Culinary Arts and Food Services Management: Not Just About the Art of Cooking

Culinary Arts and Food Services Management degrees encompass majors such as restaurant and food services management, culinary arts, restaurant and culinary management, personal and culinary services, baking and pastry arts and bartending. Restaurant and food services management majors learn how to plan, manage, and market restaurants, restaurant supply companies, food services chains, food services in hotels and other hospitality businesses. The courses of this major include topics such as finance, cooking, and employee supervision.

Culinary arts majors learn the business of the kitchen and the art of cooking. Any culinary arts major will complete an internship, work as part of a team, wear a uniform, cook under the watchful eye of fussy teachers and report to the kitchen at 6 a.m. Typical courses of this major include restaurant management, professional cooking, nutrition, menu planning and purchasing, foundations of baking, food service sanitation, food science, basic garde manger (cold dishes) and banquets and catering.

Baking and pastry arts majors prepare to become bakers and pastry chefs in bakeries, restaurants, and other places. The common topics of instruction are counter display, cake decorating, bread making, and more. Bartending majors learn how to mix drinks and manage bars and beverage operations. They study business practices, laws, wine, mixology, and more. Majors related to bartending include hospitality administration and management and culinary arts.