Culinary Arts

Program Learning Outcomes

Commercial Baking Certificate

  1. Students will be able to demonstrate technical proficiency in a kitchen.
  2. Students will be able to evaluate guidelines to maintain food safety throughout the flow of food, from purchasing to serving.
  3. Students will demonstrate the proper mixing method required to produce various products with choux dough and custards. 
Commercial Cooking Certificate
  1. Students will be able to demonstrate technical proficiency in a kitchen.
  2. Students will be able to evaluate guidelines to maintain food safety throughout the flow of food, from purchasing to serving.
  3. Students will demonstrate proficiency in knife skills, utilize commercial kitchen equipment and tools.
Culinary Arts Associate of Applied Science
  1. Students will be able to demonstrate technical proficiency in a kitchen.
  2. Students will be able to evaluate guidelines to maintain food safety throughout the flow of food, from purchasing to serving.
  3. Students will demonstrate proficiency in knife skills, utilize commercial kitchen equipment and tools.
  4. Students will produce various foods utilizing multiple cooking methods without a recipe and evaluate the concept of food presentation. 
  5. Students will demonstrate proper batch cooking, manipulate recipe quantities and cooking to service. 
Specialization:  Baking and Pastry Arts, Associate of Applied Science
  1. Students will be able to demonstrate technical proficiency in a kitchen.
  2. Students will be able to evaluate guidelines to maintain food safety throughout the flow of food, from purchasing to serving.
  3. Students will demonstrate the proper mixing method required to produce various products with choux doughs and custards.
  4. Students will design a variety of individual desserts following commercially acceptable production standards of uniformity and artistic presentation.
  5. Students will explain baking terms, equipment, methods, and recipe conversion.
Specialization: Restaurant Management, Associate of Applied Science
  1. Students will be able to evaluate guidelines to maintain food safety throughout the flow of food, from purchasing to serving.
  2. Students will plan a catering event with logistics, menu planning, contracts, and equipment list.
  3. Students will develop a code of conduct, employee handbook, company mission and vision, and industry market analysis.
  4. Students will demonstrate strategic planning of food service layout, design, and required equipment to optimize profitability.
  5. Students will demonstrate the ability to plan and execute cost-effective food service operations.

Advisory Committee Members

Larry Delgado, Executive Chef/Owner, The Delgado Collective
Marcel Fortuin, Chef/Independent Restaurant Consultant
Cynthia Ebrom, Pastry Chef/Owner, Cynthia’s Cakes
Amy Houston, Pastry Chef/ Owner, Happiness Cupcakes
Eugenio Uribe, Executive Chef, El Divino
Alyssa Cantu, Chef/ Owner, The Gremlin
A.J. Singh, Founding Director, Hospitality and Tourism Management Program UTRGV
Raquel Rivera, Chef/Owner, Bonhomia

Certificates

Associate Degrees

Commercial Baking Certificate

TSI Exempt

Plan of Study Grid
FallCredit Hours
CHEF 1305 Sanitation and Safety 3
PSTR 1301 Fundamentals of Baking 3
PSTR 1306 Cake Decorating I 3
PSTR 1310 Pies, Tarts, Teacakes and Cookies 3
 Credit Hours12
Spring
PSTR 1305 Breads and Rolls 3
PSTR 2301 Chocolates and Confections 3
PSTR 2331 Advanced Pastry Shop 3
PSTR 1264 CAPSTONE: Practicum I 2
 Credit Hours11
 Total Credit Hours23

Commercial Cooking Certificate

TSI Exempt

Plan of Study Grid
FallCredit Hours
CHEF 1305 Sanitation and Safety 3
CHEF 1301 Basic Food Preparation 3
PSTR 1301 Fundamentals of Baking 3
CHEF 1371 Professional Kitchen Essentials 3
 Credit Hours12
Spring
RSTO 2307 Catering 3
CHEF 1345 International Cuisine 3
CHEF 2301 Intermediate Food Preparation 3
CHEF 1264 CAPSTONE: Practicum I 2
 Credit Hours11
 Total Credit Hours23

