Culinary Arts
Certificate of Achievement
Program Details
The Lake Tahoe Community College Culinary Arts Certificate of Achievement will launch the new program design in the 2022/2023 academic year. The newly-redesigned program will align to American Culinary Federation Education Foundation (ACFEF) standards as outlined in their related instruction requirements and competencies checklist. The program courses are also aligned to the ACFEF’s recommended sequence. The Culinary Arts program revised the current course outlines for CUL 101, CUL 102, and CUL 103A to directly align with their respective related instruction requirements from the ACFEF. The Culinary Arts program will add four new courses, one of which is a Hospitality Management course that covers a wide array of relevant topics including dining room service, beverage management, purchasing, receiving, and supervisory management.
Culinary Arts Pathways
Pathways listed below are for the catalog year 2025-2026.
Featured Careers
Find your calling. Explore high-earning careers with entry-level data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Bakers
High school diploma/GED, No high school diploma/GED
- Job growth: Stable
- Low salary: 27,560
- High salary: 48,260
- Average salary: 36650
Chefs and Head Cooks
Associate's degree, Certificate after high school
- Job growth: Rising
- Low salary: 36,000
- High salary: 96,030
- Average salary: 60990
Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria
High school diploma/GED, Certificate after high school
- Job growth: Stable
- Low salary: 26,800
- High salary: 48,320
- Average salary: 36450
All Careers in Culinary Arts (6)
| Chefs and Head Cooks | Associate's degree, Certificate after high school | Rising | 60,990 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cooks, Private Household | Certificate after high school, High school diploma/GED | Declining | 44,530 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | High school diploma/GED, No high school diploma/GED | Rising | 42,010 |
| Cooks, Restaurant | High school diploma/GED, No high school diploma/GED | Rising | 36,830 |
| Bakers | High school diploma/GED, No high school diploma/GED | Stable | 36,650 |
| Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | High school diploma/GED, Certificate after high school | Stable | 36,450 |
Learning Outcomes
Learning outcomes help you work towards your educational goals.
- Practice the principles of sanitation and food safety to prevent the spread of food-borne illness.
- Practice and understand culinary fundamentals that include cooking methods, food quality discernment, preparation techniques, flavor development, sensory evaluation, and recipe literacy.
- Manage and make informed business decisions to control costs and promote profitability.
- Understand and practice human resource management principles.
- Understand how to communicate, prepare, plan, and execute food and service that is nutritionally mindful.
- Understand advanced cooking methods that include sous vide, molecular gastronomy, charcuterie, restaurant-style cooking and their applications in various food service establishments and settings.
- Understand domestic and international food cultures, traditions, norms, authenticity, ingredients, preparations, and techniques.
- Identify the food-service industry’s styles of service and the functions of service personnel.
- Understand the functions of beverage management and basic principles of food and beverage pairings.
- Work as a team member and leader to achieve common goals and objectives.