Students are propelled into any culinary arts program by dreams of restaurant ownership and the ambition to join the ranks of leading 21st-century chefs. At The Art Institute of Vancouver, the coursework is designed to cultivate this sort of excellence, but its programs aren’t for the unmotivated.

At the institute, the educational process is engaging and dynamic, and you’ll be expected to grab the reins of your own culinary career. You’ll be surrounded by likeminded students and industry professionals who will challenge and support you. For students with a strong work ethic and lofty career goals, all this works together to ensure a competitive advantage in North America’s hospitality and culinary arts industry.

The faculty at The Art Institute of Vancouver is central to student success. These are working professionals eager to share their industry experience through in-class curriculum and hands-on tutorials. Most of the training takes place in classrooms and laboratories, but you’ll also have the opportunity to flesh out your experience through internships, independent studies and field trips. Visits to commercial settings and Vancouver-based cultural attractions ensure you’ll have more than a list of certificates and diplomas to put on your resume.

As a graduate, you’ll be on the shortlist of sought-after job candidates in North America. There are countless culinary arts programs out there that charge hefty tuition but deliver lackluster job prospects. But thanks to its cutting-edge curriculum and international network of campuses, the Arts Institute of Vancouver places you in contention for some of the best placements in the world.

Pic: The Art Institute of Vancouver.

Real-world experience
One of the advantages of working with The Art Institute of Vancouver’s culinary arts program is the chance to put your culinary training to work in a fast-paced professional environment. This is possible through Culinaria, a trendy restaurant located in downtown Vancouver and operated through the institute.

Culinaria’s menu features genuine North American favorites from the Pacific Northwest. It’s constantly evolving thanks to the input of the institute’s chefs in training. The restaurant is open every weekday for lunch and every Wednesday to Friday for dinner.

Whether working on certificate or participating in a full-fledged diploma program, you’ll have the opportunity to gain industry experience at Culinaria. Advanced students fulfill leadership roles both in the front and back of the house, while students working on culinary arts and baking certificates handle back of the house production.

This is a fully functional restaurant with real customers from Vancouver, which means the pressures and challenges you encounter will be preparing you for your future. The time you spend at work here will see you mastering every aspect of restaurant ownership and management.

The culinary arts sector is competitive, and five-star restaurants in North America are reluctant to sign on a new chef who lacks actual experience. Training at Culinaria ensures that your resume will rest at the top of the stack where it belongs.

Academics
Anyone looking for a competitive culinary arts school knows that the options can be overwhelming. Finding the right fit isn’t easy, especially for students with a broad range of interests who shy away from being boxed into a particular specialty.

The range of coursework on offer at the Art Institute of Vancouver is broad enough to appeal to a variety of interests. Offerings begin with basic certificate programs and go on to include more in-depth diploma courses. Meanwhile, the most ambitious students build on basic culinary arts diplomas by adding advanced emphases on business, entrepreneurship and restaurant management.

Certificate Programs

Baking and Pastry Arts Level 1
This certificate program lays the foundation for a career in baking and patisserie. It’s a two-quarter (22 week) program worth a total of about 30 credit hours. As an enrollee, you’ll cover all of the basics in baking, including purchasing, menu management, product identification and sanitation.

Baking and Pastry Arts Level 2
The level-2 certificate program leads students into more advanced techniques used by pastry chefs and professional bakers. You’ll build your level-1 foundation by honing your skills teamwork and coordination. These are essential for any professional baker intent on working in an industrial kitchen. Finally, you’ll be introduced to pastries, cakes, chocolates, frozen desserts and artisanal breads.

Culinary Arts Level 1
This broad foundational program spans four quarters and covers roasting, poaching, frying and braising. This is the cornerstone of any chef’s credentials, paving the way to world-class kitchens around the world. You’ll be working with your hands in this program, honing knife skills, promoting hygiene and implementing theory. Expect to taste, evaluate, prepare and serve a range of specialties.

Culinary Arts Level 2
In the level-2 culinary arts program, you’ll be working with chef instructors to develop advanced skills necessary to meet the demands of a 21st-century kitchen. Asian cuisine is a secondary focus in level 2. Finally, you’ll go to work in Culinaria restaurant, which seats up to 40 guests and is operated by students at the Art Institute of Vancouver

Diploma Programs

Baking and Pastry Arts
This program covers all of the fundamental concepts, techniques and skills required of any professional baker. Instruction extends well beyond cooking techniques to cover administrative skills and other out-of-the-oven considerations.

Culinary Arts
This sweeping diploma program equips you with the skills, ethics, creativity and knowhow needed to flourish in any 21st-century culinary arts profession. The challenges and requirements of this field are rapidly changing, and the threat of becoming obsolete is real and pressing. This diploma program ensures a competitive edge.

Culinary Arts and Restaurant Ownership
Chefs do a lot more than mere cooking, and this advanced degree delivers the full suite of skills culinary arts professionals need to succeed. It’s a six-quarter program that covers everything from preparation and presentation to effective leadership techniques. Finally, Culinaria training restaurant serves as a proving ground where practical skills are honed.

Entrepreneurship and Restaurant Management
Whether looking to launch a career in hospitality management or open your own restaurant, this program will deliver all of the fundamentals needed to make your venture a success. The program caters to aspiring professionals looking for more than mere chef credentials. Enrollees must complete a basic culinary diploma program first, and they go on to learn how to oversee food quality, finances and staffing considerations, while dealing with customers and launching new marketing campaigns. At the end of the course, students complete a business plan for a medium-sized restaurant.

Hospitality and Restaurant Business Management
This program targets students who are already working in the service industry and are eager to reshape their future prospects. The world’s most successful restaurants stake their image on the ability to exceed customer expectations for service, flavor, quality and nutrition. As a graduate, you’ll re-enter the industry as an ideal candidate for management. An externship is also worked into the curriculum.

Pic: The Art Institutes.

Campus life
Many culinary arts schools offer little more than a barebones commuter campus experience, but The Art Institute of Vancouver goes well beyond. You’ll have the option to live in student housing, to join engaging clubs and societies and to take part in intramural sports. You’ll also be able to join planning committees that develop festivals and events throughout the year.

The institute contracts with local townhouses and apartments to provide students with housing in Vancouver. This provides outstanding opportunities to network and bundle expenses into your student financial plan. This is an especially attractive option for students who are new to Vancouver and would like to spend at least a year within earshot of staff supervisors who can help you settle in and adjust.

The institute also maintains a roster of clubs and societies that you can get involved with. Some of these focus on the culinary industry and build secondary credentials that you can add to your resume. Others are entirely recreational.

Living in Vancouver
If Vancouver was ever a quiet Canadian backwater, the 2010 Winter Olympics ensured that it never will be again. Today, this is one of the most sought-after places to live and work in North America – especially for those with a penchant for the outdoors. When you live in a place as engaging and exciting as this, going home on weekends or holidays just seems like a waste.

This is easily one of the greatest places to live on the continent, whether looking at quality of life, rate of pay or environment. Museums and galleries abound, but the real attractions are the snowy peaks in the hinterland, which is a mecca for North American skiers and snowboarders.

There’s also a rousing Chinatown in the mix, where culinary arts students go for Far-East inspiration and exotic recipes. Rounding out the scene are a few hip and lively entertainment districts, where the coffee shops, English-style pubs and hip hangouts cater to revelers from any background.

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