Culinary Arts

Aaron Nichols, Department Chair
256.352.7852
aaron.nichols@wallacestate.edu
culinary@wallacestate.edu
www.wallacestate.edu/culinary

Associate in Applied Science Degree (5 semesters)

Certificate (3 semesters)

Short-Term Certificate (2 semesters)

At a Glance

Turn your passion for food into a profession with the Culinary Arts program at Wallace State Community College. Designed for aspiring chefs and culinary professionals, this program combines creativity, technical training, and real-world experience to prepare students for exciting careers in restaurants, hospitality, catering, food retail, and beyond.

Program Description

This program provides an Associate in Applied Science degree (5 semesters), an Advanced Certificate in the Culinary Arts (3 semesters), and a Short-Term Certificate in Culinary Arts (2 semesters). The curriculum blends classroom instruction with hands-on laboratory and kitchen training. Students gain experience in:

Menu development and recipe creation
Food selection, purchasing and cost control
Nutrition and food science
Quantity cooking and commercial production
Food safety and sanitation practices
Equipment operation and kitchen management

Program Expectations

Instruction will emphasize nutrition and food safety principles as well as basic food handling skills required of today’s cooks and chefs. Basic knife skills and cooking techniques are the main focus of laboratory-based courses. Students will receive broad exposure to numerous elements of the industry including baking skills, stock, sauce, and soup preparation, garde manager techniques, regional American cuisines, International cuisines, catering, banquet, and a la carte food production. Students will be expected to spend extended periods on their feet and will need to be able to lift at least 25 pounds.

Career Path

A graduate will have the opportunity to enter the hospitality industry in an entry or mid-level position with the knowledge and confidence to correctly perform a wide variety of culinary skills. Job offerings for chefs, cooks, and food preparation workers are expected to be plentiful through 2025. Employment growth will be spurred by increases in population, household income, and leisure time that will allow people to dine out and take vacations more often. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median pay for these industry professionals in 2024 was as follows:

Chefs and Head Cooks $60,990 annually

Lodging Manager $68,130 annually

Food Service Manager $65,310 annually

Nutritionist $73,850 annually

Degrees and Certificates

Classes

CUA 101 : Orientation to the Hospitality Profession

This course introduces various facets and opportunities within the hospitality profession. The intent is for students to gain a broad base of information relative to the hospitality industry. Emphasis is placed on having students comprehend their role as a hospitality industry professional. Topics include an overview of the hospitality profession, knowledge and skills necessary for successful employment, the impact of the hospitality profession on society, issues that impact on various segments of the hospitality profession, and emerging trends. CORE.

Credits

CUA 102 : Catering

This course includes the theory and practice of operating a catering business. Topics include food production and management related to catering and other special services. Upon completion, the student will have a working knowledge of the principles involved in operating a catering business.

Credits

CUA 111 : Foundations in Nutrition

This course focuses on nutrition and meal planning in relation to the food preparation industry. Topics include the science of food and nutrition, essential nutrients and their relation to the growth, maintenance and functioning of the body, nutritional requirements of different age levels and cultural influences on food selection. Upon completion of this course, students will be able to apply the basic principles to meal planning. CORE.

Credits

CUA 112 : Sanitation, Safety, and Food Service

This course introduces the basic principles of sanitation and safety to food service handling including purchasing, storing, preparation and serving. Specific topics include the dangers of microbial contaminants, food allergens and foodborne illness, safe handling of food, the flow of food, and food safety management systems. At the conclusion of this course students will be prepared to test for ServSafe© certification, which is required for graduation. The content of this course is foundational for all culinary arts lab classes. CORE.

Credits

CUA 115 : Advanced Food Preparation

In this course, students apply food preparation and meal management skills in all areas of food service. Emphasis is placed on management and technical skills needed for advanced food preparation techniques. CORE.

Credits

CUA 122 : Fundamentals of Quantity Cooking

This course covers the principles and methods of quantity cooking. Topics include weights and measures, costing and converting of recipes, vocabulary and standard abbreviations, health department regulations and inspection, and food production forms and records. This course involves the preparation of a lunch menu, one day per week, which is served to the students, faculty, staff and general public. CORE.

Credits

CUA 123 : Applied Quantity Cooking

This course builds on the basic principles and methods of quantity cooking taught in CUA 122 - Fundamentals of Quantity Cooking. Topics include weights and measures, costing and converting recipes, health department compliance issues, production forms, organization and record keeping, development of menus and the time management skills necessary to successfully run a food service organization. At the conclusion of this course, students will be well versed in the application of quantity food techniques to the end of customer satisfaction.

