Restaurant Operations

In this course, students study the hierarchy of management in food service, and the skills needed to succeed as a manager: training employees, motivating them, disciplining them, and creating a safe and positive work environment.

Foundations of Baking and Pastry

This course concentrates on food safety and sanitation in the professional kitchen. The importance of proper hygiene, food handling and storage, cleaning, pest control and HACCP in a food service operation is explored. The course includes baking and pastry mixing methods and ingredient identification. The framework in understanding the principles of the following cooking and baking techniques are taught: classic pastry doughs, pȃte à choux, fried doughs, pies and tarts, baked custards and stove top custards, quick breads, scones, muffins, cookies, brownies and bars, as well as dessert sauces.

Business and Professional Communications

This course emphasizes the principles and practical application of effective communication behaviors within professional, business, and organizational contexts. In addition to identifying the importance of valuable communication skills in the hospitality industry, communication styles and effective listening methods are addressed. Students will create oral presentations including cooking demonstrations, and special occasion speeches. Listening skills, verbal and nonverbal communication, conflict resolution, cultural differences in communication, and debate techniques are also covered.

World History & Culture from the Culinary Perspective

This course examines the role of food and its contribution and influence over history, culture, religion, economics and politics. It addresses societal organization impact, industrial development, military conflict, and economic expansion.

Patisserie and Cake Design

Pȃtisserie begins with learning the classic meringue techniques that lead into the creation of European buttercreams. Students will learn classic mixing methods and piping skills. Specialty dessert cakes and decorated special occasion cakes are a major focus of this course work concentrating on factors related to the baking industry. Frozen desserts and plating as well as principles and techniques in wedding cake construction are also covered. Pastry and baking production timelines are examined as students are introduced to sugar cookery and fresh fruit dessert items. This course provides instruction, examples, and guidance in the following areas: decorating classic European cakes, rolled fondant designed cakes, hand iced specialty cakes, ice cream and sorbet, candied fruit, gum paste flowers, marzipan, and modeling chocolate.

Technical Writing for the Hospitality Industry

This course prepares students to write in the hospitality and food service professions. In a professional setting, writing provides readers information they need in a format they can understand.

This course outlines strategies for making subjects clear to readers who need to understand them. It demonstrates how to effectively communicate with an audience as the author must meet rigorous editing standards, in addition to writing in a clear, concise style and presenting information logically.

Foodservice Math and Accounting

Foodservice Math & Accounting introduces students to managerial accounting concepts and explains their applications to specific operations within the hospitality industry. Emphasis is placed on how to administer accounting procedures to minimize costs and maintain a full range of customer services. After summary of the fundamentals of culinary math, an overview of basic business accounting transactions is covered including asset/liability accounts such as accounts receivable and payable, ledgers, balance sheets, payroll and financial statements.

Confiserie and Artisan Baking

Artisan Bread provides the framework for understanding the principles behind various methods and techniques, including pre-fermentation, biga, and sponge methods; extended fermentation; the steps of bread production; and proper shaping, proofing, and scoring. Students will also explore whole-grain breads, Italian artisan breads, enriched breads, special occasion and holiday breads, and laminated doughs.

Additionally, students will study proper techniques for buying, storing, and melting chocolate; tempering chocolate; creating chocolate candies, truffles, pralines, nut-based candies, and cooked sugar-based candies; as well as understanding the principles of sugar art design and execution, chocolate decorations, amenity design and execution.

The Science of Nutrition

This course covers the basic principles of nutrition, emphasizing nutrients, food sources, and their role in growth, development, and overall health. Contemporary and global nutritional issues are also discussed.

Entrepreneurship

This course covers such topics as business planning, pricing, credit management, government regulation, legal concerns, and business ethics. Students learn how to manage and how to lead. For the final project for this course, the student will complete and present a business plan for a food service operation.

Contemporary and Global Pastry Arts

This course highlights modern considerations in the baking industry. Trends in diets and eating habits are constantly changing, and being able to stay on top of them is a key industry skill. Students also learn about cutting-edge trends in dessert composition and contemporary plating techniques, and how to stay current with those. In addition, the course explores regional desserts, as well as their cultural significance and the historical influences that produced them.

Externship I

This course provides opportunities for real life experiences in an operational restaurant or related business and builds on the skills and techniques covered in previous courses. In the course, students apply the skills they’ve learned in practical ways to real-world situations. Students gain hands-on experience in a kitchen that mirrors their future work in the industry and develop the skills necessary for a culinary career. Immersion in a work environment also allows students to develop industry contacts and build working relationships.

Externship II

This course provides opportunities for real life experiences in an operational restaurant or related business and builds on the skills and techniques covered in previous courses. In the course, students apply the skills they’ve learned in practical ways to real-world situations. Students gain hands-on experience in a kitchen that mirrors their future work in the industry and develop the skills necessary for a culinary career. Immersion in a work environment also allows students to develop industry contacts and build working relationships.