When it comes to starting out in the culinary profession, the best way to stand out from the competition is by attending culinary school and getting yourself a degree. There are a variety of culinary degrees available, so it’s important to choose one that’s right for your individual circumstances. 

In this guide, we’ll be answering the question ‘what degree do you need to be a chef?’ and exploring the different degrees and diplomas we have available. We’ll also answer the question ‘what do you learn in culinary school?’ and show how attending one can transform your career, while also helping you understand what the education requirements for chefs are. 

Understanding the culinary profession

The culinary profession is an increasingly popular career choice among graduates and those looking for a change in their careers. By 2030, it’s predicted the number of jobs available for chefs and bakers will increase by 25%, making right now a great time to seize the opportunity to join the culinary profession. When it comes to culinary careers, there are many to choose from and several different career routes for you to explore when finding a way into the culinary field. 

Starting as a trainee chef and slowly working your way up through the chef hierarchy is definitely an option, as is getting an apprenticeship or completing a short course. However, obtaining a culinary degree will help you finesse your culinary skills and techniques, provide you with invaluable practical experience and make you stand out from the competition, making it one of the best ways to advance in your career as a chef. 

It’s important to remember the difference between a chef and cook as well. While becoming a cook can be simpler than obtaining a degree to become a top-class chef, it won’t provide you with the same variety of exciting and top-end job opportunities offered by being a chef. 

What does a chef do?

A chef is someone who has extensive knowledge of cooking techniques, uses fresh ingredients to prepare high-end dishes and understands how flavors complement one another. Sometimes a chef will be in charge of several other junior chefs and will need to plan and monitor everything that goes on in a commercial kitchen too. 

Why pursue a career in culinary arts?

 

Pursuing a career in the culinary arts provides you with the freedom to shape your professional culinary career. As well as taking on roles as chefs and bakers, many culinary graduates end up becoming restaurant managers, entrepreneurs, business owners, culinary consultants or events and catering managers, among other roles. It’s an exciting industry to be a part of, especially if you thrive in fast-paced environments where no two days are the same. 

Exploring the educational requirements for becoming a chef

Education requirements for becoming a chef will vary depending on the position you’re after. If you’re striving to become a Michelin star chef or want to own your own restaurant, having a degree is almost a necessity. Culinary schools and degree programs all state the education requirements for chefs, so it’s important to take a look at these when choosing which degree you want to do.

What is the minimum education required to be a chef?

There are no strict minimum culinary education requirements to become a chef, but you must be over 18 years of age to apply for our culinary certificate programs and have a passion for becoming a talented chef. Having a culinary degree will make you stand out from those who have opted to take different culinary career paths. 

Culinary degrees: overview

Obtaining a culinary arts degree can provide you with many opportunities and exciting career paths to follow. There are multiple culinary degrees available for you to choose from, so it’s important to consider what you want to achieve after you obtain your degree to ensure you select the right one for your individual circumstances. 

Both our degrees will enable you to develop your culinary skills and techniques and strengthen your background in the culinary arts.

Finding out more about these will enable you to discover which one is going to benefit you the most and help you answer the question: what degree do you need to be a chef?

Bachelor in Culinary Arts

 

Our bachelor's degree in culinary arts is a three-year culinary arts program that provides you with exciting internship opportunities and an in-depth understanding of restaurant management as well as culinary skills and techniques. You’ll be taught by one of our experts and will be able to go on to secure high-paying culinary roles in a professional kitchen, such as head chef or restaurant manager.

 

Stand out from the crowd with our culinary degree.

 
Deepen your knowledge of the culinary arts, practice techniques for an exciting career and learn from industry-leading professionals at our school in Paris.

Apply for our culinary arts bachelor's degree to kick-start your culinary journey and become an outstanding chef. 

Culinary Arts Diploma

Diploma programs in culinary arts are great choices for those who want to take their culinary career in a different direction. This six-month course explores French pastry art fundamentals, bistronomy and traditional cuisines, Mediterranean food and many more aspects of the culinary arts. You’ll also gain an in-depth understanding of a variety of essential classic techniques while refining communication skills, organizational skills and more to be a successful chef.

 

Ignite your passion for food with our culinary diploma.

Ranging from contemporary to classic cuisines and seasoned with essential skills and culinary art techniques, this culinary program can launch career changers on a new phase in their lives.

Discover how our culinary diploma can transform your career.

 
Can I specialize in a particular cuisine while pursuing a culinary degree?

Specializations in culinary degrees enable you to deepen your knowledge and skills in a particular type of cuisine or style of cooking. Our culinary training for a chef program will teach you how to handle a range of knives, use a variety of ingredients and master cooking techniques for different food groups.  

Can you become a chef with a bachelor’s degree in a different field?

You can become a professional chef with a bachelor’s degree in another field, but your degree won’t provide you with the same opportunities, connections and future prospects as one of our culinary degrees. Having a degree in the culinary arts is the best degree to have if you want to have a successful career in the restaurant industry. 

The benefits of getting a degree in culinary arts

 

Getting a degree in culinary arts has many benefits, from assisting you in launching your cheffing career to being a platform to explore your passions. You’ll be equipped with the knowledge and experience you need for a variety of different job roles and your degree will also help you understand how to manage and market businesses in the food industry.

What are the career prospects after obtaining a culinary degree?

The culinary career prospects that become available after obtaining a degree in the culinary arts are wide-ranging. You may have an end goal of becoming a head or executive chef or perhaps you have plans to become a culinary entrepreneur or business owner - both are possible with a culinary degree. If you’re interested in finding out more about the differences between executive and head chef roles, why not take a look at our executive chef vs head chef blog post?

Can I become a chef without a degree?

You don’t necessarily need a degree to begin a chef career. However, if you want to hit the ground running and are striving to become an executive or head chef, a degree will dramatically increase your chances of standing out from the competition. Our professional certificates for chefs will demonstrate to your future employers how skilled you are and show them you have gained valuable real-life experience during your course. 

Deciding the right educational path for you

When deciding on the right online culinary degree for you, you need to remember to check the admission requirements for culinary schools and take your overall goals and career prospects into consideration. Meeting the requirements for the course is the first step when applying, so it’s important to know what they are for your chosen course.  

There are alternative paths you can follow to becoming a chef, but you won't get the same wealth of experience as you will from our culinary degrees. You may find it harder to secure higher-level jobs without a degree and you won’t have access to the specialist, expert chefs who teach our programs, internships and advanced practices. 

Conclusion

Attending our culinary school in France will enable you to get a culinary degree that will help you launch your career and stay one step ahead of your competitors. You’ll learn essential techniques and strengthen your culinary knowledge and background so you can bring valuable experience to future chef roles and build a career you love.