Western Culinary Institute

Western Culinary Institute, founded in 1983 in Portland, Oregon, is renowned for its culinary arts, baking, and hospitality program areas. Its reputation is due to its culinary arts program, and its quality, hands-on curriculum. The school also counts with a staff of experienced, talented chef instructors who come from all over the world. The Institute’s main campus is located in the heart of downtown Portland, Oregon. Western Culinary Institute is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools & Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). A comprehensive and experienced Career Services department is available for assisting students as well as financial aid for those that qualify.

Demand for professionally trained chefs started to rise as, in the 1980’s, taste for fine cuisine grew in America. Because of this, two businessmen from Portland, Oregon, teamed up and in 1983 founded what was originally called the Horst Mager Culinary Institute (named after one of the businessmen Horst Mager). It didn’t take long for the school to make a name for itself around the United States and the world. The school then was renamed to the Western Culinary Institute cooking school in 1986. Western Culinary Institute is part of a nationwide network of career schools that is recognized for the quality of its curricula and assistance to graduating students with career opportunities within their fields. In 1999, the institute made a partnership with the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu. Western Culinary Institute was approved for an Associate of Occupational Studies degree in 2000.

Western Culinary Institute’s programs expose students to the different styles and experiences, also train students with a wide variety of equipment in order to prepare them for whatever area of the food-service or hospitality industry they choose. WCI’s broad training aims for making its graduates able to function in diverse food-service organizations that focus on cooking, baking and pastry, or management. Western Culinary Institute, in partnership with Le Cordon Bleu, offers the following Programs: Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts (Associate of Occupational Studies Degree), Le Cordon Bleu Hospitality & Restaurant Management (Associate of Occupational Studies Degree) and Le Cordon Bleu Pâtisserie & Baking (Diploma or Associate of Occupational Studies Degree).