Culinary Arts Professional Chefs Training Program

This program is designed for people interested in career advancement and employment within the hotel and restaurant industry. The program combines theory and practical application of skills and abilities to meet the needs of employers.

Degrees/Certificates

Culinary Arts Professional Chefs Training

Certificate of Achievement or A.A Degree

Program Highlights

This program offers students educational and practical experience. Partnerships with industry leaders offer excellent connections to local businesses and employment opportunities for students. The work experience component of the program provides resume-building experience. The program takes a hands-on approach as students work in an actual production kitchen and operate the Cerritos College Caf&3.

Professional Chefs Training: Program Completion= 31 units

1st Semester

CA 101 FOOD SERVICE, SAFETY AND SANITATION 1 UNIT

Class hours: 1 lecture

Prerequisite: None

This course covers the principles of food microbiology, important foodborne diseases, standards that are enforced by regulatory agencies, and applied measures for the prevention of foodborne diseases and other micobiological problems. This course meets current food protection standards for regulatory agent .Transfer Credit: CSU. ServSafe Certification Exam will be administered.

CA 52 INTRODUCTION TO COMMERCIAL FOOD PRODUCTION 6 UNITS

Class hours: 4 lecture/6 lab

Prereqisite: None

Corequisite: CA 101 with a grade of Credit or "C" or higher or prior to completion.

This course introduces the beginning student to the ingredients, methods, and skills used in a commercial food production. The content will include history, nutrition, equipment, knife skills, ingredients, stocks and sauces, breakfast cookery, cold garde manager, and basic yeast bread production. A negative T.B. test for food service personnel is a State reguation.

2nd Semester

CA 65 FOOD COSTING 2 UNITS

This course emphasizes the use of food costing to control expenses for a food service establishment. This course will cover various costing systems, menu item pricing, and inventory maintenence.

CA 53 COMMERCIAL FOOD PRODUCTION: PANTRY ITEMS 9.5 UNITS

This is a basic course in fundamentals of hotel and restaurant dinner cooking and methods of preparing special pantry items. Lecture and demonstrations and practical experience in varied methods of cooking techniques are an essential part of this course.

3rd Semester

CA 54 COMMERCIAL FOOD PRODUCTION: MEATS & POULTRY 9.5 UNITS

This course is designed to familiarize the student with the principles and procedures of hotel restaurant butchering, meat purchasing, and the carving of meats and poultry. Includes lecture/demonstration and practical experience in carving procedures, trimming, boning, rolling, tying and cutting of steaks and chops.

CA 60 FOOD PURCHASING & CONTROL

This course is designed to familiarize the student with all aspects of purchasing and cost control within the foodservice industry. Instruction and experience in the areas of forecasting operational needs, menu pricing, food purchasing, cost control are included.

Total Involvement

Your goal is to obtain a well-balanced education that will lead to immediate employment and provide a pathway to a successful career in the restaurant industry. This requires total involvement on your part and total commitment on the part of Cerritos College.

Why Study at Cerritos College?

Cerritos College has been training students in the field of culinary arts for over 25 years. This long term commitment has given the Culinary Arts Department a strong reputation for quality training throughout the restaurant industry.

Culinary Arts at Cerritos College is a combination of strong academics and applied knowledge through hands on applications. This includes fine dining, cafeteria style, banquets, and catering operations.

Career Opportunities

Job opportunities are excellent for students who receive the Associate in Arts Degree or Certificate of Achievement in this program. Graduates of this program will be prepared to work in entry-level positions of the restaurant industry. Areas of employment include restaurants, hotels, institutions, catering, and commercial food service.