Culinary Arts Associate of Applied Science

TSI Liable

Plan of Study Grid
First Year
FallCredit Hours
CHEF 1301 Basic Food Preparation 3
CHEF 1305 Sanitation and Safety 3
PSTR 1301 Fundamentals of Baking 3
ENGL 1301 Composition I 1 3
CHEF 1371 Professional Kitchen Essentials 3
 Credit Hours15
Spring
CHEF 2301 Intermediate Food Preparation 3
RSTO 2307 Catering 3
RSTO 2301 Principles of Food and Beverage Controls 3
RSTO 1204 Dining Room Service 2
Speech Elective 1 3
 Credit Hours14
Second Year
Fall
CHEF 1345 International Cuisine 3
PSTR 2331 Advanced Pastry Shop 3
BIOL 1322 Nutrition and Diet Therapy 1 3
CHEF 1340 Meat Preparation and Cooking 3
BUSI 1301 Business Principles 3
Social and Behavioral Sciences Elective 1 3
 Credit Hours18
Spring
CHEF 2331 Advanced Food Preparation 3
RSTO 1201 Beverage Management 2
CHEF 1341 American Regional Cuisine 3
Humanities Elective 1 3
CHEF 2264 CAPSTONE: Practicum II 2
 Credit Hours13
 Total Credit Hours60
1

Identifies courses to fulfill minimum 15 credit hour General Education requirement

Culinary Arts Associate of Applied Science - Specialization: Baking and Pastry Arts

TSI Liable

Plan of Study Grid
First Year
FallCredit Hours
CHEF 1301 Basic Food Preparation 3
CHEF 1305 Sanitation and Safety 3
PSTR 1301 Fundamentals of Baking 3
ENGL 1301 Composition I 1 3
PSTR 1302 Cake Baking and Production 3
 Credit Hours15
Spring
PSTR 1310 Pies, Tarts, Teacakes and Cookies 3
PSTR 1306 Cake Decorating I 3
RSTO 2301 Principles of Food and Beverage Controls 3
PSTR 1305 Breads and Rolls 3
Speech Elective 1 3
 Credit Hours15
Second Year
Fall
PSTR 2331 Advanced Pastry Shop 3
PSTR 2301 Chocolates and Confections 3
BIOL 1322 Nutrition and Diet Therapy 1 3
Social and Behavioral Sciences Elective 1 3
BUSI 1301 Business Principles 3
 Credit Hours15
Spring
PSTR 2307 Cake Decorating II 3
PSTR 1440 Plated Desserts 4
PSTR 1342 Quantity Bakeshop Production 3
Humanities Elective 1 3
PSTR 2264 Capstone: Practicum 2
 Credit Hours15
 Total Credit Hours60
1

Identifies courses to fulfill minimum 15 credit hour General Education requirement

Culinary Arts Associate of Applied Science - Specialization: Restaurant Management 

TSI Liable

Plan of Study Grid
First Year
FallCredit Hours
CHEF 1301 Basic Food Preparation 3
CHEF 1305 Sanitation and Safety 3
MATH 1324 Mathematics for Business & Social Sciences 1 3
HAMG 1321 Introduction to Hospitality Industry 3
 Credit Hours12
Spring
CHEF 1371 Professional Kitchen Essentials 3
RSTO 1204 Dining Room Service 2
RSTO 1201 Beverage Management 2
PSTR 1301 Fundamentals of Baking 3
ECON 2301 Principles of Economics I - Macro 1 3
 Credit Hours13
Summer
ENGL 1301 Composition I 1 3
RSTO 2301 Principles of Food and Beverage Controls 3
 Credit Hours6
Second Year
Fall
RSTO 2307 Catering 3
RSTO 1306 Facilities Layout and Design 3
PHIL 1301 Introduction to Philosophy 1 3
RSTO 1321 Menu Management 3
 Credit Hours12
Spring
CHEF 2301 Intermediate Food Preparation 3
ECON 2302 Principles of Economics II - Micro 3
ENGL 1302 Composition II - Rhetoric 3
HAMG 2305 Hospitality Management and Leadership 3
 Credit Hours12
Summer
Humanities Elective 1 3
RSTO 2264 CAPSTONE: PRACTICUM 2
 Credit Hours5
 Total Credit Hours60
1

Identifies courses to fulfill minimum 15 credit hour General Education requirement