Master's Degrees in Culinary Arts
While culinary arts degrees are only available at the associate's and bachelor's levels, you can earn a master's degree in a food-related area. Keep reading for more information about degrees, common courses offered, and career options.
<h3 id="section---WhatDegreesInCulinaryArtsCanIEarn">What Degrees in Culinary Arts Can I Earn?</h3>
<p>Master's degrees are not offered in culinary arts, but there are several related master's degrees you could pursue, such as food science, nutrition and food studies.
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<p>Degrees in culinary arts are offered at associate or bachelor's degree levels. Both of these degrees can prepare you for diverse work in the food service industry. Choose a program that will highlight areas you most want to develop, such as pastry arts, menu development or international cuisine. Due to the nature of these programs, with their extensive hands-on training, you will not find culinary arts degree programs available for online study.
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<table border="1"><tr><td> <b>Degree Levels Available</b> </td><td>Associate, bachelor's, master's in related fields</td></tr>
<tr><td> <b>Common Courses</b> </td><td>Preparation techniques, food safety, menu planning, food purchasing, kitchen management</td></tr>
<tr><td> <b>Career Options</b> </td><td>Pastry chef, sous chef, restaurant management, nutritionist, food production</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Median Salary (2020)*</b></td><td>$56,590 (for food service managers, restaurants and other eating places)</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Job Outlook (2019-2029)*</b></td><td>1% (for food service managers, all)</td></tr>
</table><p><i>Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics</i>
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<h3 id="section---WhatWillIStudy">What Will I Study?</h3>
<p>When you study culinary arts, you learn practical skills relevant to many facets of the food service industry. Through supervised training in a test kitchen, you'll hone your cooking and baking skills. You'll also study food safety, sanitation and preparation techniques. You may study areas relevant to management of a restaurant or food business, such as menu planning, food purchasing and customer service. These programs often include business topics such as accounting, marketing and human resources.
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<p>The master's programs will not further develop your practical skills in the kitchen, but will provide you with a deeper understanding of food and its role in society. You may learn about diet, healthy eating, the food production industry and animal science. These master's degree programs are more academically-focused than culinary arts programs, which are more career-focused.
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<h3 id="section---WhatCanIDoWithTheseDegrees">What Can I Do With These Degrees?</h3>
<p>Whether you earn an associate's or bachelor's degree in culinary arts, you will be qualified to work either in a kitchen or in a management role in a food service business. In a kitchen, you can be a head chef, sous chef, pastry chef or line cook. You may also be a personal chef who works for private clients.
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<p>These degree programs also prepare you for positions in restaurant management, marketing and food research. Possible types of businesses you may work for include restaurants, catering companies and bakeries.</p>