Overview
Discover the opportunities that exist working as a professional chef. Find employment at 5-star resort hotels, travel to luxury destinations across the U.S. or abroad working in fine dining establishments, or possibly start your own restaurant. The exciting careers are endless, and your journey begins as a student in the Culinary Arts program at WMCC. You will be trained by our expert chefs who bring their real-world culinary experiences into the classroom.
The two-year associate degree covers a wide range of theory and practice. Graduates of the degree have held positions as chefs, bakers, food production supervisors, food purchasing agents, food service instructors, and restaurant owners. The certificate provides students with the major baking and food-production courses.
Culinary lab classes are offered as four-week modules. Each module focuses on a specific area of culinary expertise and carries one credit towards graduation. It should be noted that modules are not necessarily offered in the profile sequence indicated below. In addition to taking traditional culinary classes, students must work offsite at college-associated restaurants where they receive hands-on experience. As a requirement for graduation, students must also successfully complete a “black box” final practical exam during their senior year.
Students must purchase a set of professional knives along with three sets of uniforms. Additional information is mailed to students prior to the start of the semester.
First Year
| Fall Semester | Lec | Lab | Cr | |
| ACAD105W | Academic Readiness | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| CULA128W | Culinary Foundations (First 8 Weeks) | 1 | 6 | 3 |
| CULA129W | Food Preparation Techniques (Second 8 Weeks) | 0 | 6 | 2 |
| CULA115W | Food Theory and Meat Fabrication | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| CULA120W | Food Service Sanitation | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Mathematics | 3/4 | 0 | 3/4 | |
| Semester Total | 10/11 | 12 | 14/15 | |
| Spring Semester | Lec | Lab | Cr | |
| CULA121W | Baking Theory | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| CULA123W | Table Service and Mixology | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| CULA125W | Baking Fundamentals, Quantity Food Production, and Hot Food Plating | 1 | 15 | 6 |
| ENGL225W | Oral Communication | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Semester Total | 10 | 15 | 15 | |
| First Year Total | 29/30 | |||
| Summer Semester | Lec | Lab | Cr | |
| CULA200W | Culinary Arts Co-op | 0 | 9 | 3 |
| Total credits for the Summer | 3 | |||
Second Year
| Fall Semester | Lec | Lab | Cr | |
| CULA208W | Charcuterie, Buffet Production, and Design | 1 | 15 | 6 |
| CULA216W | Menu Analysis and Restaurant Design | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| CULA227W | Product Purchasing and Marketing | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| PSYC111W | Psychology | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Semester Total | 9 | 15 | 14 | |
| Spring Semester | Lec | Lab | Cr | |
| BIOL112W | Nutrition | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| CULA222W | Food Service Management | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| CULA244W | International Cuisines, Regional American Cuisines, and Practicum | 1 | 15 | 6 |
| HUMA212W | Legal and Ethical Issues | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Semester Total | 10 | 15 | 15 | |
| Second Year Degree Total | 32 | |||
| Total for A.A.S. Degree | 61/62 | |||
Program Outcomes
Upon completion of this program, graduates will be prepared to:
- Utilize proper safety and sanitation procedures in a kitchen and be familiar with the laws and codes effecting the production of edible goods.
- Utilize industry standard culinary methods and procedures including protein fabrication, starch cookery, and vegetable preparation.
- Produce the Mother Sauces, Sub sauces, compound sauces, and soups.
- Accurately utilize computations to properly adjust recipes to lend desired yields, to calculate costs, and determine profitable pricing.
- Use common kitchen equipment, bakeshop equipment, and ingredients in the production of edible goods.
- Produce the individual components utilized in preparing plated meals ranging from sauces to the main offering as well as accompanying items.
- Produce a wide variety of charcuterie items, pates, galantines, and timbales.
- Apply design principals to present foods in multiple ways including individual plated entrees and buffet style service.
- Create a menu, an inventory program, and design a production facility.
- Demonstrate the cooking principles and ingredients used in the preparation of items from European and selected Asian countries.
- Utilize basic baking methods and baking equipment in the production of baked goods.
- Use proper dining room food service techniques.
Travis Giles
Hospitality & CulinaryAssociate Professor of Culinary Arts/Department Chair of Hospitality and Culinary/Program Coordinator of Culinary Arts
61-62 Credits Required
of students qualify for financial aid
