The California Culinary Academy (CCA) has trained over 15,000 people for various careers in the hospitality industry through its 30-week baking and pastry chef program and 16-month culinary arts degree courses.

The Academy was bought by Career Education Corporation in 1999. California Culinary Academy focuses on developing a career in the hospitality industry. The Academy was established in 1977 and has been helping students get trained as restaurant and culinary personnel for various job opportunities in the hospitality industry. This academy is linked with Le Cordon Bleu, Paris which is an acclaimed program in hospitality and culinary arts as it extends its expertise to the students studying in California Culinary Academy.

The California Culinary Academy was set up to enable students to become well trained chefs, pastry chefs, caterers and personal chefs. The academy concentrates on providing a high standard, European-style culinary education with on-the-job training and internships in restaurants.

Offerings of California Culinary Academy

In 1996, the California Culinary Academy set up a new concept in culinary education with the opening of its extension campus in Salinas called the College of Food. The concept focused on enhancing the ability of students in areas like kitchen skills, cleanliness and supervision along with specialization in areas like baking and pastry making and food decoration. The main benefit of this academy is that is offers practical experience as well as techniques which is very crucial for students to develop a career in the hospitality industry. The Academy also offers job placement to their students in well placed positions.

Owing to the gaining popularity of the various courses offered by California Culinary Academy started provided online learning. The website of the Academy, On-line SPICE (Superior Products in Culinary Education), offers courses from 35 separate departments which consist of information on varied topics related to the industry through a graphic oriented interactive spice rack format.

Academic Courses

The various professional programs offered by California Culinary Academy are created to give students the necessary skills for acquiring positions at various levels (entry level, senior or supervisor level). One of the main courses offered by the Academy is the AOS Culinary Arts Degree Program. The various courses offered by California Culinary Academy range from associate to Bachelor, certificate as well as diploma courses:

Associate

• Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts
• Le Cordon Bleu Hospitality and Restaurant Management
• Le Cordon Bleu Patisserie and Baking

Bachelor

• Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Management
• Le Cordon Bleu Hospitality and Restaurant Management

Certificate

• Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts
• Le Cordon Bleu Patisserie and Baking

Diploma

• Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts
• Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Techniques
• Le Cordon Bleu Patisserie and Baking

Accreditation

The California Culinary Academy is nationally accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). The California Culinary Academy does not have any regional accreditation so some schools with regional accreditation are wary of accepting credits when it comes to transfer or recognition of degrees for admission into graduate courses.

Admissions Process

The admissions process for various culinary courses offered by California Culinary Academy involves the students applying online. The students need to provide the college with proof of earlier high education, graduate or a GED. To ensure admission in the Academy, students need to fill out the Academy application form. Once the application is accepted, the tuition needs to be sent. The California Culinary Academy enables students to gain a Specialized Associates Degree in Culinary Arts in about 18 months. Students also get the Le Cordon Bleu diploma. The Academy offers financial aid to students to take care of their college expenses.

Why to Apply

The California Culinary Academy and its online courses have gained tremendous popularity owing to its affiliation with Le Cordon Bleu which is acclaimed worldwide. Also, the demand for culinary experts is growing multifold which has resulted in the Academy growing at a very fast pace. The California Culinary Academy has enabled students to gain the necessary skills for the culinary as well as hotel industries. The various programs offered enable students to get a real-world experience with practical culinary training along with operational training in various aspects of the hospitality industry. Due to its practical approach towards culinary education, the college has enabled students to be placed in prominent positions across the industry. The Academy offers various weekend, consumer specific training programs and plans to take over the New York Restaurant School to reach out to more students.