Culinary Arts (Professional Cookery Practice)

The Higher Certificate in Arts in Culinary Arts (Professional Cookery Practice) is a Level 6 Award on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) and promotes entry-level careers as professional chefs. The requirements of a Higher Certificate programme offer a broad and more general range of skills and knowledge, which are necessary for the further development of the creative, practical, and theoretical skills required. This programme enables students to enter the culinary sector and allow them to demonstrate abilities in the development, preparation, and presentation of food products in a safe, healthy and nutritious manner. Students will develop an awareness of the need for products that are cost-effective and which can provide efficient solutions in a wide variety of settings (outdoor catering production, restaurant retail, and catering establishments etc.). This allows the curriculum design to be flexible in meeting the needs of the professional cookery discipline and includes the domains of knowledge, practice and individual student needs in line with the requirements necessary to operate in a restaurant kitchen or culinary related food outlet.

The aim of this programme is to facilitate the learner with continual development of effective learning and competency in fundamental culinary skills, and management. In this context, the programme aims to equip participants with the appropriate knowledge and skills and the ability to apply the concepts, theories, and practices from each of the module areas in modern-day culinary operations. Having successfully completed this programme, graduates will have acquired the requisite specialised knowledge, skills, and competencies necessary to operate at an advanced level in a variety of culinary and retail outlets including, restaurants, Hotels, and other catering establishments. Upon graduation, students will be awarded a Higher Certificate in Arts in Culinary Arts (Professional Cookery Practice).