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Culinary Arts

Culinary Arts - AAS

If you love cooking, have a passion for food and have always dreamed of being a chef, then Bellingham Technical College’s Culinary Arts associate degree program is for you. BTC’s programs and certificates in Culinary Arts program is ideal for students with cooking skills and an interest in the fast-growing food service industry.

You’ll receive training from an award-winning faculty in state-of-the-art kitchens and get the skills and experience you’ll need to get top jobs in the fast-paced culinary field. Hone your culinary arts skills and gain training in every aspect of food service – from chef to restaurant manager to hostess – at BTC’s Café Culinaire, where students run the International Buffet in winter quarter and a full-service a la carte restaurant in spring.

The Culinary Arts Program is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of the American Culinary Federation Foundation.

 

Employment Information

Data are provided on a program (not credential) level

82% BTC graduate placement rate1

$41,040 starting annual wage2
$48,361 average annual wage2
$57,130 potential annual wage2

  • Employment and Wage Data Sources

    1Employment data come from the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) and reflect three-year averages among BTC students employed in either Washington or Oregon. Students are included in the employment rate if they left with a credential. Rates are not shown for programs with fewer than 10 students meeting the above criteria.

    2Whatcom County and WA State wage data come from Washington State Employment Security Department (ESD) Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates. Wage data represent occupations that BTC faculty have identified as the most relevant career paths for program graduates. Note that these wages reflect employees with varying educational levels/credentials. For cases in which multiple occupations have been identified by faculty, a weighted percentile is calculated using each occupation’s percentile wage and employment size estimate. Wages are not shown for programs for which occupations do not meet the ESD’s minimum thresholds for publishing. If the program has wage data that involves shift work, these ESD wages reflect the same number of hours used in the annual wage calculation. Starting wage = 25th percentile, median wage = 50th percentile, wage potential = 75th percentile.

  • Estimated Program Costs

Tuition Fees and Rates overview page

Entry Information

When Can I Start?

The program typically starts in Fall Quarter on a space available basis

 

What are the Minimum Entry Requirements?

Admissions application and assessment testing in Reading, Math and Writing is required. Your score on the test and/or your previous transcripts will determine where you begin your course sequence. Contact Admissions at 360.752.8345 or at admissions@btc.edu for assistance with academic planning.

 

What are My Next Steps?

1. Apply to BTC and Financial Aid
2. Assess Your Starting Point
3. Advising & Registration
4. Prepare to Attend

 

Classes

Total Program Credits: 103

  • Current Students: Learn how to use this page to register for classes

  • Quarter 1

  • CUL 110Sanitation & Safety2 CR
  • CUL 112Introduction to Hospitality2 CR
  • CUL 114Culinary Skill Development I6 CR
  • CUL 118Commercial Kitchen Equipment2 CR
  • CUL 142Nutrition2 CR

  • Quarter 2

  • AMATH 100Applied Occupational Math5 CR
  • Or Higher
  • CUL 122Culinary Skill Development II6 CR
  • CUL 126Pastry Skill Development I6 CR

  • Quarter 3

  • AENGL 100Applied English5 CR
  • Or Higher
  • CUL 144American Regional a' la carte Cookery7 CR
  • CUL 146Pastry Skill Development II7 CR

  • Quarter 4

  • CUL 150Field-Based Experience6 CR

  • Quarter 5

  • CMST& 210Interpersonal Communications5 CR
  • OR
  • PSYC& 100General Psychology5 CR
  • OR
  • SOC& 101Introduction to Sociology5 CR
  • CUL 211Meat Identification and Fabrication4 CR
  • CUL 218Garde Manger6 CR
  • CUL 222Supervisor Development3 CR

  • Quarter 6

  • CUL 220Restaurant Management5 CR
  • CUL 224Food and Beverage Service3 CR
  • CUL 226International Cuisine6 CR
  • CUL 228Banquet and Catering Management3 CR

  • Quarter 7

  • CUL 230Northwest a' la carte Restaurant Cookery8 CR
  • CUL 232Food and Beverage Service Lab2 CR
  • CUL 236Wine Appreciation2 CR

Program Outcomes

After successfully completing the AAS degree, students will be able to:

  • Conform and comply with health standards based on US Food and Drug Administration, Washington State, and local health department sanitation and hygiene codes and laws.
  • Apply fundamentals and advanced skills in sustainable design and purchasing, butchery, Garde Manger, classical sauce, soups and stocks, food and beverage service, farinaceous foods, classical cookery techniques in international cuisine, American regional cuisines, and define product specifications.
  • Plan, prepare, and cook foods ala carte and buffet style consistently in a visually appealing manner while maintaining taste, nutritive value, flavor, and texture in classical and contemporary cooking methods.
  • Correctly prepare a variety of classical breads, artisan breads, classical pastry items, and desserts with the ability to correctly evaluate finished products for proper texture, color, palatability, shape, and doneness.
  • Plan, develop and analyze the dining room layout, facility design, menu design, cost analysis, marketing plan, and projected profit and loss statements.
  • Describe the fundamental nutrients in the human diet, identify a variety of contemporary dietary needs and demonstrate the ability to create and cook modified menus to meet those needs.

Employment Outlook

After taking BTC’s culinary arts courses, you can graduate with an Associate of Applied Science degree in culinary arts and let your career take you wherever you want to go: restaurants, bakeries, pastry shops, hotels, schools and universities, hospitals, and catering companies. Graduates of BTC’s Culinary Arts programs are trained for jobs as: sous chefs; line, pantry and prep cooks; bakers; deli workers; food managers; and caterers. Employment opportunities for those with culinary arts degrees are expected to be plentiful as new restaurants and bars open, creating new positions; outgoing employees also will need to be replaced.

About 76% of BTC Culinary Arts program students are employed within nine months of graduation. The average annual wage in culinary field is $52,416, with an earning potential of about $63,419 per year.*

Faculty & Support

Photo of Nicole Carter
Nicole Carter
Culinary Arts
  • Personal Bio
    Nicole has cooked professionally for 20 years. She has always loved the restaurant industry and has explored many facets including restaurant management, catering and banquet chef, corporate training and opening of properties, butchering, front of the house, bartending and beverage service, brewing, coffee service and private chef. She graduated from the Culinary Arts program at South Seattle Community College in 2003. She ran a catering company and managed a restaurant before changing gears to teaching at Bellingham Technical College. In her last 11 years at BTC, Nicole has advanced in positions starting as a temporary instructional technician then moving into teaching as a part-time adjunct instructor. She is now a full-time instructor and is also responsible for purchasing in the Culinary & Pastry Arts programs.

Contacts

If you have questions about this program or want help with the admissions steps to Bellingham Technical College, please email outreach@btc.edu.

Current students wanting academic planning and support, can connect with the program Instructor(s) or email CulinaryNav@btc.edu