Culinary Management

Description

Touch, taste and feel the difference! Working with locally grown and gathered ingredients from Turtle Island, also known as North America, you will experience unrivaled hands-on learning to prepare for employment in multiple sectors of the food service industry. You develop job-ready skills and acquire knowledge to learn the business of kitchen operations, integral for success, as a culinary professional to work in the world’s best kitchens. The program focuses on ingredient identification, product knowledge, cooking skills and techniques, menu writing, and contemporary artisanal food production to deliver, a ‘food of place’, cultural experience. The culmination of coursework and experiential learning positions you for the Capstone Project to showcase your culinary and professional leadership skills. Through this program, students complete a paid coop placement and the in-school portion of the cook apprenticeship program of the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training, and Skills Development. 

Career Opportunities

Graduates may find work as executive chefs, directors of culinary services, product development chefs, food stylists, food artisans, food entrepreneurs, personal chefs, chef educators, food service vendors, caterers, corporate chefs, food and beverage directors, marine cooks, and nutrition chefs all working locally, provincially, nationally and internationally.

Program Learning Outcomes

The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:

1. provide advanced culinary planning, preparation and presentation for a variety of food service environments using a range of classical and contemporary techniques;
2. apply basic and advanced food and bake science to food preparation to create a desired end product;
3. contribute to and monitor adherence of others to the provision of a well-maintained kitchen environment and to the service of food and beverage products that are free from harmful bacteria or other contaminants, adhering to health, safety, sanitation and food handling regulations;
4. ensure the safe operation of the kitchen and all aspects of food preparation to promote healthy work spaces, responsible kitchen management and efficient use of resources;
5. create menus that reflect knowledge of nutrition and food ingredients, promote general health and well-being, respond to a range of nutritional needs and preferences and address modifications for special diets, food allergies and intolerances, as required;
6. apply business principles and recognized industry costing and control practices to food service operations to manage and promote a fiscally responsible operation;
7. apply knowledge of sustainability, ethical and local food sourcing, and food security to food preparation and kitchen management, recognizing the potential impacts on food production, consumer choice and operations within the food service industry;
8. select and use technology, including contemporary kitchen equipment, for food production and promotion;
9. perform effectively as a member of a food and beverage preparation and service team and contribute to the success of a food-service operation by applying self-management and interpersonal skills;
10. develop strategies for continuous personal and professional learning to ensure currency with and responsiveness to emerging culinary techniques, regulations, and practices in the food service industry;
11. contribute to the development of marketing strategies that promote the successful operation of a food service business;
12. contribute to the business management of a variety of food and beverage operations to foster an engaging work environment that reflects service excellence;
13. employ entrepreneurial strategies to identify and respond to new opportunities;
14. apply knowledge related to the pairing of food and beverage used for menu planning and design;
15. identify and describe traditional agricultural practices, ingredients, and culinary innovations of Turtle Island’s First Nations Peoples.

Practical Experience

All co-operative education programs at Georgian contain mandatory work term experiences aligned with program learning outcomes.  Co-op work terms are designed to integrate academic learning with work experience, supporting the development of industry specific competencies and employability skills.

Georgian College holds membership with, and endeavours to follow, the co-operative education guidelines set out by the Co-operative Education and Work Integrated Learning Canada (CEWIL) and Experiential and Work-Integrated Ontario (EWO) as supported by the Ministry of Colleges and Universities.

Co-op is facilitated as a supported, competitive job search process. Students are required to complete a Co-op and Career Preparation course scheduled prior to their first co-op work term. Students engage in an active co-op job search that includes applying to positions posted by Co-op Consultants, and personal networking.  Co-op work terms are scheduled according to a formal sequence that alternates academic and co-op semesters as shown in the program progression below.

Programs may have additional requirements such as a valid driver’s license, strong communication skills, industry specific certifications, and ability to travel. Under exceptional circumstances, a student may be unable to complete the program progression as shown below. Please refer to Georgian College Academic Regulations for details.   

International co-op work terms are supported and encouraged, when aligned with program requirements.

Further information on co-op services can be found at www.GeorgianCollege.ca/co-op

Program Progression

The following reflects the planned progression for full-time offerings of the program.

