If cooking schools have come up in conversation but you don’t know much about them, now’s your chance to learn. Below, you’ll read a bit about such schools and learn where to go to get more information.

Get more information about cooking schools.

First, a little lesson on terminology. Around the web, you’ll see literally a dozen terms such as culinary school, culinary arts college, culinary academy and more. Though they may seem different, all of these names for schools refer to the same thing. All of these schools give you an education in the culinary arts. Culinary colleges usually offer at least a two-year degree. But don’t assume that just because a school doesn’t call themselves a college, they don’t offer these programs. It’s easiest to simply lump all schools with the words culinary or cooking in them into the same category and proceed from there.

You’ll find certificate programs at most cooking schools. With a duration of nine to twelve months, these programs teach you the core of culinary arts and also give you some experience via an externship at a food service facility. You can then use this training as experience when you apply for the culinary arts jobs you like. If you’re eager to get on the job hunt, this type of program may be for you.

Degree programs offer a deeper understanding of culinary arts. You’ll come out of it with sharper skills and a wider range of culinary knowledge. Your degree program will likely include either one long or two shorter externships. You’ll graduate with more culinary knowledge than you’d get with a certificate program.

Find out how to apply to cooking schools.

You can learn a good amount about cooking schools through their websites, which are required to feature their accreditation status as well as other important statistics. Each school has an alumni network which you may be able to use to ask questions of its graduates. Lastly, before you select a cooking school, you’ll want to visit it in person.

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