Culinary Arts

The culinary arts certificate is designed to provide students with the skills needed to secure an entry-level position in the restaurant/food service field. Students will gain basic skills in foods, sanitation, and nutrition, purchasing and human resources. The program allows the student to enter a new profession or acquire college credits with a minimal time investment, as well as providing the opportunity to continue on to the culinary arts associate degree program.

 

What can I do with this certificate?

The National Restaurant Association reports that restaurant industry sales reached a record of $537 billion in 2007—an increase of 5 percent over 2006 sales—and the nation's 935,000 restaurant-and-food service outlets will employ 12.8 million individuals, and add two million new career and employment opportunities in the next decade.

A degree in culinary arts from Mercyhurst North East can help prepare you for an exciting career in the food industry as a chef or food engineer at a variety of different settings, including:

• Hotels, resorts and spas

• Restaurants

• Consumer food production companies

• Hospitals

• Assisted living communities

• Airlines

• Cruise lines

• Country clubs

• Social clubs

• Consulting firms

• Colleges and universities

• Theme park

• Banquet facilities

Graduates of our certificate program have also gone on to complete our associate degree in culinary arts. A four-year bachelor's degree in culinary arts is also offered at Mercyhurst's Erie Campus. Our Internal Transfer Coordinator can help you determine if a move to the Erie Campus is right for you.