Culinary Arts Program Fact Sheet

What is Culinary Arts?	The Culinary Arts program prepares students for employment in the culinary field. The program emphasizes technical and theoretical knowledge, combined with the practical applications of cooking, baking, serving, and management skills. The associate science degree program includes culinary arts courses and college-level general education courses. The program also requires students to sit for the National Restaurant Association SERVSAFE Certification. The program is only offered full-time, during the day.
Degrees, Diplomas and Certificates	Culinary Arts, AAS Culinary Arts, Diploma Baking and Pastry Specialist, Certificate - Embedded Prep Cook, Certificate - Embedded
Prerequisite Courses	Degree level proficiency is required to take degree level General Education courses. Diploma level proficiency is required to take diploma level General Education courses. Diploma level proficiency in English, reading and math is required to take the CUUL technical courses. Please refer to course descriptions in the online catalog for specific prerequisites. Students are also required to purchase Chef’s uniform, dining room uniform, textbooks and tools to include knives. All students must pass the ServSafe Exam with a 70 or higher or they will not pass the class regardless of grade in the class at the time of the exam. IF available, you do have the option to register for the Term C section of Sanitation to retake the class. However, if you choose not to retake the exam/class you will automatically be withdrawn from Principles of Cooking.
Semester Program Begins	Fall and spring semesters
Application Process	Applicants to the Culinary Arts program must meet all Admission requirements; complete an application and pay the application fee. Individuals apply to Gwinnett Technical College at GwinnettTech.edu and submit all transcripts from high school and previous college work, and take the ACCUPLACER test, if required. After officially being accepted to Gwinnett Tech, students may contact the Culinary Arts Administrative Assistant at CulinaryAdmin@GwinnettTech.edu, in order to set up an appointment with the Culinary Arts Program Director, Chef Kerri Crean, to discuss expectations and additional costs. Students must meet with Culinary Arts Program Director and also attend the Mandatory Culinary Seminar, which is held before the spring and fall semesters. This seminar is designed specifically for the Culinary Arts program, to ensure your success in the program. At that seminar, students register for classes and order required supplies. Additional costs are uniform (approximately $140) plus required shoes. A knife kit costs approximately $330.
For more information, contact:	Kerri Crean, program director, KCrean@GwinnettTech.edu, 678.226.6625.
For admissions and enrollment, contact:	Enrollment Support Center in Building 100 at the Lawrenceville campus, or Building A at the Alpharetta-North Fulton campus, or email BusinessTeam@GwinnettTech.edu.

Quick Facts

(This data was compiled from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.)

Chefs and Head Cooks

2022 Median Pay	$56,520 per year / $27.17 per hour
Typical entry-level education	High school diploma or equivalent
Work experience in a related occupation	5 years or more
On-the-job training	none
Number of jobs, 2022	174,400
Job outlook, 2022	5% (faster than average)
Employment Change, 2022-2023	9,200

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/food-preparation-and-serving/chefs-and-head-cooks.htm.

Gwinnett Technical College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. Lisa Richardson,Title IX, and Section 504 Coordinator, 5150 Sugarloaf Parkway, Building 100, Room 407, Lawrenceville, GA 30043, 678-226-6691, LRichardson@GwinnettTech.edu.