Cooking

Our motto is ‘real time, real food, real people’. This program will immerse you in the fast-paced world of the commercial kitchen, and will give you a solid foundation for an entry-level position as a commercial cook with a possible future career as a professional chef.

You'll spend some time in the classroom learning theory, but most of your time will be spent doing hands-on cooking. You will become proficient in all the tools of the modern kitchen from the knives to the computers. You'll be cooking to provide meals to a working cafeteria on campus, as well as our fine-dining restaurant. In our smaller demonstration kitchen, you will learn special techniques from your chef instructor. In the end, you'll have both the physical and the knowledge-based tools to start your career in the kitchen.

• We have a unique model for teaching cooking that exposes you to every step in the process. You'll learn the ‘whats, whys and hows’ of food from the moment it enters the kitchen until it leaves on a plate to a waiting guest. Our small class size means you get lots of one-on-one attention from the faculty and benefit greatly from their real-world experience and advice.


• This program is a first step on the path towards Journeyperson Certification in the Cook trade. Graduates of this program will be eligible for transfer credit upon registration in the Provincial Apprenticeship Program.

There is currently a shortage of skilled cooks in Nova Scotia. You will have many choices and opportunities following graduation. Entry-level employment positions exist in a wide range of areas including: hotels, clubs, institutional settings, cafeterias and restaurants.

• High School Graduation Diploma or equivalent.

• Graduates are eligible to apply for a limited number of seats in the second-year of our Culinary Arts Diploma program.


• Red Seal – Cooking is a designated trade that qualifies for the Interprovincial Standards Red Seal Program. The Red Seal allows qualified tradespersons to practice the trade in any province or territory in Canada where the trade is designated without having to write further examinations.


• Additional costs include Food Handlers certificate, safety shoes, uniforms, textbooks and knife kit.


• As a requirement for graduation, students must obtain Standard First Aid and CPR (level A) certification from a recognized organization at their own expense.