The New York State Education Department has approved an associate degree program in culinary arts for Monroe College. As a result, Monroe College is now the only college in the Bronx and Westchester to offer such a program. Over the past three years, as part of the college’s division of Hospitality Management and the Culinary Arts, the Monroe culinary program has provided comprehensive, integrated educational experiences that prepare students to be effective and productive food service professionals in a wide variety of hospitality business applications. The A.A.S. degree program will broaden educational and job development opportunities into supervisory positions, giving students greater earning potential.

Associate Academic Dean Carol Genese said that the new degree program is the right opportunity at the right time. "People are looking for rewarding careers that they’ll enjoy," she said. "With the restaurant industry showing more growth than ever before, clearly, there are jobs available. Monroe students will now be best able to compete for those jobs as hiring standards continue to rise."

With its major teaching kitchen at a working restaurant, Monroe will provide students with reality-based experiences in both front and back-of-house operations. Students will develop a hands-on working knowledge of culinary, pastry, and baking production integrated with cost control, food purchasing, and safe food handling. An internship/capstone course will provide real-time experience through participation in a local or regional culinary salon and give students the opportunity to become certified culinarians. In fact, the college has already entered into an articulation agreement so students will be able to study in Italy.

"This is yet another step in Monroe’s commitment to career building," said Craig Rutman, Director of Culinary and Pastry Programs for the Hospitality Management and the Culinary Arts department. "It’s an incredible, one-of-a-kind opportunity for our students."

Graduates of the proposed program will be able to fill positions in many types of restaurants, food service companies, catering and conference and special event planning, corporate food and beverage operations, retail food and wine sales and marketing, as well as various positions in restaurant menu design and planning, product procurement and all aspects of customer service.

The Monroe College Culinary Arts degree program is part of the college’s Department of Hospitality Management and the Culinary Arts. The facility for the program, the Monroe Center for the Culinary Arts is in New Rochelle. Buses leave regularly to and from the Bronx Fordham campus for the convenience of Bronx students.

For more information about any of Monroe’s programs, contact the Monroe Admissions Department in New Rochelle at 914-632-5400 or in the Bronx at 718-933-6700 or visit www.monroecollege.edu .