Chicago
The impression one gets from the Culinary
and Hospitality Institute of Chicago is completeness.
They just seem to have everything together. You can
get trained in the culinary arts to a high degree
of perfection, but you can also go on to get an undergraduate
degree in one of the following: Culinary Arts and
Food Service Management, Nutrition, Food Science Management,
Nursing Home Administration, Business Administration,
and more.
You can also go a long way with just
the Associate of Applied Science degree in Le Cordon
Bleu Culinary Arts, which is, after all, the equivalent
of a typical two-year college degree. This program
may be completed in as little as 16 months on a full
time basis, but you will be basically doing the equivalent
of 4 college semesters, which should cost around $28,000,
plus some incidental fees and materials costs.
Adding to the rich mix of options
is a lively array of cooking-related student activities,
such as the Culinary Competition team, the Student
Recipe Development Association, The Cellar Club (wine
tasters), the Pastry Display Club, and the Bread Guild,
plus other clubs of general interest such as the Alpha
Beta Honor Society and the International Student Association.
Diversity is another asset of the
school, at least as represented in the promotional
literature, since a wide range of cultural and ethnic
groups evidently add to the mix.
One thing to consider is that if you
take the Associate of Applied Science Degree, you
won't just be getting a first rate education in the
internationally renowned Cordon Bleu Culinary tradition,
you'll also gain the fundamentals of a liberal education
degree, with classes such as Composition, College
AlgebraÔø‡((more information on other classes))
The school prides itself on its adherence
to the high standards of the Cordon Bleu franchise
- which "combines classic methodology with a
contemporary philosophy and includes 450 specific
proficiencies plus a cross cultural spirit and [exposure
to] the international culinary techniques of more
than twenty-five foreign cuisines." But even
more than that, they feel that their instructors speak
to the student's level and are sincerely dedicated
to student learning needs.
