Food Service Management, Culinary Arts, A.A.S.

Jay Mahoney, Certified Executive Chef
Instructor and Culinary Arts Program Coordinator
132 Education Building / (304)367-4306
Jay.Mahoney@pierpont.edu

Accrediting Agency

American Culinary Federation Education Foundation’s Accrediting Commission
180 Center Place Way
St. Augustine, FL 32095
(800) 624-9458
www.acfchefs.org

Program Purpose

The Food Service Management degree program offers four options for students to choose from: Dietary Manager; Resort & Hotel Management and Culinary Arts; Pastry & Baking Arts.

The Food Service Management major and its options were designed to fill a need in the industry. Employment in Food service is typically not very sensitive to economic conditions, and rates of employment are expected to remain consistent, according to the US Dept. of Labor. In fact, according to the National Restaurant Association, the restaurant industry employs an estimated 13 million people, or 9% of the U.S. workforce and is expected to add almost two million jobs over the next decade.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the AAS degree in Food Service Management, graduates will be able to do the following:

• Demonstrate a professional work ethic as is expected for employment in the Food Service Management Field
• Apply nutritional standards as expected in Food Service Management Fields
• Apply knowledge of basic food principles, including food purchasing, planning, and preparation
• Manage human and physical resources in ways that comply with food service industry standards
• Satisfy outcomes for individual program option

Opportunities in Culinary Arts

Students who graduate from this nationally recognized Culinary Arts specialization (accredited through the American Culinary Federation Accrediting Commission) will have an outstanding foundation of theoretical and practical cooking experience on which to pursue a career in the food service industry. Graduates of the Culinary Arts specialization will be eligible to sit for the exam offered by the American Culinary Foundation to become Certified Culinarians.

Graduates can expect to qualify for entry to mid-level food service positions in restaurants, country clubs, resorts, hotels, retirement homes, cruise ships, catering operations, or supermarkets. Typical job titles include line cook; lead line cook; kitchen supervisor; broiler cook; fry cook; sauté cook; and pantry cook.

Selective Enrollment

Admission to the Culinary Arts program is competitive.

• Applications should be received by April 1 of each year for admission into the fall program
• Experience in the food service industry or certification from a ProStart program is highly desirable

Summer remediation is suggested if admissions criteria are not met.

To continue in the Culinary Arts program, the student must meet the following standards:

• Pass all courses required for the A.A.S. degree
• Maintain a minimum overall grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 and no less than a “C” grade in all Culinary Arts courses

Readmission to the program will be determined on an individual basis the Admissions Committee. Decisions are based on the students’ qualifications and space availability. Students in good standing who withdraw from the program for unpredictable or uncontrollable reasons will be given priority consideration if they reapply.