Discover Work Experience at The Culinary Institute of America!

August 16, 2016

Learn about premier work experience opportunities provided by The Culinary Institute of America.

Designed to provide the world’s best culinary education, The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) is a private, not-for-profit college. Founded in 1946, the CIA today enrolls nearly 2,900 students from virtually every state and more than 30 countries around the world.

As the world’s premier culinary college, the CIA is renowned for its degree programs, expert faculty and outstanding educational facilities. All of its programs emphasize professional, hands-on learning in the college’s world-class kitchens, bakeshops, restaurants, and classrooms at its domestic US campuses in New York, California and Texas.

Awards and Honors

The James Beard Awards are the Oscars of the food world. CIA Alumni have recently earned awards in the following categories:

Chef & Restaurant Awards

• Outstanding Service (Andrew Chabot ’02)
• Outstanding Wine, Beer or Spirits Professional (Rajat Parr ’96)
• Best Chef: South (Alon Shaya ’99)
• Best Chef: West (Stuart Brioza ’98)

The Book, Broadcast & Journalism Awards

• Cookbook (Nicolaus Balla ’02)
• Best Television Program, On Location (Anthony Bourdain ’78)
• Lifetime Achievement Award, Foodservice Education Network international (President Tim Ryan ’77)

The Culinary Institute of America Key Programs

Please note: While you will build your resume and gain many professional skills during your co-op or internship, participating in a co-op or internship program does not guarantee employment. Sample companies and future job possibilities are intended to highlight possible outcomes.

Key Major	Future Job Possibilities	Sample Externship Companies
Culinary Arts (Associate)	Sous Chef, Food & Beverage Manager, Caterer	Aramark Corporation, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, Restaurant Daniel
Baking and Pastry Arts (Associate)	Pastry Chef, Chocolatier, Cake Decorator	M&M/Mars, Bouley Bakery, Charm City Cakes
Management (Bachelor)	Executive Chef, Restauranteur/Entrepreneur, Corporate Chef	The Walt Disney Company, Thomas Keller Restaurant Group, American Food & Vending
Culinary Science (Bachelor)	Recipe Developer, Restaurant Chef, Research & Development Chef	Panera Bread, Signature Blends, Alinea
Applied Food Studies (Bachelor)	Farm-to-Table Chef, Nutritionist, Culinary Educator	Blue Hill Farms, American Public Health Association, National Dairy Council

At CIA, students are required to complete externships, usually in their freshman or sophomore years. These externships are full-time commitments for a minimum of 15 weeks of 600 hours of full-time work at a CIA-approved location. Following the course, students must submit an acceptable externship manual within two weeks.

Students should begin exploring externship possibilities well in advance to make sure they have secured a position and submitted a Training Agreement at the end of the second semester. They must select an externship site from an established list of approved sites, and it is the student’s responsibility to initiate contact with these employers and obtain a position as an extern.

Click here to learn more about work experience opportunities at CIA!