Culinary Arts, Certificate of Technology

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: $43,162 per year1

1

Source: texaswages.com, median salary Gulf Coast region, 2021

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.

Certificate of Technology

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

4CULA

Plan of Study Grid
First TermCredits
CHEF 1205 Sanitation and Safety 2
RSTO 1313 Hospitality Supervision 3
CHEF 1401 Basic Food Preparation 4
PSTR 1301 Fundamentals of Baking 3
CHEF 1441 American Regional Cuisine 4
 Credits16
Second Term
CHEF 1445 International Cuisine 4
CHEF 1340 Meat Preparation and Cooking 3
RSTO 2301 Principles of Food and Beverage Control 3
CHEF 2302 Saucier 3
 Credits13
Third Term
IFWA 1318 Nutrition for the Food Service Professional 3
RSTO 2431 Food Service Management 4
CHEF 1310 Garde Manger 3
CHEF 2365
Practicum (or Field Experience) - Culinary Arts/Chef Training
or Hospitality Management and Leadership
3
 Credits13
 Total Credits42

Capstone Experience: CHEF 2365 Practicum (or Field Experience) - Culinary Arts/Chef Training or HAMG 2305 Hospitality Management and Leadership