Program Description

The Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management (CAHM) program prepares students for many aspects of the food industry. Celebrity Chefs, Iron Chefs, Food Network shows ~ everywhere you look today the public is excited about culinary arts. As this excitement grows so does the food industry. Trained, qualified chefs are in demand and the Skagit Valley College Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management (CAHM) program is the place to prepare you for this emergent industry.

The Skagit Valley College Culinary Arts program is among the few culinary programs accredited by the prestigious American Culinary Federation Foundation Accrediting Commission (ACFFAC). This means the program competes with the best of the best. Students have traveled to Chicago, Hawaii, Colorado Springs and other culinary centers as part of the emphasis on networking with peers and accomplished, well-placed chefs across the country. Students have had the opportunity to stand side by side with master chefs seen on the food network and have garnered their share of competition medals.

The Culinary Arts program partners with the National Restaurant Association Education Foundation in providing coursework required for the new ManageFirst credential. This program is designed to meet the needs of supervisory personnel in the restaurant industry. Courses include Human Resource Management, Marketing, Cost Control, Safety and Sanitation.

‘Hands-on’ learning labs such as the newly modernized Skagit Café and campus food service outlets, along with McIntyre Hall Caterin,g offer students unique, real life experiences in the food service industry. Whether a student wants to bolster his/her knowledge and skills to advance in a current food service job, start his/her own small bakery, café or catering business, begin a career path as a manager in a large, prestigious food corporation, become a personal chef, or just learn more about being a good cook, the Skagit Valley College Culinary Arts program can help you get there!

The Skagit Valley College Mount Vernon location offers the opportunity to experience first hand the fresh, local food products that are celebrated around the nation. ‘Fresh and local’ are an integral part of the culinary experience positioning you on the cutting edge of this national trend.

Course content emphasizing ‘hands-on’ lab work and a variety of flexible teaching techniques are designed to meet the needs of diverse learning styles. Emphasis is placed on the necessity for the modern culinary professional to understand global food trends and international flavor principles in a working environment sensitive to cultural and general differences.

Entry into the Program

Please apply to the Admissions Office. Students may enter the program at the beginning of any quarter. For more information, contact the Department Chair or the Admissions Office.