An ICE chef-instructor demonstrates a technique to a room full of students in ICE's Culinary Arts campus programs.

Culinary Arts

In our Culinary Arts program, students get trained in the theory, practice and art of cooking — skills which can be applied to a broad range of career paths.

Diploma Program

Welcome to the Foundation of Your Culinary Career

In rankings of the best colleges for culinary arts, ICE is recognized as one of the top culinary arts programs* in the nation. Our award-winning curriculum is designed to teach you foundational skills and knowledge about the practice and art of cooking through theory, technique, palate training, speed and teamwork. These cooking skills will be essential for success in your culinary career.

If you’re looking for a top culinary arts campus program, look no further. The Institute of Culinary Education’s Culinary Arts program is offered at both our New York and Los Angeles campuses. Students can choose to apply for the Culinary Arts diploma program or take their education a step further at our LA campus with the Culinary Arts and Management Associate Degree Program.

Quick Facts

Program Name: Career Culinary Arts

Program Duration: 8-12 months

Class Times: morning, afternoon, evening and weekends

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Your Priority Is Thriving. Ours is You.

Imagine a culinary arts school classroom where you and your progress matter. You'll study the cooking skills that are valued in the culinary industry, as well as forge the personal contacts that will guide you through your journey. What’s more, our students range widely in both age and previous professional experience. Some are recent high school or college graduates, while others are current line cooks looking to refine their skills, or professionals from industries as varied as IT, medicine, publishing and beyond. This diversity is at the core of our personalized, student-focused approach to teaching.

Every class in our culinary school program teaches specific skills. Beginning with basic ingredient identification, our culinary arts Chef-Instructors will help train your senses, guiding you through an incredible range of tastes and flavors, from herbs and condiments to vegetables and meats. Your evolution will continue through the development of culinary techniques such as knife skills, dry and moist heat cooking methods, sauce making, restaurant service simulations, pastry and baking and more. Over the course of the culinary arts campus programs, you'll have the opportunity to take classes with different Chef-Instructors, exposing you to a wide range of mentors with different areas of expertise. This, combined with our global curriculum and externship program, will help to provide you with a solid foundation to pursue a culinary career inside or outside the kitchen.

Students prepare dishes in the culinary arts campus programs at the Institute of Culinary Education.

Real-World Culinary Experience

One of the things that makes ICE a top culinary arts school, is that our culinary training is grounded in classical French technique but the experience in the program is unmistakably global. Thailand, India, Japan and Italy – the techniques, ingredients and distinctive flavors of all these regions and others will be a part of your culinary arts school training. Our culinary arts campus programs are designed to take you and your creativity anywhere in the industry and abroad.

An important part of ICE's global perspective is gaining industry experience in a culinary business. After 400+ hours in the classroom, our externship program will place you in a hands-on position in the heart of the job market. Imagine 210 hours of dedicated training in a restaurant, hotel, catering kitchen or other culinary business. Our full-time staff of Career Services Advisors will help you find an industry externship placement that works for you. ICE graduates tell us they consider ICE to be a top culinary school program and that their externship was instrumental in their career, providing them with invaluable networking opportunities and connections to help kick-start their careers in culinary arts — and many ICE externships have led to full-time job offers.

ICE offers students flexible schedule options to manage culinary school class schedules for any lifestyle.

Flexible Scheduling for Your Lifestyle

Our class schedules are designed to accommodate both full-time students and working professionals. These are two more reasons why ICE ranks as a top culinary school in the nation and why students who are looking for good colleges for culinary arts turn to ICE. You decide which schedule is most convenient for you: morning, afternoon, evening or weekends (weekend schedules are available only at ICE’s NY campus). Attending culinary arts school doesn’t have to be an unattainable goal. Let us help you make it a reality.

Study at the Campus of Your Choice

Culinary School Chef Instructor teaching at the Institute of Culinary Education

To provide the utmost flexibility, you can pursue your culinary education in-person at an ICE campus in New York or Los Angeles. We offer a wide variety of schedule options, including morning, afternoon, evening, or weekend schedules depending on which campus you choose (weekends schedules are only available in NY). Classes meet between two, three or five times per week.

Recognizing that not every culinary arts student can attend classes in New York or Los Angeles, ICE also offers an online Culinary Arts & Food Operations diploma program. The online program offers students the opportunity to fit their course and lab work into their daily schedule at times that work for them. 

Tuition and fees include a culinary tool kit, knives, uniforms and books so you're fully equipped for your kitchen classroom from day one. Tuition also includes ICE’s popular Wine Essentials series. Visit our Tuition and Discounts page for complete information on the cost for specific class dates and times.

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Take the Next Step Toward a Culinary Career

The admissions process is the start of a lasting relationship with ICE. Your Admissions Representative will introduce you to the personal experience the culinary arts school is known for. Their mission is to understand your career goals and help you select the right program(s) to fit your needs and your interests. 

Why Choose ICE

You know it's in you — the ambition to pursue a rewarding career in food. ICE is ready to help you find your culinary voice and achieve your culinary career dreams.

12 Reasons Why You Should Choose ICE.

International Students

Like the cities our campuses inhabit, ICE is a hub of multiculturalism. We’re proud to have had students from 44+ countries choose ICE for their career training and we celebrate the unique perspective an international student body provides. International students have the opportunity to gain knowledge and hands-on experience in America’s major food cities, by attending our New York City or Los Angeles campuses and completing an industry externship. It’s no wonder students come from around the world to Find Their Culinary Voice at ICE.

Learn about International Students at ICE.

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Ready to take your interest in ICE further? Speak to an Admissions Representative about your personal goals, start your application or download our career brochure so you can access our program information anytime.

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The Most Critical Connections of Your Career Are Often Right Next to You

Tour the classrooms at ICE and you'll see a diversity of age, experience, background and goals. When looking for good colleges for culinary arts, students come from all over the United States and around the world to attend ICE.

Some are at the start of their culinary careers, hoping to become an executive chef in one of the nation's top restaurants, while some are career changers training for the next chapter in their lives. Others have already worked in the food industry and want to sharpen their cooking skills in pursuit of better opportunities.

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Professional Demonstrations and Extracurriculars

ICE offers enrichment classes focused on cooking and beverage-related aspects of the food industry, free for alumni and students. Experts from all over the world come to ICE to teach, lecture and cook for our students, providing the exclusive opportunity to watch, interact with and ask questions of these successful epicureans. What's more, ICE hosts great culinary entrepreneurs, from California winemakers and New Orleans head chefs to food website founders and specialty food company presidents, as part of our Meet the Culinary Entrepreneurs series.