Culinary Arts

Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.)

The joy of food is all around us in the Finger Lakes. If you're looking to turn your passion for fine dining into a career, you'll love our hands-on Culinary Arts degree program. Gain real-world experience in restaurant management, catering, and hospitality.

A.A.S. Program Overview

In our A.A.S. degree program, you'll take a core set of Culinary Arts classes to gain a strong foundation in this growing field. Additional courses in hospitality, nutrition, and communications provide you with a well-rounded education that complements the core Culinary Arts curriculum. SUNY General Education requirements give you the opportunity to continue your studies at a four-year school.

You can personalize your education to match your interests with elective courses such as Regional American Cuisine, International Cuisine, and Baking and Pastry.

FLCC typically offers Culinary Arts classes two days each week, which provides the flexibility you need to work part- or full-time as you pursue your education.

Hands-on Professional Training

Our Culinary Arts courses show you what it's like to work in a professional kitchen setting. As a student, you'll complete lab courses at New York Kitchen, a fine dining venue just a short distance from our main campus in Canandaigua, NY. This feature of our program offers a distinctive, hands-on experience in a formal restaurant setting.

Participate in Culinary Events and Competitions

Throughout the program, you will gain experience operating a fine dining restaurant and prepare multi-course meals for real customers. Each Fall Semester, we host Dinner at Julia, a unique food and wine event featuring innovative menus designed by our Culinary Arts students. You also have the opportunity to participate in service learning projects and competitions, such as those sponsored by the New York Beef Council.

Learn from Regional Partners

Gain over 600 hours of real-world training through our professional work experience requirement that ensures each student will have the opportunity to learn from regional experts. Our work experience program provides more flexibility than traditional internships, which means you can develop a curriculum personalized to your career aspirations.

A.A.S. Program Outcomes

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the A.A.S. Culinary Arts program, students will be able to:

• Consistently model standards of culinary professionalism.
• Apply universal quality standards for raw ingredients as well as finished products.
• Prescribe appropriate principles of cooking and preparation of food products.
• Demonstrate ancillary skills including cost control, food service sanitation, and front of the house service according to accepted industry best practices.
• Transition from working as an individual to working as contributing member of a vibrant, functional team.

Start Your Career Immediately

From chef to caterer and restaurant cook to food and beverage manager, your FLCC education will help you secure a career in the food and hospitality industry. Some Culinary Arts graduates have even opened their own businesses. Others started careers at:

Seamless Transfer Opportunities

Interested in continuing your Culinary Arts education? Our program makes this transition easy. A collaboration with SUNY Delhi helps you earn full college credit for the courses you take at FLCC so you can transfer in as a junior on track for a four-year education. SUNY Delhi has a 100% online program, which makes it possible to complete a bachelor's degree without leaving the region.

FLCC Culinary Arts students have pursued four-year programs in Hotel and Resort Management, Tourism Management, and Hospitality at the following colleges:

• SUNY Cobleskill
• SUNY Delhi
• SUNY Morrisville

Low-Cost Tuition and Scholarship Opportunities

Earn a quality education at an affordable rate. With our low cost-per-credit and general scholarship opportunities, you can maximize your potential with minimal debt. 80% of students are awarded scholarships or financial aid that help with the cost of college.

The Faculty

Our Culinary Arts faculty brings a variety of real-world experiences in the restaurant industry to the classroom. From working as chefs to managing restaurants to teaching public classes at New York Kitchen, our faculty know what it's like to work in food service and hospitality. They are eager to share their knowledge with you.

Culinary Arts Faculty