Culinary Arts

The Culinary Arts curriculum provides specific training required to prepare students to assume positions as trained culinary professionals in a variety of foodservice settings including full service restaurants, hotels, resorts, clubs, catering operations, contract foodservice and health care facilities.

Students will be provided theoretical knowledge/practical applications that provide critical competencies to meet industry demands, including environmental stewardship, operational efficiencies and professionalism. Courses include sanitation/safety, baking, garde manger, culinary fundamentals/production skills, nutrition, customer service, purchasing/cost control, and human resource management.

Graduates should qualify for entry-level opportunities including prep cook, line cook, and station chef. American Culinary Federation certification may be available to graduates. With experience, graduates may advance to positions including sous chef, pastry chef, executive chef, or foodservice manager.

Learning Outcomes

  • Maintain sanitation levels required by Federal, State, and Local officials. Operate and clean commercial equipment properly.
  • Access, compile, and evaluate food cost, labor cost, beverage cost, and operation cost from the point of making profit.
  • Apply knowledge of culinary math, written and oral communication, restaurant business knowledge, kitchen supervision, and cooking ability.

Contact Information

Image of Celena Nilo
Celena Nilo, BS
Lead Instructor of Culinary Arts
Phone: 336-838-6506
canilo749@wilkescc.edu

Pathways

This part of the website is currently undergoing maintenance. Please refer to the WCC Catalog for program information.

Technical Standards

The Culinary Arts program technical standards have been developed to inform students of the nonacademic essential functions of the program and profession. Examples are not all inclusive.

Standard Essential Function Examples
Communication
Oral / Written
  • Skills sufficient to communicate information and ideas so others will understand
  • Communicate with coworkers and customers
  • Explain procedures
  • Give and take directions
Mobility / Motor Skills
  • Motor skills sufficient to move the hands and use hands to grasp or manipulate objects
  • Mobility sufficient to perform physical activities that require considerable use of arms and legs and moving the whole body
  • Ability to safely operate in and around kitchen equipment
  • Use mixing, whisking, dicing, and piping skills
  • Move freely, quickly, and safely in a close environment
  • Move supplies between floor and standard height above head
  • Move from workstation to workstation
  • Lift supplies from floor or remove supplies from overhead storage racks
  • Lift and transport trays with plated foods, china, and small wares
  • Complete cleaning responsibilities that require stooping, bending, and climbing
  • Safely manipulate small wares, equipment and equipment controls
  • Safely use knives and other commercial cooking equipment
  • Safely pour liquids including hot liquids
Physical Strength and Stamina
  • Ability sufficient to lift food and equipment
  • Ability to stand for extended periods of time
  • Lift and safely move heavy pots, pans, stock pots, and small equipment
  • Stand and move about kitchen and dining areas
Sensory

  • Sight
  • Sound
  • Taste
  • Touch
  • Smell
  • Visual skills sufficient to see details at close range
  • Listening skills sufficient to communicate with others
  • Identify various sounds in the kitchen
  • Ability to analyze flavors, textures, and scents for all products produced
  • Ability to tolerate various odors and textures
  • View food for presentation
  • Read meters and gauges
  • Read printed and written instructions and labels
  • Hear voice instructions in a noisy environment
  • Detect equipment alarms
  • Taste and feel all products produced and be able to determine quality and doneness
  • Adjust flavor appropriately
  • Touch raw meat
  • Smell various foods
Environmental / Occupational Exposure
  • Possible exposure to foods that cause life-threatening food allergies
  • Possible exposure to chemicals
  • Wheat or nut allergies
  • Cleaning chemicals
Field or Industry Professional Standards
  • Operate machinery and equipment safely and efficiently
  • Read MSDS documents
  • Use a hand-held fire extinguisher

Disability Services Statement

Wilkes Community College is an ADA compliant institution. WCC does not discriminate based on a disability in the admissions process or in access to its programs, services, and/or activities for qualified individuals who meet eligibility requirements. WCC will provide reasonable accommodations for individuals with documented disabilities who are eligible to receive or participate in college programs, services, and/or activities. If a student believes that he/she cannot meet one or more of a program’s essential functions without accommodations, the student is encouraged to disclose this to Disability Services as soon as possible.

Associate to Bachelor Agreements

An Associate to Bachelor agreement is an opportunity for students to complete their Associate's degree at Wilkes Community College and then transfer into a specified program at a partnering four-year institution for their Bachelor's degree. Wilkes Community College has the following Associate to Bachelor agreements for our Culinary Arts graduates: