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Culinary

If you dream of becoming a chef or want a career in the restaurant business, a degree in culinary arts may be just what your future ordered.

Our Inland Northwest Culinary Academy prepares you with both the cooking and business skills needed to be successful in the culinary arts industry. In addition to developing professional cooking and baking skills, you’ll learn budgeting, purchasing, marketing, personnel management and menu planning. Your training includes on-the-job experience at our student-run gourmet restaurant.

Fully accredited by the American Culinary Federation (ACF) Education Foundation, our program meets the same high standards as top programs across the country. Upon graduation, students are encouraged to seek out ACF certification as a Certified Culinarian (CC)

Detailed Information

Each quarter, students will have the opportunity to learn new skills both in the classroom and working in Orlando's Restaurant on campus. For more information on what you'll study and do each quarter, see our Program Summary.

In addition to tuition, some classes have additional lab fees for chef uniforms, dining room uniforms, knife kits and textbooks. More information can be found on our Books and Tools page.

Our Culinary Arts program boasts a 100 percent placement rate for students who want local or nation-wide employment in hotels, restaurants, private clubs and other food service facilities. In the Spokane area, graduates can expect salary ranges of $18 to $25 per hour to start, ranging up to $85,000 - $100,000 a year for chef positions.

Additionally, students network and make job contacts with important industry leaders through participation in food shows, exclusive dinner presentations, professional conferences, and local charity events.

If you are an employer who would like to hire one of our students, please visit our Career Services page.

Industry Support

Our program enjoys enthusiastic support from local restaurateurs who participate on our advisory committee for curriculum excellence. Local business owners, managers, and chefs contact program faculty and staff on a regular basis to advertise job openings to students and graduates and meet with faculty to discuss curriculum issues and industry needs.

Practice Makes Perfect!

A full-service gourmet training restaurant, Orlando's, complements the Culinary Arts program by providing students with complete, hands-on, real life experiences. Orlando’s features industry standard equipment and facilities.

Scholarships

Since 1998, the Culinary Arts program at Spokane Community College has been awarding the Hector Boiardi scholarship. The scholarship is available only to Culinary Arts students enrolled in classes full-time. The application deadline is in late winter quarter for a fall award.

The scholarship was set up as an endowment from the family of the late Hector Boiardi, founder of the popular Chef Boy-Ar-Dee food line. The award is based on financial need as well as academic performance. A family spokesman noted that Hector Boiardi had a lifelong interest in helping students, adding "it was natural for his family to perpetuate this by establishing a source of financial aid for students."

Scholarships are awarded beginning fall quarter and are renewable for winter and spring quarter. Scholarship information, including application and deadline dates, will be available to students once they are enrolled in the program.

Boiardi Scholarship Recipients 2024-2025:

  • Ravyn Forkner    $900 award per quarter
  • Sal Salazar        $900 award per quarter

International Wine and Food Society Scholarship Recipients 2024-2025:

  • Rachel Poff            $1,000 award
  • Sal Salazar           $2,000 award
  • Inna Zagumennaya      $1,000 award

  1. Prepare and serve food in a first class restaurant environment.
  2. Develop menus listing menu items for a food service operation.
  3. Practice safe and sanitary work habits in a first class restaurant establishment.
  4. Produce menu items accurately from standardized recipes.
  5. Order, purchase and store foods in a commercial kitchen facility.
  6. Inventory food products.
  7. Operate commercial kitchen machinery in a safe manner.
  8. Calculate the costs of a standardized recipe.
  9. Prepare fine desserts for a first class restaurant.
  10. Hire and supervise kitchen employees.

Breaking Ground on Your Pathway


Plan Your Courses

Meet with our counselors to customize this plan just for you. You can also search the quarterly schedule for class days and times.

Placement

Math placement is not required for this program.
English placement is not required for this program.

Basic and advanced procedures in food preparation are included in the two-year Culinary Arts program. A detailed study is made of the various cooking methods for meats, fish, poultry, vegetables, soups and sauces. Menu terminology and cooking terms are defined and illustrated. Students are given the opportunity to study management factors affecting food cost control, specifications and standards for foods, sanitation, kitchen planning, kitchen equipment, and personnel policies.

This program is accredited by the American Culinary Federation (ACF).

Students must complete all courses with a 2.0 grade or better before advancing to subsequent quarters.

Program Map for

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Total Program Credits: 90


Program Courses

First Quarter

Course ID
Course Title
Credits
CUL 110
Introduction to Professional Cooking  
9
CUL 112
Introduction to Foodservice  
3
HM 112
Hospitality Mathematics  
3
Total Credits
 
15

Second Quarter

Course ID
Course Title
Credits
CUL 120
Kitchen Management & Purchasing  
3
CUL 124
Culinary Skills Development   1
9
CUL 126
Food Science  
3
Total Credits
 
15

Third Quarter

Course ID
Course Title
Credits
CUL 132
Advanced Culinary Techniques  
9
HM 116
Nutrition for Chefs and Restaurant Managers  
3
HM 130
Human Relations  
3
Total Credits
 
15

Fourth Quarter

Course ID
Course Title
Credits
CUL 115
Foodservice Safety and Sanitation   2
3
CUL 244
Introduction to Baking & Pastry Arts  
9
CUL 265
Hospitality Accounting & Cost Controls  
3
Total Credits
 
15

Fifth Quarter

Course ID
Course Title
Credits
CUL 131
Restaurant Management  
9
CUL 256
Hospitality Writing  
3
CUL 257
Beverage Management  
3
Total Credits
 
15

Sixth Quarter

Course ID
Course Title
Credits
CUL 255
Hospitality Marketing and Menu Planning  
3
CUL 261
Foodservice Operations Management  
12
Total Credits
 
15

1 This course may be substituted with any course or combination of courses approved by the instructional dean.
2 This course is required for certification by the Educational Foundation of the National Restaurant Association.

