Essential Information
Students in Wisconsin who are interested in pursuing careers in the culinary field can find a number of technical colleges offering relevant programs, including those at undergraduate certificate, diploma and associate degree levels. Besides culinary arts, students can participate in programs focusing on baking and pastry arts, food service production or culinary management. Graduates of culinary degree programs can go on to pursue career opportunities in the hospitality and food service industry, such as caterer, chef, dietary aide or specialty cook. Profiled below are the ten largest Wisconsin colleges that offer culinary programs.
Blackhawk Technical College
Blackhawk Technical College is located in Janesville. The school enrolls over 3,000 students in a variety of associate's degree and certificate programs. Blackhawk offers a 70-credit-hour Associate of Applied Science in Culinary Arts program, which is designed to be completed in two years. Students explore food science, nutrition, beverage management and gourmet foods throughout the course of the program.
Fox Valley Technical College
This Appleton college has a student population of more than 10,000. Culinary students can enroll in Fox Valley's Associate in Applied Science in Culinary Arts program. This 68-credit-hour program is designed to prepare students for hospitality supervision and restaurant operations and develop their culinary skills. Students learn about food, beverage and labor cost controls. This college also offers a technical diploma in food service production.
Gateway Technical College
Kenosha's Gateway Technical College has more than 9,000 students and a variety of certificate and associate's degree programs. In the Associate of Applied Science in Culinary Arts program, students learn about garde manger, food purchasing, nutrition and catering. Students also take courses in menu planning, basic and advanced culinary skills, international cuisine and fine dining. The Racine campus offers most of the classes.
Madison Area Technical College
Aspiring chefs in the Madison area can study culinary arts at Madison Area Technical College. The Associate of Applied Science in Culinary Arts program is designed to be completed in two years and is available at the school's Truax campus. Graduates of the program are prepared for mid-management careers in the hospitality industry, including food preparation and restaurant service. Coursework includes professional cooking techniques, hotel and restaurant accounting, meat cutting, catering, food theory and culinary baking. A one-year technical diploma in baking and decorative arts is also available at the Truax campus.
Milwaukee Area Technical College
Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) in Milwaukee offers certificate and associate's degree programs to over 19,000 students a year. Students interested in pursuing a career in the culinary arts can pursue an associate's degree at MATC. The two-year program includes coursework in specialty foods, baking, sanitation, dining room service, menu planning, catering and nutrition. Graduates are prepared to work as cooks, bakers and restaurant managers in a variety of settings, including restaurants, hotels and institutional food service companies.
Moraine Park Technical College
Moraine Park Technical College is located in Fond du Lac. The school serves more than 6,500 students per year. Students can earn an Associate of Applied Science in Culinary Arts after the completion of at least 69 credits. In addition to food principles, menu planning and nutrition, associate's degree students learn about meat analysis, gourmet cooking, baking and ethnic foods. Prospective chefs also can complete certificate programs in food production, deli/bakery or artisan baking, as well as a technical diploma program in food service production.
Nicolet Area Technical College
Nicolet Area Technical College in Rhinelander enrolls less than 1,500 students. The school offers several programs for students interested in culinary programs. They can earn a Culinary Career Essentials Certificate, a Culinary Essentials Technical Diploma or an Associate of Applied Science in Culinary Arts. Certificate students complete classes in sanitation and safety, food theory and food production principles. The 30-credit technical diploma prepares students for employment as short order cooks, dietary aides, assistant bakers or caterer assistants. Students in the 70-credit associate's program work toward careers as sous chefs, specialty cooks or caterers while taking courses like culinary math, food purchasing, professional baking and food service supervision.
Southwest Wisconsin Technical College
Southwest Wisconsin Technical College is located in Fennimore and offers an Associate of Applied Science in Culinary Arts program. Students learn about cooking principles and equipment, nutrition and hospitality law. Courses also cover soups and sauces, fruits and vegetables, meat, poultry and seafood. Additionally, students can earn a certificate in food production assistant, a diploma in culinary specialist or an associate's degree in culinary management.
Waukesha County Technical College
Waukesha County Technical College is located in the city of Pewaukee. Waukesha offers certificates and associate's degrees and serves over 9,000 students annually. Students pursuing a culinary career can enroll in the Associate of Applied Science in Culinary Management program. This 70-credit program is accredited by the American Culinary Federation. Students in this program study culinary nutrition, garde manger, restaurant cuisine and hospitality law. Students also are required to complete a culinary management internship.
Western Technical College
La Crosse-based Western Technical College offers associate's and certificate programs to its student body of more than 5,000. The Associate in Applied Science in Culinary Management program requires students to complete 68 credits. Students in this program study food science, food storage, nutrition, menu design and purchasing. The associate's program can be completed in four semesters and includes a culinary management and catering practicum. The school's technical diploma in food production specialist program also includes many food preparation courses.
School Comparison: At a Glance
| School Name | School Type & Setting | Culinary Arts Degree Programs Offered | Undergraduate Tuition & Fees (2018-2019)* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blackhawk Technical College | Two-year, public; fringe rural | Associate of Applied Science in Culinary Arts | In-state: $4,364 Out-of-state: $6,647 |
| Fox Valley Technical College | Two-year, public; midsize suburb | Technical Diploma in Food Service Production, Associate in Applied Science in Culinary Arts |
In-state: $4,565 Out-of-state: $6,578 |
| Gateway Technical College | Two-year, public; midsize suburb | Associate of Applied Science in Culinary Arts | In-state: $4,454 Out-of-state: $6,467 |
| Madison Area Technical College | Four-year (primarily associate's), public; midsize city | Technical Diploma in Baking and Decorative Arts, Associate of Applied Science in Culinary Arts |
In-state: $4,407 Out-of-state: $6,512 |
| Milwaukee Area Technical College | Two-year, public; large city | Associate in Applied Science in Culinary Arts | In-state: $4,589 Out-of-state: $6,602 |
| Moraine Park Technical College | Two-year, public; small city | Culinary Basics Certificate, Associate of Applied Science in Culinary Arts |
In-state: $4,403 Out-of-state: $6,377 |
| Nicolet Area Technical College | Two-year, public; fringe rural | Culinary Career Essentials Certificate, Culinary Assistant Technical Diploma, Associate of Applied Science in Culinary Arts |
In-state: $4,404 Out-of-state: $6,606 |
| Southwest Wisconsin Technical College | Two-year, public; distant rural | Certificate in Food Production Assistant, Associate of Applied Science in Culinary Arts |
In-state: $4,404 Out-of-state: $6,377 |
| Waukesha County Technical College | Two-year, public; large suburb | Baking/Pastry Technical Certificate, Baking and Pastry Production Technical Diploma, Food Service Production Technical Diploma, Associate of Applied Science in Culinary Management |
In-state: $4,405 Out-of-state: $6,271 |
| Western Technical College | Two-year, public; small city | Technical Diploma in Food Production Specialist, Associate in Applied Science in Culinary Management |
In-state: $4,403 Out-of-state: $6,377 |
Source: *NCES College Navigator