Fall Intake - Barrie

• Sem 1: Fall 2025
• Sem 2: Winter 2026
• Work Term: Summer 2026
• Sem 3: Fall 2026
• Sem 4: Winter 2027

Winter Intake - Barrie

• Sem 1: Winter 2026
• Sem 2: Summer 2026
• Sem 3: Fall 2026
• Sem 4: Winter 2027
• Work Term: Summer 2027

Articulation

A number of articulation agreements have been negotiated with universities and other institutions across Canada, North America and internationally. These agreements are assessed, revised and updated on a regular basis. Please contact the program co-ordinator for specific details if you are interested in pursuing such an option. Additional information can be found on our website at https://www.georgiancollege.ca/admissions/credit-transfer/

Admission Requirements

• Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent, mature student status
• Grade 12 English (C or U)

Mature students, non-secondary school applicants (19 years or older), and home school applicants may also be considered for admission. Eligibility may be met by applicants who have taken equivalent courses, upgrading, completed their GED, and equivalency testing. For complete details refer to: www.georgiancollege.ca/admissions/academic-regulations/

Applicants who have taken courses from a recognized and accredited post-secondary institution and/or have relevant life/learning experience may also be considered for admission; refer to the Credit for Prior Learning website for details:
www.georgiancollege.ca/admissions/credit-transfer/

Additional Information

Our students are given many opportunities to enhance their learning through their involvement in extracurricular activities such as free membership in the junior chapter of the regional Professional Chefs' Association (Muskoka and District Chef's Association) and Baking Association of Canada (BAC); participation in Georgian College's award-winning culinary team; and regular industry experiential opportunities in which the student will take part in events held both at the college and on location at some of the top resorts and facilities in our region.

Graduation Requirements

19 Program Courses
2 Communications Courses
3 General Education Courses
1 Co-op Work Term

Graduation Eligibility

To graduate from this program, the passing weighted average for promotion through each semester, from year to year, and to graduate is 60%. Additionally, a student must attain a minimum of 50% or a letter grade of P (Pass) or S (Satisfactory) in each course in each semester unless otherwise stated on the course outline.

Program Tracking 

The following reflects the planned course sequence for full-time offerings of the Fall intake of the program. Where more  than one intake is offered  contact the program co-ordinator for the program tracking.

Plan of Study Grid

Semester 1		Hours
Program Courses
FOSR 1016	Basic Cooking Techniques	70
FOSR 1017	Basic Foodservice Cooking	84
FOSR 1018	Basic Baking and Pastry Skills	70
FOSR 1019	Basic Kitchen Management and the Professional Chef	28
FOSR 1026	Basic Food Theory and Product Knowledge	42
SANI 1000	Basic Food Service Safety and Certification	10
Communications Course
Select 1 course from the communications list during registration.		42
General Education Course
Select 1 course from the general education list during registration.		42
	Hours	388
Semester 2
Program Courses
FOSR 1021	Advanced Cooking Techniques	70
FOSR 1022	Advanced Foodservice Cooking	84
FOSR 1023	Advanced Baking and Pastry Skills	70
FOSR 1024	Advanced Kitchen Management and the Profitable Chef	42
FOSR 1027	Advanced Food Theory and Product Knowledge	28
Communications Course
Select 1 course from the communications list during registration.		42
General Education Course
Select 1 course from the general education list during registration.		42
	Hours	378
Semester 3
Program Courses
FOSR 2018	Menu and Facility Design	42
FOSR 2022	Garde Manger	70
FOSR 2023	Butchery for the Modern Kitchen	56
FOSR 2024	Celebrating Ontario's Harvest	70
General Education Course - Mandatory
GNED 2075	Culture and Cuisine	42
	Hours	280
Semester 4
Program Courses
FOSR 2003	Wine, Beer and Spirits	42
FOSR 2025	Artisanal Food Product Development	98
FOSR 2026	Patisserie.	70
FOSR 2027	Cuisines of Turtle Island	84
	Hours	294
	Total Hours	1340

Plan of Study Grid

Co-op Work Term		Hours
COOP 1036	Culinary Management Work Term (occurs after Semester 2)	560
	Hours	560
	Total Hours	560

Graduation Window

Students unable to adhere to the program duration of two years (as stated above) may take a maximum of four years to complete their credential. After this time, students must be re-admitted into the program, and follow the curriculum in place at the time of re-admission.

Disclaimer: The information in this document is correct at the time of publication. Academic content of programs and courses is revised on an ongoing basis to ensure relevance to changing educational objectives and employment market needs. 

Program outlines may be subject to change in response to emerging situations, in order to facilitate student achievement of the learning outcomes required for graduation. Components such as courses, progression, coop work terms, placements, internships and other requirements may be delivered differently than published.