Culinary Arts - Higher Certificate in Arts

Program Overview

This Higher Certificate in Culinary Arts from TUS combines practical cooking skills and theoretical knowledge to prepare aspiring chefs for careers in the hospitality sector. Students develop a strong foundation in gastronomy, food innovation, and business skills while honing their creativity, artistry, and people management abilities. The program emphasizes practical experience, including work placements, to provide a well-rounded education. Graduates enjoy a high employment rate, working as chefs or pursuing opportunities in related fields.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

This Higher Certificate in Culinary Arts is designed for aspiring chefs who wish to work in restaurants, hotels, or pursue careers in food development. The program combines practical cookery skills with theoretical knowledge, exploring gastronomy, food innovation, and essential business skills.

Objectives:

• To develop practical cookery skills and techniques.
• To develop people management, marketing, communication, and financial management skills.
• To provide a strong link with industry through work placements.

Description:

The program emphasizes creativity, artistry, and business skills, offering an engaging student experience. It includes a work placement in Ireland or overseas, including locations in the United States, between Year 1 and Year 2. Students are required to pay approximately €450 for class materials, knives, books, uniforms, and safety shoes in the first week of college.

Outline:

Year 1 - Semester 1:

• Business Communications & PD (Credits: 5): Focuses on effective communication with stakeholders in the culinary and hospitality sector, personal and career development, and transitioning to independent learning in higher education.
• Culinary Principles (Credits: 5): Introduces core cookery processes, safe knife and equipment use, and essential culinary skills for professional cookery.
Covers food safety, hygiene, and efficient work practices.
• Culinary Service Techniques (Credits: 5): Develops skills for working in a live production kitchen, preparing, cooking, and presenting traditional lunch items in a team-based approach.
• Larder (Credits: 5): Focuses on the principles and techniques of Larder, preparing a range of foods safely, efficiently, and hygienically.
• Pastry Fundamentals (Credits: 5): Introduces fundamental pastry principles and techniques, covering basic preparations, pastes, breads, and biscuits.

Year 1 - Semester 2:

• Culinary Developments & Nutrition (Credits: 5): Develops skills for producing dishes suitable for breakfast, delicatessen, and healthy option menus.
Focuses on the link between nutrition, diet, and health, and menu composition.
• Culinary Operations (Credits: 5): Applies skills and techniques in a volume kitchen environment, upscaling recipes for volume production menus and service.
Emphasizes teamwork, individual and peer learning.
• Food Safety (Credits: 5): Provides theoretical knowledge of food safety and HACCP, equipping learners to monitor HACCP controls in the workplace.
• Pastries & Desserts (Credits: 5): Builds on Pastry Fundamentals, developing skills in using different pastes and creating hot and cold desserts and sponges.
• Principles of Management & Marketing (Credits: 5): Introduces key concepts and theories of management and marketing, developing an understanding of their role in modern organizations.
• Product Knowledge & Artisan Food Production (Credits: 5): Builds on Larder, exposing learners to Artisan Food Products, producer philosophies, and the environmental impact of food production.

Year 2 - Semester 1:

• Classical Cuisine Gastronomy (Credits: 5): Develops practical skills and product knowledge in Classical Cuisine, exploring the philosophical, artistic, historical, social, and scientific aspects of Gastronomy.
• Creative Desserts (Credits: 5): Builds on pastry fundamentals and classics, encouraging a creative approach to adapting classical pastry to a contemporary style.
• Culinary Led Event (Credits: 10): Reinforces and consolidates learning from Culinary Service Techniques, requiring students to plan, organize, and execute a complete food preparation, production, and service event.
• HRM Concepts (Credits: 5): Equips students with an understanding of core concepts in HR management, covering the origins, role, and practical operation of HRM in various organizations.
• Kitchen & Resource Management (Credits: 5): Introduces management of resources within a food service business operation.
• Taste of Ireland (Credits: 5): Explores culinary arts through Irish national and regional influences, using authentic ingredients and artisanal produce.

Year 2 - Semester 2:

• Bistronomy (Credits: 5): Explores the principles of Bistronomy, combining gastronomic excellence with a relaxed bistro atmosphere.
• Business Accounting & Cost (Credits: 5): Introduces core tools and principles for preparing and reviewing business accounts, focusing on the application of accounting information for business decision-making.
• Chocolate Confectionary & Plated Desserts (Credits: 5): Advances pastry skills, focusing on petit fours, afternoon tea pastries, and working with chocolate.
Develops skills for producing modern plated desserts.
• Contemporary Cuisine (Credits: 5): Provides insight into the diversity of modern cookery, preparing contemporary dishes and menus using authentic ingredients and modern methods.

Careers:

• Career Opportunities: Graduates have a 100% employment record, working as professional chefs in the hospitality sector in Ireland or overseas, progressing to Executive Chef or running their own restaurant.
They can also pursue opportunities in the wider food sector.
• Further Study: Graduates can progress to the 1-year level 7 add-on BA in Culinary Arts.

Other:

• TUS Partnership with the Irish Hospitality Institute (IHI): Students receive complimentary IHI membership, connecting them with the professional network and providing access to learning and development resources, including the IHI Mentors Matter program.
Graduates receive a further year of complimentary IHI membership.