Culinary Institute of the Carolinas

A career in culinary arts is a blend of discipline and creativity. Depending on experience, employment options may include:

• Executive, sous, pastry or banquet chef in restaurants, private clubs, hotels or resorts
• Hospital, nursing home, and extended care food service
• Assistant restaurant manager
• Personal chef
• Private catering chef
• Restaurant line cook

National Outlook

The Bureau of Labor Statistics also has information on national trends in culinary and related careers.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN THE PROGRAM

All courses are built from a foundation of competencies required for American Culinary Federation Education Foundation (ACFEF) accreditation. Courses are arranged with sensitivity to those combining work and class schedules.

Skills taught include:

• Fundamentals of culinary and baking science
• Safety and sanitation laws and regulations
• Identifying, preparing, and serving alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages
• Business math skills including recipe conversion, cost control, labor analysis, and employee payroll and related tax computations
• Nutrition
• Menu preparation
• Food service equipment
• Written and oral communication
• Human relations and personnel management
• Quality standards and food regulations
• Customer service
• Business etiquette and manners

The student learning outcomes for the Culinary Arts Technology program are:

• Perform a variety of dining room services, dining room functions, and computer skills.
• Prepare a variety of hot and cold food products using basic cooking and baking fundamentals and operate a variety of equipment.
• Apply principles of nutrition to menu planning and food preparation and develop an understanding of basic principles for safety and sanitation.
• Evaluate different styles of leadership and develop skills in human relations and personal management.
• Perform mathematical functions related to food service operations and apply the overall concept of purchasing, receiving, and storing food and beverage.
• Demonstrate computer skills.

CIC MISSION STATEMENT

The Culinary Institute of the Carolinas at Greenville Technical College is dedicated to providing the region’s best professional culinary education. Excellence, leadership, professionalism, ethics, and respect for diversity are the core values that guide our efforts. We teach our students the general knowledge and specific skills necessary to live successful lives and to grow into positions of influence and leadership in their chosen profession.

STATE-OF-THE-ART FACILITIES

Greenville Technical College's Culinary Institute of the Carolinas offers you the best possible environment for gaining culinary skills with state-of-the-art facilities that include five kitchens, a room designed especially for ice carving, and the finest tools of the trade such as programmable combination ovens and blast chillers. Students gain real-world experience while serving customers during events held in the upscale dining room.

The Culinary Arts concentration of the associate degree is accredited by the American Culinary Federation Educational Foundation Accrediting Commission (ACFEFAC). This means the program meets or exceeds an established standard of excellence and remains current with industry expectations.

American Culinary Federation Education Institutional Accrediting Commission Required Knowledge and Competencies (pdf)

Greenville Technical College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate and baccalaureate degrees. Degree-granting institutions also may offer credentials such as certificates and diplomas at approved degree levels.

Questions about the accreditation of Greenville Technical College may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website (www.sacscoc.org).

Culinary Arts Technology 
Associate in Applied Science

This program covers basic skills, methods and techniques for all aspects of food preparation to prepare students for food production positions including a la carte, catering, buffet preparation and display of foods and eventual advancement into executive roles. Focus is also concentrated in areas of food and beverage management, purchasing, sanitation, marketing, cost control, law, and nutrition.

The Culinary Arts concentration is an accredited program by the American Culinary Federation Educational Foundation Accrediting Commission (ACFEFAC). Graduates are eligible for the Certified Culinarian designation, which can lead to sous chef, lead line chef, lead line supervisor or executive chef positions.

Culinary Arts program details from our current catalog »

Baking and Pastry Arts 
Certificate in Applied Science

This certificate program is focused on the skills required for employment within a confectionary setting, including restaurants, hotels, clubs and retail bakeries.

Baking and Pastry Arts details from our current catalog »

Culinary Education 
Certificate in Applied Science

This certificate program assists students in preparing for certification with the American Culinary Federation Education Foundation or for advanced production classes in the Culinary Arts Technology associate degree program.

Culinary Education details from our current catalog »

Hospitality/Tourism Management
Associate in Applied Science

The purpose of this program is to create training and employment opportunities for students in the field of hospitality and for those already in the workforce. The Hospitality/Tourism Management degree will produce graduates with the skills needed to be employable in many areas of hotel management, event planning, and foodservice industries. Graduates will be conversant in software skills and laws governing travel, hotels, restaurants, and alcohol service.

Hospitality/Tourism Management degree details from our current catalog »

Tuition and fees information »

Costs in addition to tuition and fees:

• Professional Knife Kit: $286.50, available at the NW Campus Bookstore
  
• Culinary Uniform: $75, available at the NW Campus Bookstore
  
• Uniform Shoes (Black leather or leather-like, Kitchen-safe, nonslip, oil-resistant): Varies, available at various shoe/uniform stores.