Credits

CUA 125 : Food Preparation

In this course students acquire fundamental knowledge and skills in preparing a variety of basic foods. Specific topics include safety, the history of food service, professional standards of conduct and ethics, credentialing, the kitchen brigade, tools, and techniques for preparing various types of food items. At the conclusion of this course students will demonstrate basic food preparation skills. CORE.

Credits

CUA 163 : Foundation of Healthy Cooking Techniques

This course is designed to provide students with a foundation in preparing foods based on healthy cooking techniques. Topics covered include: healthy eating patterns, healthy ingredients, healthy cooking techniques and developing healthy menus. The course will focus primarily on applications of healthy cooking techniques in lab "hands-on" format. Upon completion, students will be able to apply the learned techniques.

Credits

Prerequisites

CUA 101

CUA 111

CUA 112

CUA 173 : Culinary Arts Apprenticeship

This course provides the student with hands-on experience in a selected (approved) commercial food operation establishment under direct supervision.

Credits

CUA 201 : Meat Preparation and Processing

This course focuses on meat preparation and processing. Students will be responsible for the preparing of meats including beef, pork, veal, lamb, poultry, fish, and shellfish so they can be used for final preparations in the other stations of the kitchens. Upon completion, students will be able to demonstrate an understanding of the principles in meat preparation and processing. CORE.

Credits

CUA 203 : Stocks and Sauces

This course challenges the student to the greatest test of a chef’s skills. Whether they are classic or contemporary good sauces demand the highest technical expertise. Students learn why particular sauces will or will not go with particular dishes. The student will focus on brown and white stocks; consommés, fumets and essences; glazes and roux’s. The students should be able to prepare and evaluate various sauce products. CORE.

Credits

CUA 204 : Foundations of Baking

This course covers basic ingredients, weights and measures, baking terminology, and formula calculations. Topics include yeast-raised products, quick breads, pastry dough, various cakes and cookies, and appropriate filling and finishing techniques. Upon completion, students should be able to prepare and evaluate baked products. CORE.

Credits

CUA 205 : Intro to Garde Manger

This course is designed to develop skills in the art of Garde Manger. Topics include pates, terrines, galantines, ice and tallow carving, chaud-froid/aspic work, charcuterie, smoking, canapés, hors d’oeuvre, and related food items. Upon completion, students should be able to design, set up, and evaluate a catering function to include a classical cold buffet with appropriate show pieces. CORE.

Credits

CUA 206 : Advanced Garde Manger

This course is a continuation of skill development in the art of Garde Manger. Major topics to be covered include preparation of gourmet foods, application of cold food fabrications and display, sausage making and canapé and hors d’oeuvre fabrication. Upon completion, students should be able to lay out a basic cold food display and properly exhibit hors d’oeuvre on display mirrors.

Credits

CUA 208 : Advanced Baking

This course is a continuation of CUA 204. Topics include specialty breads, pastillage, marzipan, chocolate, pulled-sugar, confections, classic desserts, pastries, and cake decorating. Upon completion, students should be able to demonstrate pastry preparation and plating, cake decorating, and show-piece production skills.

Credits

CUA 213 : Food Purchasing and Cost Control

Emphasis is placed on procurement, yield tests, inventory control, specification, planning, forecasting, market trends, terminology, cost controls, pricing, and food service ethics. Upon completion, students should be able to apply effective purchasing techniques based on the end-use of the product. CORE.

Credits

CUA 214 : International Cuisine

This course focuses on various cuisines from countries and regions throughout the world. Students will prepare complete menus reflective of the culture and bounty of these countries and regions with emphasis on ingredients and authentic preparation methods. Upon completion, students should be able to research and execute international menus.

Credits

CUA 215 : Regional Cuisines of the Americas

This course provides a brief history of the ancient American foods that enhanced the world’s cuisines. Emphasis is placed on how these foods influenced the “American Cuisines” of today. Upon completion of this course, students will be able to research and execute regional American cuisines. CORE.

Credits

CUA 251 : Menu Design

This course introduces menu design. Topics include development of standardized recipes, layout, nutritional concerns, product utilization, demographics, and customer needs. Upon completion, students should be able to write, lay out, and produce effective menus for a variety of hospitality settings.

Credits

CUA 262 : Restaurant Management and Supervision

This course introduces restaurant and food service information systems and the basics of hospitality law. Topics include planning, cost controls, forecasting, inventory control, recipe control, production control, nutritional analysis, writing contracts, liabilities, insurance and employee relations. Upon completion, students should be able to demonstrate competence in utilizing contemporary information systems and possess an understanding of the legal aspects of running a hospitality enterprise. CORE.

Credits

CUA 271 : Management of Food and Beverage Service

This course is split between beverage management and table service. Half of the semester will highlight the purchasing, storage, marketing, management and service of beverages for the hospitality industry. The second half will delve into the many facets of correct table service, including French, Russian and American Service. CORE.