Can I Attend Culinary School Online?
If you have a kitchen and an internet connection, then you could attend culinary school entirely from home. Established schools have designed courses for students to pursue online from the comfort of their home. It’s a flexible way for working professionals to improve their skills without having to attend a full-time and in-person program. Search online now to see what culinary courses are being offered remotely.
Students can implement school into their own schedule and find a balance that works for them. To find out when classes begin, start an online search.
Here are five online culinary school programs to check out.
1. New England Culinary Institute
You can pursue a bachelor’s degree with the New England Culinary Institute entirely from home. The school offers three online degree programs:
- BA in Food and Beverage Business Management;
- BA in Culinary Arts, and;
- BA in Baking and Pastry Arts.
The online format provides students with flexible scheduling and an abundance of resources. You can fit school into your current schedule, without having to commute or move to a new city to continue your education.
All three programs require 120 completed credits and take place completely online. It’s a 32-month program that requires prior learning that covers 60 credits of the program. As such, it’s a great way for people looking to accelerate their career in the culinary industry.
2. ACF Online Learning Center
The American Culinary Federation (ACF) has introduced an online learning center for students to refine their skills and maintain their ACF certification. This institution is the premier professional chefs’ organization in North America. It has resources that can help culinary chefs stay on top of the latest discoveries and skill sets.
The online learning center features classes and quizzes to complete from home. You can also practice written certification exams and watch recorded sessions from ACF events. If you’re a member, the hours you spend online will be automatically uploaded to your ACF profile.
ACF offers a variety of courses online. Some of them include 30-hour courses about topics, such as:
- Food prep;
- Purchasing and receiving;
- Safety;
- Sanitation, and;
- Culinary nutrition.
There’s also demos, recordings, and webinars that cover a variety of other culinary topics.
3. JWU College of Food Innovation & Technology
Johnson and Wales University (JWU) provides students with an opportunity to attend the College of Food Innovation & Technology on campus or online. The school has been offering courses in this sector since the 1970s and earned the reputation as a leader in culinary education.
Some of the culinary programs you can take online at JWU are:
- Baking & Pastry Arts and Food Service Management (BS);
- Culinary Arts and Food Service Management (BS);
- Food and Beverage Entrepreneurship (BS);
- Food Industry Compliance Management (BS), and;
- Hospitality Management (BS).
You can discover what each program has to offer by searching online.
4. Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts
If you’re a working professional that wants to further their culinary arts career, check out the Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts. This institution offers an online diploma program that can be completed entirely online. Students can choose a program focusing on Culinary Arts and Operations or an Associate of Occupational Studies Degree in Culinary Arts.
Students are taught using a learn, discuss, and experience teaching model for each assignment. Those learning from home will gain the same skills as those learning in a traditional program with live classes and weekly assignments. Plus, students get one-on-one feedback from their instructors.
At the end of the program, students will participate in an industry externship. This allows them to put their skills to the test and apply it to a real-world environment.
5. Rouxbe
Improve your culinary skills with Rouxbe. This online school has over 600,000 students around the world and provides more than 1,500 instructional videos. Programs are taught by world-class chef educators and former culinary school executives.
Rouxbe offers a variety of course durations ranging from 12-hours to six-month course certifications. Some of them include:
- Professional Cook Certification (six months);
- Plant-Based Professional Certification (six months);
- Forks Over Knives (90 days);
- Seafood Literacy Course (15 hours), and;
- Introduction to Pastry Arts (120 days).
Classes begin on a rolling basis throughout the year and you can learn from anywhere, on any device. You can also fit Rouxbe classes into your current schedule and learn at any time that’s convenient for you.
Search Online for More Culinary School Programs
You don’t have to commute or attend school full-time to hone your culinary skills. Plenty of schools have diverse courses that can be learned entirely from home. To find a course that piques your interest, start an online search and see what’s out there. There are different specialties and focuses to consider for culinary school.
Whether you’re interested in pursuing baking and pastry arts, food management, culinary nutrition and beyond, you can find an online program that teaches it. Start by researching online schools and comparing what each one has to offer. Read the course catalogues to help you discover which program will best suit your needs.