Austin – Austin Community College’s Culinary Arts Program has achieved elite status. The program’s recent accreditation by the American Culinary Federation (ACF) Education Program makes ACC one of three programs in Texas to reach this milestone.

“This accreditation put s us on par with a number of the top-notch programs in the country,” says Brian Hay, ACC’s Culinary Arts program coordinator. “There are only 120 schools in the country that have received this accreditation, which is the highest one for culinary schools.”

The ACC culinary arts faculty submitted a self-study to the ACF in fall 2001 and the self-study team visited the program in March of 2002. Now that the ACC program is accredited, any student who graduates from the two-year associate of applied science (AAS) program and joins the ACF is automatically a Certified Culinarian, the first level of Chef.

There are only about 450 schools worldwide where culinary arts as a profession can be studied, according to Shaw Guides, and only about 50% of these programs are accredited. Shaw Guides is a for-profit company that publishes directories of educational travel and creative career programs.

“One of the huge advantages of accreditation is that our students have
been assured that our program meets or exceeds national standards for similar
programs,” says Reuel Smith, a full-time professor in ACC’s Culinary Arts program. “Students recognize that our peers have reviewed the professionalism, faculty, facilities, and curriculum in our program. They know what they are learning is in line with current industry practices and that they will be well prepared to work in the industry.”

In addition to the AAS degree, ACC offers two one-year certificates in culinary arts. The culinarian certificate teaches hands-on skills. The basic certificate also incorporates management skills into the curriculum. ACC is currently working toward accreditation for its hospitality management program, in which students learn how to manage hotels and restaurants, and plan meetings and tours.

“Today’s hospitality and culinary education is becoming as competitive as any company in the industry,” says Virginia Lawrence, ACC’s Hospitality Management program coordinator. “Achieving this goal of accreditation not only set us apart from our competitors but also allows us to compete on a national level.”