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AS Vegetarian Culinary Arts

Culinary Demonstration

Mushroom and Spinach Cavatappi with Creamy Tomato Sauce

Southern Adventist University offers an Associate of Science Degree in Vegetarian Culinary Arts.  Students with this degree will become chefs and head cooks who oversee the daily food preparation at restaurants and other places where food is served. Graduates will direct kitchen staff and handle any food-related concerns.

Culinary Demonstration

Yum Bowl

Culinary Arts Career Information
Chefs and head cooks typically do the following:
  • Check the freshness of food and ingredients
  • Supervise and coordinate activities of cooks and other food preparation workers
  • Develop recipes and determine how to present dishes
  • Plan menus and ensure the quality of meals
  • Inspect supplies, equipment, and work areas for cleanliness and functionality
  • Hire, train, and supervise cooks and other food preparation workers
  • Order and maintain an inventory of food and supplies
  • Monitor sanitation practices and follow kitchen safety standards
Chefs and head cooks use a variety of kitchen and cooking equipment, including step-in coolers, high-quality knives, slicers, and grinders. They also have access to large quantities of ingredients, spices, and produce. Some chefs use scheduling and purchasing software to help them in their administrative tasks.

Chefs who run their own restaurant or catering business are often busy with kitchen and office work. Some chefs use social media to promote their business by advertising new menu items or addressing customer reviews.

Most chefs and head cooks work full time, including early mornings, late evenings, weekends, and holidays. Many chefs and head cooks work more than 40 hours a week because they oversee the delivery of food supplies early in the day and use the afternoon to prepare special menu items.

The median annual wage for chefs and head cooks was $41,500 in May 2015. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $23,150, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $74,170.

Employment of chefs and head cooks is projected to grow 9 percent from 2014 to 2024, faster than the average for all occupations.

Population and income growth will result in greater demand for high-quality dishes at a variety of dining venues. As a result, more restaurants and other dining places are expected to open to satisfy consumer desire for dining out.

In addition, consumers increasingly are preferring healthier meals and faster service. This trend will contribute to the growth of fast-casual restaurants, representing a segment within limited-service restaurants where consumers pay for food before eating. Many of these new establishments will require more chefs and head cooks. 

What can I do with a Culinary Arts Degree?»
AS Vegetarian Culinary Arts Sequences

Please check with the Catalog to verify that all class requirements have been met.


Admission to Vegetarian Culinary Arts
Interested candidates must apply and first be accepted as a student at Southern Adventist University and then apply for acceptance into the Vegetarian Culinary Arts program. 

Strong candidates will display a passion for food and its preparation, will exhibit a strong work ethic and interest in a hands-on career, will be very career focused, and will relish the opportunity to participate in an intense and fast-paced academic program. Some previous experience in the food industry is highly recommended.
Questions?
Email: Bonny Musgrave

 "The science of cooking is not a small matter. The skillful preparation of food is one of the most essential arts. It should be regarded as among the most valuable of all the arts, because it is so closely connected with the life. Both physical and mental strength depend to a great degree upon the food we eat; therefore the one who prepares the food occupies an important and elevated position.” Ellen White (Counsels to Parents, Teachers, Children. Pg. 312)

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