Colorado

Where better to explore the heights of your passion for creating memorable cuisine for others than against the inspiring backdrop of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains? If you’ve been searching for a culinary arts program in the Colorado area, look no further than Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts, where you can pursue an Associate Degree or Diploma in the culinary arts and gain the education and hands-on training you need to take on roles in a variety of settings. Our Colorado culinary school offers immersive culinary learning through our Farm To Table® Experience where you can enhance skills and theory in your classes through working with local food producers on an area farm and in neighborhood restaurants during an industry externship. Our institution is accredited by ACCET and offers a culinary arts program that prepares you for the dynamic culinary landscape in Boulder, CO or beyond the Rocky Mountains in restaurants, hotels and other food service settings around the country or the world.

Curious about applying to culinary school in Colorado? Download: How to Enroll in Escoffier: The Essential Guide.

Associate of Occupational Studies Degree in Culinary Arts:

Curriculum

The 60-week Associate of Occupational Studies Degree in Culinary Arts Program equips graduates to pursue employment in a variety of culinary industry roles, in settings such as restaurants, country clubs, resorts, hotels and many other food service opportunities. Students can gain a comprehensive foundation of directly transferable skills in food service preparation, operations and management.

Learning Beyond the Classroom

To complement this program’s trajectory from culinary basics to regional and classical cuisines, a Farm To Table® Experience is incorporated where students from our Colorado culinary school work on a local farm to understand ingredient sourcing and the connection between producers and the table. A required externship component reinforces culinary theory through work done in a real industry kitchen, local restaurant, hotel or other food service establishment.

Diploma in Culinary Arts:

Explore Your Role In Culinary Arts

Escoffier’s diploma program gives students a taste of how they can contribute beyond course and instruction in general cuisine preparation and service as well as more specialized culinary experiences. Our Chef Educators offer one-on-one mentoring opportunities to reinforce your learning. You can experience each station in your test kitchen, working side-by-side with your culinary peers in one of the best culinary schools in Colorado.

Curriculum

The 30-week diploma program prepares students to enter the culinary workforce in settings such as restaurants, country clubs, resorts, hotels and many other food service opportunities. Students can gain an insider understanding of classical and universal culinary techniques in a hands-on setting, as two-thirds of this program is the practical application of knowledge and skills. This program offers a 6-week externship component as well to further bridge classroom learning with a culinary job role. To enhance this externship, Escoffier emphasizes career, personal development and entrepreneurial skills during this program.

Degree Courses

Courses in the degree program concentrate on both theory and application in the following areas:

  • Culinary Foundations

    The Culinary Foundations 6-week class begins with course work concentrating on food safety and sanitation in the professional kitchen. The class focuses on the importance of proper hygiene, food handling, food storage, cleaning, pest control and HACCP in a food service operation are explored. The national ServSafe® exam is administered as part of this course.

  • Restaurant Operations

    In this course, students study the hierarchy of management in food service, and the skills needed to succeed as a manager: training employees, motivating them, disciplining them, and creating a safe and positive work environment.

  • Culinary Arts and Patisserie

    In the Culinary Arts and Patisserie course, students build upon the foundations taught in Culinary Foundations. The course begins with an overview of breakfast cookery including classical American breakfast items such as egg cookery, quick breads, muffins, biscuits and breakfast meats.

  • The Science of Nutrition

    In the Science of Nutrition course, the basic principles of nutrition are investigated. Emphasis is placed on the nutrients, food sources, and their utilization in the body for growth and health throughout life. Contemporary and global nutritional issues are also discussed.

  • Business & Professional Communications

    Emphasizes the principles and practical application of effective professional communication behaviors within professional, business, and organizational contexts. Students will create and present oral presentations including cooking demonstrations, and special occasion speaking.

  • Culinary Entrepreneurship

    This course covers such topics as business planning, pricing, credit management, government regulation, and legal concerns. Business ethics and the crucial role and importance of management and leadership are also covered. For the final project for this course, the student will complete and present a business plan for a foodservice operation.

  • World History & Culture from the Culinary Perspective

    This course examines the role of food and its contribution and influence over history, culture, religion, economics, and politics. Food customs and attitudes are also explored, as well as, the social awareness selected food patterns and customs.

  • Farm To Table® Experience

    The Farm-To-Table® Experience 6-week course provides the students with a hands-on experience on a working farm/ranch or vineyard/orchard. The chef instructor conducts the lecture and lab activities to coincide with the harvested item(s) for a catered event executed by the students on-site. The students, under the direction of a Farmer/Rancher collect, harvest foods and/or proteins for the students’ lab activities.

  • World Cuisines

    In this course, students will take an in-depth look at a variety of cuisines from around the world. Students will take a global journey by studying the classical cuisines of France and Italy, and exploring a variety of regional cuisines from Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the Americas.

  • Culinary Industry Externship I

    Students gain relevant experience by working in an approved food service establishment. Students are required to satisfy 171 working hours and complete 9 lecture hours to fulfill their externship commitment as part of their graduation requirements.

  • Foodservice Math & Accounting

    Foodservice Math & Accounting introduces students to managerial accounting concepts and explains their applications to specific operations within the hospitality industry. Emphasis is placed on how to administer accounting procedures to minimize costs and maintain a full range of customer services. After summary of the fundamentals of culinary math, an overview of basic business accounting transactions is covered including asset/liability accounts such as accounts receivable and payable, ledgers, balance sheets, payroll and financial statements.

  • Culinary Industry Externship II

    Students gain relevant experience by working in an approved food service establishment. Students are required to satisfy another 171 working hours and complete other required assignments to fulfill their externship commitment as part of their graduation requirements.

  • Technical Writing for the Hospitality Industry

    Prepares students to write in the hospitality and foodservice professions. In a professional setting, writing provides readers information they need in a format they can understand.

Culinary Arts Curriculum

Our culinary degree and diploma programs in Colorado allow you to train in a classroom that’s also a state-of-the-art kitchen. Through our culinary arts curriculum, you can develop a strong foundation of foodservice, operations and management skills, and knowledge that can transfer to a real-world culinary role.

After researching Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts and comparing it to other schools, there were aspects that stood out. I loved the length of the program. It really worked with my schedule and my lifestyle. Also, the farm-to-table aspect was a really big selling point for me, so I was really looking forward to that.”*

Emilee Raney headshot

Emilee Raney

Culinary Arts Graduate, Savory Cuisines Catering
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