Chefs make a range of contributions to society serving as culinary innovators, educators and entrepreneurs. These professionals usually have a high level of enthusiasm for food and gain satisfaction from sharing their skills and knowledge with others. Whether you need a degree as a chef depends on your desired career path.
No Degree Required
You don't need a college degree to get an entry-level job in the food service industry. However, to become a chef -- the leader of a commercial kitchen staff -- you must keep track of your own training efforts and seek cross-training opportunities as they arise. For example, if you get an entry-level job as a prep cook -- someone who prepares ingredients -- notify your boss that you are interested in getting trained as a line cook. Once you train as a line cook, seek opportunities to manage the kitchen when the chef takes days off. Also, if you work in the kitchen at a prestigious restaurant under the supervision of a well-known chef, your experience in this capacity could outshine that of your degree-holding counterparts.
If you're interested in becoming a college-level culinary arts instructor, you will need to have an associate's degree in culinary arts, at minimum, even if you have years of experience as a chef. Although the associate's degree is the terminal degree for culinary and pastry arts, some accredited programs may require you to have earned a bachelor's degree in a hospitality field, such as hotel management, to be an instructor. Additionally, some hospitality corporations, such as multi-national chain hotels, may require you to have a college degree to qualify for certain positions, such as executive chef.
Alternative Training Options
If you know early on that you want to be a chef, enroll in your school district's culinary arts vocational training program. Some employers view a high school-level culinary arts certificate as sufficient to gain an entry-level position or above, especially if you earn your food safety certification while enrolled. Alternatively, some states partner with food service employers and offer culinary arts apprenticeships as workforce building initiatives. Apprenticeships could take as long as a culinary arts associate's degree program to complete and qualify you for similar job opportunities.
The cost of culinary arts college degrees remains a concern for students. Such programs are often full-time, which makes working and earning a salary that could defray the cost of attending difficult. If completing a culinary arts degree program is your preferred path to entering the profession, weigh the cost of each program by the range of courses and career support offered to students. Generally speaking, culinary schools with a good track record of internship and job placement could be worth the cost.
- Chef's Blade: Where Education Fits in a Culinary Career Path
- Usnews.com: Chef 101: How to Get a High-Paying Job in the Kitchen
- New Castle County Vocational Technical School District: Culinary Arts Career Program
- Washington State Department of Labor and Industries: Culinary Arts
- "Time" magazine: Top Chef Dreams: Are Cooking Schools a Rip-Off?
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