I am interested in going into culinary science to become a head cook or chef. In the culinary science program, I would focus on two aspects: food science and the culinary arts. The program is designed to teach students about culinary arts, food chemistry, food safety and quality, food processing, nutrition, and business management. Many students, myself included, are interested in the program due to the ability to use their creativity to design dishes. While it is exciting to be able to use food as an art, it is also important to learn the chemistry of food, how it is processed, nutritional content and safe preparation. This career choice can be very broad and is linked to a variety of other fields including agriculture, natural resources, …show more content…
The amount of education required is dependent on what future positions I would like. The basic requirements require high school completion and up to two years of college. Many colleges and universities offer a culinary arts program. Locally, The University of Nebraska, Lincoln and Southeast Community College, Lincoln both offer programs. The costs vary by location and type of education. SCC offers an Associate's of Arts Degree which would cost just under $13,000. They also offer a Culinary/Hospitality diploma for about $7000 or a certificate for about $3500. UNL is on the higher end with a culinary arts program that would end with a Bachelor of Science degree estimated at approximately $20,000.00 per year for a four year total of approximately $80,000.00. The benefits of attending SCC or UNL are that they are close to home while the disadvantages are that they are not as reputable as some other colleges in the culinary world. The school that I decide to study at can have an impact on where I am able to get …show more content…
A very experienced chef in a top rated restaurant will make around $125,000 a year. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for chefs and head cooks was $43,180 in May 2016. Again, these numbers depend on the location and the type of restaurant. The outlook for the career choice is higher than other jobs at 10% with the average being 7% according the the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The good thing is that people always need to eat and with today's busy families, more people are dining out.
There are a number of similar occupations. Bartending is similar to Culinary Science with the focus on serving beverages. A career as a waitress/waiter is also similar. Both positions vary by location and the type of establishment. One main difference is that neither typically require a formal education. All three choices are centered around serving others and vary on whether that is in the front of the establishment or the