PEMEX Gurgaon : Career Info for a Degree in General Cooking & Culinary Arts

Career Options

Students may study culinary arts by obtaining a certification, an associate's degree or a bachelor's degree. Career options for culinary arts graduates include chef, pastry chef and baker, among others.

Chef

A head chef typically oversees a kitchen at a restaurant or other food service establishment. This can include monitoring ingredient quality, directing others in the kitchen and developing menus. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) stated that the job outlook would increase 5% for all chefs and head cooks from 2012-2022 . Payscale.com reports a annual median salary of $56,352 for all executive chefs.

Pastry Chef

Pastry chefs create pastries, desserts and related food items. They often must undergo a period of on-the-job training in environments such as pastry shops, bakeries, hotels and restaurants. For job outlook and salary purposes, the BLS groups pastry chefs with chefs and head cooks.

Pastry chefs can achieve professional certification through the ACF at multiple levels, such as Certified Pastry Culinarian, Certified Working Pastry Chef, Certified Executive Pastry Chef and Certified Master Pastry Chef. In some cases, these certifications build on one other.

Bakers

Bakers make bread, pastries, pies, rolls, croissants, buns, muffins, cakes and other foods. Many bakers work in grocery stores, small-scale bakeries or pastry shops, while others are employed at industrial bread-making facilities. The BLS reported the job outlook for bakers would increase 6% from 2012-2022, and the median salary for bakers was $23,600 in May 2014.

Educational Options

While postsecondary education may not be required to work in this field, some education in culinary arts or a related field may be preferred by employers. Education also could help individuals move into management or head chef positions.

Culinary Arts Programs

Culinary arts can be studied at the certificate, associate's degree and bachelor's degree levels. Required courses commonly include food safety and sanitation, as well as purchasing, international cooking, catering, nutrition and sustainable food theory. Bachelor's programs often move into more advanced subjects, like management, and culinary arts training is sometimes offered as part of a broader program in hospitality or nutrition. Certificate programs may be offered as short overviews of the field or as professional options offering specialization.

Baking and Pastry Programs

These programs typically are offered at the certificate and associate degree levels and often include study in culinary theory and sanitation. Students focus on creating custom desserts and artisan breads, in addition to learning about centerpieces, wedding cakes and custards. These programs also tend to include required practical experience at approved restaurants and hospitality sites.