^{GTC = Associate in Applied Science in Culinary Arts, 69 credit hours, in-county resident with lottery reduction, https://www.gvltec.edu/tuition/
Escoffier = Austin Campus, Associate Degree in Culinary Arts, 60 weeks, https://www.escoffier.edu/admissions-aid/tuition/
AI = Associate of Arts in Culinary Arts, 90 credit hours/66 weeks, https://www.artinstitutes.edu/atlanta/tuition-aid
JWU = Associate in Applied Science in Culinary Arts, 61 credit hours, https://www.jwu.edu/campuses/charlotte/admissions-and-aid/tuition-and-fees/index.html
CIA = Texas Campus, Associate in Applied Science in Culinary Arts, 69 credit hours, https://www.ciachef.edu/cia-tuition/} 

• If you are in culinary school or thinking about it and want to work in the hospitality or restaurant field, ReluctantGourmet.com includes various organizations that are offering grants and scholarships.
• ACF offers educational scholarships to high school students, college students, or professional chefs looking to further their education or become certified. (Deadlines are April 30th and October 31st each year)
• SC ProStart manages scholarships on behalf of a variety of organizations that support hospitality education. (Accepting applications through May 1st each year)
• ChooseRestaurants.org offers a variety of scholarships to students who want an education and career in the foodservice industry. (Apply January 1st-April 1st)
• ICES promotes the art of cake decorating by awarding one or more annual scholarships to applicants deemed most likely to develop and promote the art form. (Apply no later than January 15th each year)
• The South Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Educational Foundation (SCRLEF) manages scholarships on behalf of a variety of organizations that support hospitality education. These scholarships are designed to assist students who demonstrate an interest in and commitment to the hospitality (restaurant, foodservice, lodging, tourism) industry. (Apply through May 1st each year)
• The WebstaurantStore Scholarship is a $1,500 grant for students who are currently enrolled in, or planning to attend Culinary Arts or Hospitality Management fields.  The scholarship has been set up to support the next generation of innovative chefs and restaurant managers, who are such a critical part in WebstaurantStore's success. (Deadlines are December 1st and June 15th annually)

In Addition to the scholarships above, please check with the Greenville Tech Foundation and the faculty within the Culinary program for any additional scholarship information.

Program Mission:
The Culinary Institute of the Carolinas at Greenville Technical College is dedicated to providing the region’s best professional culinary education. Excellence, leadership, professionalism, ethics, and respect for diversity are the core values that guide our efforts. We teach our students the general knowledge and specific skills necessary to live successful lives and to grow into positions of influence and leadership in their chosen profession.

Program Student Learning Outcomes:
Upon successful completion of the Culinary Arts Technology Associate Degree, the graduate will be able to:

• Perform a variety of dining room services, dining room functions, and computer skills.
• Prepare a variety of hot and cold food products and using basic cooking and baking fundamentals and operate a variety of equipment.
• Apply principles of nutrition to menu planning and food preparation and develop an understanding of basic principles for safety and sanitation.
• Evaluate different styles of leadership and develop skills in human relations and personal management.
• Perform mathematical functions related to foodservice operations and apply the overall concept of purchasing, receiving, and storing food and beverage.
• Culinary students will demonstrate computer skills.
• Differentiate among sustainability practices and be able to implement them in foodservice operations.

The Culinary Arts Technology Associate in Applied Science degree is accredited by the American Culinary Federation Education Institute (ACFEI). ACFEI requires all accredited programs to meet an established set of required knowledge and competencies for program graduates. To see the required knowledge and competency correlation with the required and elective courses for the program, see the ACFEI Required Knowledge and Competency matrix (pdf).

To review the required accreditation program’s outcome data, see the ACFEFAC Program Outcomes Report (pdf).

For program information for the Culinary Arts associate degree including placement rates, graduation rates, and program demographics, see our Program Data report.

Contact the Culinary Institute

Department Head and Chef Instructor
Kristen Grissom, CC, MHA, CET
(864) 250-3675
Kristen.Grissom@gvltec.edu 

Administrative Assistant
Olivia Huddleston
(864) 250-3670 
Olivia.Huddleston@gvltec.edu

Our Faculty

Jeremy Caldwell
Academic Program Director, Hospitality & Tourism
Jeremy.Caldwell@gvltec.edu

Charles "Austin" Craft, CC
Chef Instructor
Charles.Craft@gvltec.edu

Patrick Wagner, CCE
Chef Instructor
Patrick.Wagner@gvltec.edu

Isaac Moore
Operations Manager
Isaac.Moore@gvltec.edu

WANT TO POST A POSITION FOR OUR CULINARY STUDENTS?
Click for information and instructions from our Career Services department.