Le Cordon Bleu has a campus in Hollywood, California, and one in Pasadena, California.
California culinary schools take advantage of what the state has to offer culinarily -- ocean proximity, 98 official American viticultural areas and regional diversity -- and implement these features into their curricula. California culinary colleges frequently sponsor trips to California wine country as well as to the Santa Monica farmers' market in Los Angeles. This allows students to take part in food preparation from its sourcing to its plating.
Le Cordon Bleu
Le Cordon Bleu operates schools in four California cities -- Los Angeles, Pasadena, Sacramento and San Diego. The school offers certificate programs and associate of occupational studies, or A.O.S., degrees in culinary arts and baking and pastry arts as well as a culinary certificate program taught in Spanish. The practical coursework is the same in both the certificate and associate programs; however, the associate programs include liberal arts coursework necessary to obtain an A.O.S. degree. Certificate programs last 30 weeks, and A.O.S. programs last 2 years. Both paths of study culminate with a 12-week externship at a school-approved restaurant or hotel.
Culinary Institute of America
The Culinary Institute of America, or CIA, opened its St. Helena, California, campus in 1995 at the Greystone winery property in Napa Valley. The campus grounds feature 15 acres of Merlot vineyards and the Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant. A student approaching completion of her culinary program finishes her last two classes in the school-operated restaurant; one class covers front-of-house, or dining room, service and the other concerns back-of-house, or kitchen, operations. The CIA at Greystone offers A.O.S. programs in culinary arts and baking and pastry as well as accelerated certificate programs in culinary arts and wine and beverage studies.
Art Institutes of America
The Art Institutes of America has eight California locations and offers diploma programs and A.O.S. degrees in baking and pastry and culinary arts. Several California locations offer a bachelor's of science degree program in culinary management. Although the school's programs are based in French technique, the Art Institutes' programs offer extensive study in the regional cuisines of the Middle East, Europe, Asia and Latin America.
Professional Culinary Institute
The Professional Culinary Institute, or PCI, has one campus in Campbell, California, and is operated by the French Culinary Institute in New York. PCI offers three programs -- essential professional culinary skills, essential professional baking and pastry skills and wine appreciation and sommelier certification. The culinary skills and baking and pastry skills programs last 6 months, and the wine appreciation program lasts 11 weeks. The school teaches its full-time programs at an accelerated pace but also offers the option of part-time study, which extends the culinary and baking and pastry arts programs to 10 months.
