Duration: Three years (full-time) (as an undergraduate student)

Location: Dunedin

Options: Distance and part-time study are possible

Start: February

Application: Apply any time through Capable NZ

The Bachelor of Culinary Arts is an advanced qualification designed to help take New Zealand’s food culture to new heights.Ultimately, the programme aims to equip students with the tools, techniques and competence required to work across a range of career paths within the professional culinary arts.This includes a specialist opportunity in food technology teaching, which those on the Capable Teachers programme will pursue.

However, the entire programme recognises that the culinary industry is becoming increasingly complex and collaborative. Chefs need to have a broad competency in technical skills, while having a good understanding of other aspects of their profession, from nutritional awareness to business acumen.

As a teacher, you will not only develop your own knowledge and professional practice of one of New Zealand’s cornerstone industries – you’ll also develop the skills to pass on to future generations of foodies!

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS:

Capable NZ Assessment of Prior Learning (APL)

It is expected that most students entering the Bachelor of Culinary Arts through the Capable Teachers programme will already have some years of industry experience behind them. They are invited to fast-track their qualification by having their existing knowledge and experience formally recognised.Further information about this process is found in the ‘How it Works’ section of this website, and questions to help you determine whether this process is right for you are found under ‘Is this a pathway for me?'.

It is also possible to enter the Bachelor of Culinary Arts programme without industry experience.If you are not entering the programme through the Capable NZ Assessment of Prior Learning process, please see the information details on the Otago Polytechnic website. This provides standard application details, and a full description of each year of the programme.

YOU WILL STUDY:

The Bachelor of Culinary Arts incorporates core courses (Larder and Hot Kitchen Fundamentals, Food and Patisserie Fundamentals, Creative Kitchen Studio, Advanced Contemporary Culinary Practice, Co-operative Learning Project) in addition to a range of electives.

Through Capable NZ, you will have the opportunity to have your knowledge and skills assessed, and undertake any extra learning, to enable you to enter Year 3 of the programme (although some students may have enough knowledge to gain credits for some or all or Year 3 as well). This means that, for most students, you will have achieved the equivalent of the first two years of the degree, which covers the following.

Year 1 introduces students to the ingredients, skills and techniques required to realise the outcomes of the kitchen production process. Emphasis is on skill development, building confidence and understanding of elementary larder, hot kitchen, and patisserie techniques and its place in the modern restaurant kitchen. Students have the opportunities to interpret, develop, design and produce menu/dishes in response to a series of briefs. They are also introduced to management and research. Year 2 continues developing students’ menu expertise, while placing greater emphasis on research, experimentation, problem solving and appropriate selection of techniques to achieve quality outcomes. Students extend their technical skills and knowledge required in a modern culinary environment, and gain an understanding of modern culinary trends.

Year 3

The focus of the final year of the degree is the ability to plan and initiate a sustained body of culinary work. Students will concentrate on a chosen theme, and develop, produce and present a food project which is based on culinary philosophy and supported by research. Students have the opportunity to demonstrate that they have achieved a professional level of the culinary arts that satisfies a commercial environment.

YOUR WORKLOAD- YEAR 3

Course & Credits

In addition to the generic graduate profiles, students will demonstrate capabilities that are based on the five career pathways, namely; Restaurant/Hotel Chef, Artisan Producer, Management, Media and Technology/Tertiary Teacher. These capabilities will be exhibited at the completion of years 2 and 3 based upon the student’s selection of electives.

Electives have been developed to lead to specific career pathways.Those on the Capable Teachers programme can select from the following, developed to prepare students for teaching careers.

Technology/tertiary teacher

• Foundation teaching
• Introduction to nutrition
• Nutrition and population
• Sensory science
• Fundamentals of food chemistry
• Research methodology

YEAR 3 GRADUATE PROFILE

On successful completion of Year 3 of the Bachelor Culinary Arts graduates will have the ability to:

• demonstrate in-depth knowledge, understanding and application of highly specialised culinary practices in a range of contexts
• integrate sustainable culinary design principles into their practice and critically reflect on the social, environmental and economic impact of their culinary decisions.
• operate knowledgeably, productively and professionally in the commercial environment
• integrate appropriate research methods, development processes and production tools to produce and present a major resolved individual body of work
• demonstrate outstanding levels of expert culinary skills
• confidently utilise a variety of verbal, visual and on-line techniques to communicate their culinary philosophy
• apply self analysis, critical thinking and reflection skills to recognise quality culinary outcomes
• identify and articulate the distinctive characteristics of their work and underlying culinary philosophy
• apply independent learning skills and the ability to access information and knowledge using sound academic practices which would allow them to advance to postgraduate study.
• demonstrate the interpersonal capabilities needed for a career which requires co-operation and participation in group decision-making activities
• draw on specialised technical knowledge, inter-disciplinary approaches and conceptual skills required for continued development and personal experimentation within their industry
• analyse the complex and dynamic technological, legislative, social, economic, cultural and political environments in which discipline-specific and inter-disciplinary culinary commercial activities are undertaken
• position themselves within the culinary industry with a clear local, national and international view of the hospitality industry. This could include having an on-line presence that communicates their culinary outcomes and philosophy.