The program provides comprehensive two-year training in Culinary Arts to prepare students for entry-level restaurant and food service positions as chefs, station chefs, sous-chefs, bakers, and restaurant managers. It exposes students to all facets of food service operations, including food preparation, nutrition, purchasing procedures, menu planning, equipment, and table service. In addition to the standard admission documents required by the College, applicants must also submit evidence of good health by having a complete physical examination.

Students must successfully complete 70 credits in four semesters of course work, including 25 credits of general education courses. The rigorous schedule requires students to attend laboratory courses four days each week and general education classes two evenings weekly. Students must complete a 600-hour externship. The externship provides students with an opportunity to receive on-site training in excellent restaurants and hotels in New Jersey and the metropolitan area. HCCC’s Culinary Arts Institute serves as an on-the-site training facility equipped with an elegant dining room, modern instructional kitchens, and classrooms.