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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 2025-2026:

  • Felix Acevedo, $900 award per quarter
  • Kelvin Hicks, $900 award per quarter

International Wine and Food Society Scholarship Recipients 2025-2026:

  • Daniel Rigler, $2,000 award
  • Taylor Rasmussen, $1,000 award
  • Ron Foster, $1,000 award

What You’ll Learn

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.

Program Map for

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Total Credits:

Total Program Credits:

NOTE: All students must recieve a minimum 2.5 GPA in all support courses


Program Courses

NOTE: You must apply and be accepted into the program before taking the following courses

Estimated costs for completing this program

Estimated costs for completing this program
Cost Type WA Resident Non-Resident International
Total Costs $ $ $

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
  • Sherane Prish
    Sherane Prish
    Instructor
    Sherane.Prish@scc.spokane.edu
    509-533-7281
  • Kim Stellflug
    Kim Stellflug
    Instructor
    Kim.Stellflug@scc.spokane.edu
    509-533-8892
  • 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
  • Michael Wiley
    Michael Wiley
    Instructor
    Michael.Wiley@scc.spokane.edu
    509-533-8705
  • 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: 2024

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

Current Year: 2025

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.

Anne Mayer

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

Janet Breedlove

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

Curtis Smith

Department Chair
Curtis.Smith@scc.spokane.edu
509-533-7451