Culinary Arts (AAS)

Program Overview

The Culinary Arts (AAS) program at Colorado Mesa University equips students with essential skills and techniques for entry-level positions in the hospitality industry. Covering safety, nutrition, food preparation, baking, dining room management, beverage service, and hospitality supervision, the program meets American Culinary Federation standards and prepares graduates for roles in restaurants, hotels, catering companies, and food service management.

Program Outline

Students learn essential skills and techniques, including:

• Safety and sanitation: This aspect covers both personal hygiene and food safety procedures for preparation, storage, and service.
• Nutrition: Students gain knowledge about nutritional principles and how to apply them in culinary settings.
• Food preparation: The program emphasizes a wide range of culinary techniques, including various cooking methods and ingredient combinations.
• Baking: Students master essential baking techniques and recipes.
• Dining room management: The curriculum covers the management and operation of a dining room, including service standards and etiquette.
• Beverage service: Students develop knowledge of different beverages, wine pairings, and service protocols.
• Hospitality supervision: The program prepares students for leadership roles in the industry, teaching them how to manage teams, delegate tasks, and ensure operational efficiency.
• Cost controls and purchasing: Students learn essential business principles like budgeting, cost analysis, and efficient purchasing practices.
The curriculum is aligned with the American Culinary Federation's standards for sanitation, nutrition, and supervision training. Students can pursue further studies in the Bachelor of Applied Science in Hospitality Management program after completing the AAS.

Outline:

The program requires 62 semester hours of coursework, and the curriculum is structured as follows:

Essential Learning Requirements (15 Semester Hours):

• Communication:
• One of the following courses:
• ENGL 112: English Composition II-GTCO2
• SPCH 101: Interpersonal Communications
• SPCH 102: Speechmaking
• Mathematics: MATH 107: Career Math (or higher)
• Other Essential Learning Core Courses:
• Two courses from Social and Behavioral Sciences, History, Natural Sciences, Fine Arts, or Humanities.

Other Lower Division Requirements (2 Semester Hours):

• Wellness Requirement: KINE 100: Health and Wellness
• Activity Course: Select one activity course

Program Specific Degree Requirements (45 Semester Hours):

• Core Courses:
• CUAR 100: Culinary Program Fundamentals
• CUAR 101: Food Safety & Sanitation
• CUAR 115: Introduction to Sustainable Cuisine
• CUAR 125: Introduction to Foods
• CUAR 129: Center of the Plate
• CUAR 145: Introduction to Baking
• CUAR 156: Nutrition for the Hospitality Professional
• CUAR 179: Wines, Spirits, and Beers
• CUAR 190: Dining Room Management
• CUAR 238: American Regional Cuisine
• CUAR 245: International Cuisine
• CUAR 251: Advanced Garde Manger and Hors D'Oeuvres
• CUAR 255: Supervision in the Hospitality Industry (or HMGT 200: Management and Supervisory Skills for the Hospitality Industry)
• CUAR 262: Purchasing for the Hospitality Industry
• CUAR 293: Restaurant Operations Practicum

Plan of Study Grid (Example Course Sequence):

First Year:

• Fall Semester:
• CUAR 100 (1st Mod)
• CUAR 101 (1st Mod)
• CUAR 125 (2nd Mod)
• CUAR 145 (2nd Mod)
• ENGL 111
• MATH 107
• Spring Semester:
• CUAR 115
• CUAR 129 (1st Mod)
• CUAR 179
• CUAR 238 (2nd Mod)
• CUAR 262

Second Year:

• Fall Semester:
• CUAR 156
• CUAR 190
• CUAR 245
• CUAR 251
• One of the following:
• ENGL 112
• SPCH 101
• SPCH 102
• Spring Semester:
• CUAR 255 or HMGT 200
• CUAR 293
• KINE 100
• Activity Course

Careers:

Graduates of the Culinary Arts (AAS) program are prepared for entry-level positions in various sectors of the hospitality industry, including:

• Restaurants: Chef de Partie, Line Cook, Prep Cook, Sous Chef
• Hotels and Resorts: Banquet Chef, Food and Beverage Supervisor
• Catering Companies: Chef, Head Cook
• Food Service Management: Food Service Manager, Food Production Manager
• Food Retail: Deli Chef, Specialty Food Production, Baker

Other:

The program may require students to purchase cooking tools and appropriate chef's clothing, but this is not included in the required textbooks. Costs for tools will vary based on student needs and the quality of the tools purchased. Students are expected to demonstrate proficiency in several key areas, including:

• Specialized knowledge/applied learning
• Quantitative fluency
• Communication fluency
• Critical thinking
• Personal and social responsibility