Culinary school Hong Kong is the perfect place to start once you have set your eyes on becoming a chef. There are so many choices of school to choose from that it can be dizzyingly confusing to pick one that will help you reach your goal. However, it will all boil down to just this: How long will the studying be and will the school help you to get on the right path?
Let’s take a look at this matter more thoroughly after the jump!
An Overview: How Long Does Culinary School Take?
How long does culinary school take to complete? To be frank with you, the answer to the question is not that simple. There are so many pieces to take into account. Learning the basics of the culinary industry alone is already a comprehensive subject. It does not get any simpler once you have touched the aspects of advanced topics and the actual experiences. It is those aspects of this education that determines the length of your study.
Simply put, it may take anywhere from months to years to finish your study. It may depend on a lot of things but chief among them is the school you choose and the course of study you opt for.
Types and Programs of Culinary School
The type of programs you choose determines the kind of diploma you will earn at the end of your study. There are community colleges offering a diploma through classroom like experiences while others offer programs that are more business and hospitality focused. The latter typically span at least four years due to their industry-oriented focus.
Some programs, like that which Institut Disciples Escoffier offers, provide students with proper guidance on their journey into the world of culinary professionals and help them gain success in the global scale of fine dining industry. You do not need to worry much about your skill levels as the program is directed towards anyone with any skill levels. Those who fall under the beginner category, those wishing to get another shot at different career paths, or even those with experience in the field of professional F&B looking to hone their expertise even further are welcomed. The program’s curriculum encompasses a wide range of essential aspects of culinary arts, including hygiene, safety, knife skills, foundational techniques, and both advanced and contemporary methods such as stocks and sauces, cooking techniques, sous-vide, low-temperature cooking, restaurant service simulations, and pastry preparation.
On average, a diploma will be granted at the least within six months and may equip the students with culinary skills suitable for positions at entry levels. Most definitely you will be gaining a combination of classroom learning and real-time experience to apply the skills you have learned. Degree programs can be approached through art or science perspectives. Either way, different degree levels will lead to different options of training.
An associate’s degree is granted after two years of study, bachelor’s in four, and master’s in two. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that an Associate in Culinary Arts Degree program is the most common for aspiring students to take. Completed in two years, an associate’s degree entails studies of general subjects such as math, writing, and English to complement classes that include culinary concepts and theories, preparation of specific dishes and insights into different cuisines.
A bachelor’s degree is achieved after four years. The curriculum is notably more industry focused, with subjects covering the business sides of the culinary world. So, it is not strange to find classes of management, inventory and budgeting within the syllabus. Typical options available within this degree include Hospitality, Restaurant Management, Culinary Management and Culinary Arts.
A master’s degree requires you to complete another two years to achieve. A student must submit a thesis as a condition of completing the course. Topics covered for this degree type include nutrition and food science.
Final Words: How Long Does Culinary School Take?
How long does culinary school take to complete? The ballpark estimate may vary from months to years. As a matter of fact, career opportunities are already accessible to you with a lower level of degree but of course with a higher level one, bigger, more lucrative positions will be there waiting. The bottom line here is that whatever your endgame really is, you will need to start somewhere and success is right there afterwards. If being a chef is truly what you have been dreaming of this entire time, you need to first find out which school can fast-track your plan and lead you in the right direction.
The BLS predicts that there should be an increase of 10 percent within a period of time ranging from 2016 to 2026 in the employment of chefs. This figure paints a picture of how fast the culinary industry grows compared to other sectors and how this fact impacts job opportunities. Culinary school Hong Kong could be where it all started for you before making it big.
