The Associate of Applied Science (AAS) Culinary Arts program offers chef training (basic and advanced) as well as restaurant management skills. After studying the fundamentals of classical and contemporary cuisine and restaurant procedures, students will develop advanced skills in garde manger and a la carte cooking. Students have the opportunity to choose between a local or distant externship during their final term in the program. The graduate will have the necessary training to work in a variety of culinary positions such as sous chef, garde manger, kitchen supervisor, and restaurant manager.
Oregon Coast Culinary Institute (OCCI) at Southwestern was granted accreditation by the American Culinary Federation (ACF). This accreditation is the highest level available for initial accreditation by the ACF – the premier professional chefs' organization in North America, focusing its efforts on offering education, apprenticeship and industry certification. With the ACF accreditation, OCCI’s graduates can gain the title of certified culinarian upon graduation, along with their associate’s degrees.
Entry Requirements
For application and fee information, contact OCCI Admissions at 541-888-7195.
Graduation Requirements
Students must complete a minimum of 90 credit hours with a cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.0 or better. All courses in this program must be completed with a grade of 'C' or better. Twenty-four (24) credits must be completed at Southwestern before the AAS Culinary Arts degree is awarded.
Complete the graduation application process one term prior to the term of completion (e.g., spring term graduates must apply during winter term).
Pre-Program Courses
Students are required to take the following courses prior to the program courses, depending on students' college placement information. See advisor for details:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CIS90 | Computer Basics (or demonstrate proficiency) | 2 |
| MTH20 | Basic Mathematics (or placement in higher math course) | 4 |
| WR90R | Academic Literacy (or placement in higher writing course) | 4 |
Program Guide
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| CRT2000 | Introduction Professional Cooking | 5 |
| CRT2001 | Basic Food Preparation | 6 |
| CRT2002 | Intro Food and Beverage Industry | 1 |
| CRT2015 | Sanitation and Safety for Managers | 3 |
| CRT2039 | Prof Pres for the Culinary Wrkfrc 1 | 3 |
| MTH81 | Applied Mathematics for Culinary Arts | 4 |
| Credits | 22 | |
| Winter | ||
| CRT2003 | Baking and Pastry for Culinary Arts | 6 |
| CRT2005 | Menu Planning and Design | 1 |
| CRT2007 | Inventory Control and Purchasing | 1 |
| CRT2016 | Culinary Nutrition 2 | 3 |
| CRT2050 | Regional and International Cuisine | 6 |
| CIS120 | Concepts of Computing | 4 |
| Credits | 21 | |
| Spring | ||
| CRT2012 | A La Carte I | 6 |
| CRT2013 | A La Carte II | 6 |
| CRT2017 | Restaurant Management Supervision | 3 |
| CRT2018 | Culinary Arts Career Planning | 1 |
| WR115 | Introduction to Expository Writing (or higher) 3 | 3 |
| Credits | 19 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Summer | ||
| CRT2004 | Introduction Vineyards and Beverage | 2 |
| CRT2006 | Restaurant Layout and Design | 2 |
| CRT2060 | Garde Manger | 8 |
| HE250 | Personal Health 4 | 3 |
| CRT2038 | Applied Visual Principles | 1 |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Fall | ||
| CRT280C2 | CWE: Culinary Arts | 12 |
| Credits | 12 | |
| Total Credits | 90 | |
| 1 | SP111 Fundamentals of Public Speaking or higher may be substituted for CRT2039 Prof Pres for the Culinary Wrkfrc. |
| 2 | FN225 Nutrition may be substituted for CRT2016 Culinary Nutrition. |
| 3 | Excluding WR241 Imaginative Creative Writing Fiction, WR242 Imaginative Writing Poetry Poetry, WR243 Imaginative Writing Explorations, and WR250 Autobiography Writing. |
| 4 | PE231 Wellness for Life or three (3) credits of PE185 sport/activity courses can be substituted for HE250 Personal Health. |
Program Student Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this program the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate understanding of safety and sanitation knowledge through application in the kitchen environment in areas of food handling and kitchen equipment use, including knife handling skills.
- Demonstrate food preparation foundations through applications of basic cooking methods in the areas of the hot kitchen, cold kitchen, and pastry.
- Become familiar with regional and international cuisines through a learned appreciation of native products, flavors and techniques.
- Understand key elements of successfully operating food service establishments by utilizing concepts of nutrition, safe and profitable menu and restaurant design, and further applying critical thinking through food costing, purchasing and receiving, and supervisory management concepts.