Estimated costs for completing this program

 
WA Resident
Non-Resident
International
Tuition
$ 9,544
$ 11,488
$ 21,823
Books
$ 1,237
$ 1,237
$ 1,237
Course Fees
$ 947
$ 947
$ 947
Institutional Fees
$ 672
$ 672
$ 3,195
Total Costs
$ 12,400
$ 14,344
$ 27,200

Costs for completing a degree or certificate can vary. For more information about costs, visit our How Much Does it Cost? page.

  • Janet Breedlove
    Janet Breedlove
    Program Coordinator
    Janet.Breedlove@scc.spokane.edu
    509-533-7283
  • Julie Litzenberger
    Julie Litzenberger
    Culinary Arts
    B.A., Washington State University
    Julie.Litzenberger@scc.spokane.edu
    509-533-7383
  • Charlie Martin
    Charlie Martin
    Hotel and Restaurant Mgmt
    A.S., Johnson and Wales University, Providence, Rhode Island; B.A., Michigan State University, East Lansing
    Charlie.Martin@scc.spokane.edu
    509-533-7346
  • Joshua Martin
    Joshua Martin
    Culinary Arts
    Certification, DCT Hotel and Restaurant University; Certification, American Culinary Federation
    Joshua.Martin@scc.spokane.edu
    509-533-8212
  • Kim Stellflug
    Kim Stellflug
    Instructor
    Kim.Stellflug@scc.spokane.edu
    N/A
  • Duane Sunwold
    Duane Sunwold
    Hotel and Restaurant Mgmt
    A.A.S., Spokane Community College; additional study: Southern Alberta Institute of Technology
    Duane.Sunwold@scc.spokane.edu
    509-533-7337
  • Laurent Zirotti
    Laurent Zirotti
    Culinary Arts
    B.T.S., Nice Academy (Academie de Nice)
    Laurent.Zirotti@scc.spokane.edu
    509-533-8889

Graduation/Placement

The job outlook in Spokane, Coeur d’Alene and the surrounding area is very promising. Qualified cooks are in high demand in every skill level and type of restaurant, from fine dining to fast casual restaurants. Most INCA students gain employment in the hospitality industry while they are in school and easily find jobs by graduation if they don’t already have one. INCA maintains approximately a 50% graduation rate.

ACFEF AC Required Program Outcomes (two years)

Previous Year: 2023

ACFEF Accredited Program Name Graduation Rate (%) Job Placement Rate (%) ACF Certification Rate (%)
AAS Degree
Culinary Arts
50% 100% 3%

Current Year: 2024

ACFEF Accredited Program Name Graduation Rate (%) Job Placement Rate (%) ACF Certification Rate (%)
AAS Degree
Culinary Arts
50% 100% 3%
 

The Culinary Arts program at Spokane Community College is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of the American Culinary Federation Education Foundation (ACFEF).

ACFEFAC logo

Admissions

Become a student in the Culinary Arts program at Spokane Community College.

Culinary Arts is a six quarter/two-year program.  We accept a new class of 30 students during fall, winter, and spring quarter.

Classes are held Monday - Thursday. Theory classes are from 8:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., and lab classes 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 or 3:00 p.m. No classes are scheduled Friday-Sunday. Most students work evenings, weekends and full-time during the summer when our program is closed. Upon graduation, the program confers an AAS (Associate in Applied Science) degree.

To begin the program, first apply for admission to Spokane Community College.

For information about the application process, please visit the website; or call 509-533-8020.

There are no placement tests or prerequisites required prior to entering the program.

Once your application has been processed, you will receive information about attending an orientation which we hold during fall, winter and spring quarter.  At the orientation you will tour the program, meet faculty, ask questions and most importantly, register for first quarter classes.

We look forward to welcoming you into our program soon!

Have a question? Let's hear it.

Neesa Guel

Pathway Specialist
Neesa.Guel@scc.spokane.edu
509-533-7005

 

Anne Mayer

Workforce Transition Specialist
Anne.Mayer@scc.spokane.edu
509-533-8191

 

John Yoon

Academic Counseling Liaison
John.Yoon@scc.spokane.edu
509-533-7356

 

Landon Johnston

Academic Counseling Liaison
Landon.Johnston@scc.spokane.edu
509-533-7190

 

Janet Breedlove

Program Coordinator
Janet.Breedlove@scc.spokane.edu
509-533-7283

 

Jeff Brown

Division Dean
Jeff.Brown@scc.spokane.edu
509-533-8882