or may delay the student’s graduation date. San Jacinto College does not process exemptions, and students should address potential vaccination exemptions directly with the clinical/external learning site.
Associate of Applied Science Degree
The Culinary Arts program provides basic education and training for student chefs. Culinary courses teach development of technical food preparation and service skills. Student chefs also learn principles of food and beverage composition, experience, use, and maintenance of commercial restaurant equipment, and develop basic supervisory skills.
The Culinary Arts program is American Culinary Federation (ACF) certified and is currently the only culinary arts program with this certification at the community college level in the greater Houston area. The ACF is widely recognized as the most prestigious accreditation in the nation for a culinary education program. Upon graduation, students will be Certified ACF Culinarians.
Plan of Study
3CULA
| First Term | Credits | |
|---|---|---|
| CHEF 1205 | Sanitation and Safety | 2 |
| CHEF 1401 | Basic Food Preparation | 4 |
| CHEF 2302 | Saucier | 3 |
| Mathematics | 3 | |
| CHEF 1340 | Meat Preparation and Cooking | 3 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Second Term | ||
| RSTO 1313 | Hospitality Supervision | 3 |
| CHEF 1441 | American Regional Cuisine | 4 |
| IFWA 1318 | Nutrition for the Food Service Professional | 3 |
| CHEF 1310 | Garde Manger | 3 |
| ENGL 1301 | Composition I | 3 |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Third Term | ||
| CHEF 1445 | International Cuisine | 4 |
| PSTR 1301 | Fundamentals of Baking | 3 |
| RSTO 2301 | Principles of Food and Beverage Control | 3 |
| BCIS 1305 | Business Computer Applications | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Speech Communication | ||
| Public Speaking | ||
| Interpersonal Communication | ||
| Business and Professional Speech | ||
| Credits | 16 | |
| Fourth Term | ||
| RSTO 2431 | Food Service Management | 4 |
| CHEF 2365 or HAMG 2305 | Practicum (or Field Experience) - Culinary Arts/Chef Training or Hospitality Management and Leadership | 3 |
| Language, Philosophy and Culture (Humanities) or Creative Arts (Fine Arts) | 3 | |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences or Government/Political Science or American History | 3 | |
| Credits | 13 | |
| Total Credits | 60 | |
Capstone Experience: CHEF 2365 Practicum (or Field Experience) - Culinary Arts/Chef Training or HAMG 2305 Hospitality Management and Leadership