Culinary Arts

Program Details

Length: 14 Months

Total Credits: 37

Intake Terms: Fall

Delivery Method: In-person

Campus: Tenth Street

Credential: Certificate

Cost:

Approximate program cost

Student Loans:

This program is not eligible for student loans.

Credential Received

Certificate in Culinary Arts

Overview

Program Summary

Demand for skilled cooks and kitchen assistants in the region and nationally remains strong. As a Cook, you’re an artisan of food, taking dishes from concept to preparation and delivery. There is no limit to where your talent and creativity can take you.

Our skilled instructors teach you culinary fundamentals for detailed menu planning, quality ingredient selection and efficient meal preparation. You will learn in a live kitchen environment, providing cooking services for our student Bistro, banquet guests and in our signature Scholar's Dining Room.

Master your trade in occupational skills, baked goods and desserts, beverages, garde manger, meat, poultry and seafood, stocks, soups and sauces, and more.

Program Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this program, learners will be able to:

Describe essential industry trade knowledge, such as safety and sanitary standards, and practices and procedures.
Exhibit professionalism and punctuality through effective time management, clear communication, high standards of quality and cleanliness, and resilience under pressure and feedback.
Demonstrate a variety of basic production procedures
Describe ordering and inventory practices
Describe general concepts surrounding ingredients and nutrition
Prepare and process stocks, sauces, a variety of starches, as well as thickening and binding agents.
Process meat, poultry, seafood, vegetables and fruit in a variety of ways
Prepare a variety of foods, including garde manger and breakfast items, egg dishes, as well as baked goods and desserts.
Describe the principles of baking
Prepare coffee, tea, and non-alcoholic beverages

Program Admission Requirements

Academic Requirements

In addition to meeting the general admission requirements to Selkirk College as outlined in College Policy 8611: Admissions, applicants must meet the following Professional Cook Program requirements to be considered fully qualified:

Successful completion of Grade 10 or equivalent with passing grades in any Math 10 and any English 10.
For international applicants, successful completion of grade 12/secondary school from their country with a minimum of 50% in any Math 10 and English 12 as well as an IELTS 6.5 overall band score (with no band less than 6.0), or equivalent on other internationally recognized English language proficiency tests accepted by Selkirk College (See policy 8611).
International students may also complete Selkirk College's Level 5 Advanced in the English Language Program first, and then do ENGL 60, and would be exempt from submitting an IELTS test score or other internationally recognized English language proficiency tests accepted by Selkirk College.

Additional Requirements

Students work predominantly in a kitchen or lab setting. It is suggested that all applicants be in good general health, have the ability to stand for long periods of time and lift up to 25 kg.
Applications may be submitted up to 11 months before the program start date. Qualified applicants are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Early application is recommended.

Graduation and Promotion

To receive your credential in your program or move to the next semester you must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.00, or 70%.
To continue in the program and/or to graduate you may not miss more than 10% of classroom and practical training in the program.
If your progress in a course is not satisfactory you may be required to withdraw from the course and take an upgrading course which may be associated with an additional cost.

Required courses

Term 1

Code	Title	Credits	Total Hours
COOK100	Professional Cook Level 1	14.00	420

Term 2

Code	Title	Credits	Total Hours
COOK101	Professional Cook Level 1	14.00	420

Term 3

Code	Title	Credits	Total Hours

Additional Program Policies

Effective Term: Fall

Delivery Year: 09/08/2026

Effective Year: 09/08/2026

Assessment:

The grading table used for these programs is Standard Trades Grading Table (see College Policy 8612 Grading)

Grading Table: Standard Trades Programs

Attendance:

Your attendance in class supports your progress toward meeting the course learning outcomes and contributes to your learning community. You will gain valuable insights and opportunities that would not be possible without the conversations and activities you will participate in. If you find yourself in a situation where you are not able to get to class or will be late, you will need to contact the relevant instructor so that they can collaborate on a plan for your continued success. When you miss class, the chances of successfully meeting the learning outcomes may be reduced and/or prevent you from passing the class.  
Your absence from any class or learning experience, for any reason, is your responsibility for the course material you have missed. As part of the plan for success, you may be required to make up missed assignments, activities, lab and/or practice education hours to successfully meet the learning outcomes. Absence from learning experiences may impact your ability to meet the learning outcomes for that course and in turn, progression to the next semester.  
Written and competency/skill-based assessment schedules are shared with you at the beginning of the course so you can plan and organize yourself accordingly. If you are absent from a written or competency/skill-based assessment for reasonable cause (e.g., illness, family emergency, adverse weather conditions, etc.), you may contact your instructor to determine if you are eligible to make-up the assessment at another time (please check the course outline for specific details). A physician's note for illness, or a note substantiating the family emergency, may be required prior to assess eligibility.

Other regulations:

Additional Policies 
College policies that inform the Tourism and Destination Management Program  

Policy #8350: Educational Field Trips  
Students on any field trip are visible representatives of Selkirk College and their respective program. Students are expected to conduct themselves as professionals and exercise common sense, responsibility and maturity in all field trip situations. 

College Policy 8611: Admissions 
General admission requirements to the College and guidelines for specific admission requirements. 

Policy #8612: Grading   
Ensure that grading and promotion are consistent and fair, provide consistent guidance to individuals responsible for the evaluation of students and provides definitions of each grade notation that could appear on a Selkirk College transcript. 

*Note: Grading will be based on the categories defined in Standard Grading Table for the School of Hospitality and Tourism  

Policy # 8614 Title: Advanced Standing:  Course Challenge, Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) and Transfer Credit  
Guidelines for determining equivalencies between student prior learning experiences and formal College credits and for assessing official post-secondary transcripts from other institutions to determine academic course equivalency towards Selkirk College programs 

 Policy #8615: Standards of Academic Progress  
Describe academic standards and level of achievement required for a student to successfully complete a course and/or program at Selkirk College and establishes principles and procedures to assist and intervene when a student is at academic risk 

Policy # 8617: Credentials and Graduation  
To clarify the means by which the College informs a student of a program’s graduation requirements and what types of requirements may be included in a program’s graduation requirements.  

Policy #8619: Student Probation  
Guidelines for being informed about and place on and removed from probation and the consequences if a student fails to meet the conditions of probation.  