Le Cordon Bleu Schools North America

Highlights

• Part of world's largest hospitality education institution
• More than a dozen campuses across the United States
• Degree and certification programs in Culinary, Patisserie and Baking, and Hospitality and Restaurant Management
• Hands-on education in modern kitchens, fully equipped labs, and student-run restaurants

About the School

Le Cordon Bleu Schools North America combines classical French techniques with modern American technology. Le Cordon Bleu (French for "blue ribbon") was founded as a culinary institute in Paris in 1895. In the late 1800s, a collection of recipes called La Cuisiniere Cordon Bleu were published with much fanfare. The book's success inspired the publisher to open a cooking school with the Cordon Bleu designation. The school is now the largest educational institution for hospitality management and culinary arts in the world, serving over 20,000 students annually in over 25 schools in five continents.

The schools provides curriculum that prepare students for professional entry- to mid-level opportunities in the food service and hospitality industry by providing personalized, hands-on training in the classic and modern culinary arts. Le Cordon Bleu Schools have programs that include Culinary Arts, Patisserie and Baking Arts, and Hospitality and Restaurant Management. Schools provide an array of Certificate and Associate Degree, the offerings vary by campus.

Each school strives to create an innovative environment that focuses on a student's educational and personal development and inspires them to realize their creative potential.

Academic Programs

The schools offer culinary training programs which cover a full spectrum of subjects, from basic cooking skills and baking, to the art of butchering, to purchasing and cost control. Students can learn about both the kitchen and the dining room operations of the food service business.

Program availability can vary by location. Program tracks include:

• Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts – This track covers basic cookery, culinary arts concepts, baking and pastry, nutrition, hospitality management and food and beverage cost control. The curriculum requires that all students participate in an "externship." "Externships" provide students with real-world experience in the food service industry and helps to prepare them for careers in the culinary arts.
• Le Cordon Bleu Patisserie and Baking Arts – Patisserie and baking methods are taught to encourage students to develop their own unique style. Coursework covers the range of techniques from traditional and classic baking and pastry to the most contemporary innovations in the field.
• Le Cordon Bleu Hospitality and Restaurant Management – Through practical, real-world education students will learn to close the gap between front and back of the house (kitchen and the dining room) from a management perspective. Concepts covered include Hospitality and Restaurant Operations, Hospitality Marketing, Professional Communication, and Le Cordon Bleu Cuisine.

Learning Options

The curriculum can take students from the classroom, modern laboratories, and fully equipped kitchens to a student run on-campus restaurant and "externships" to help pending graduates gain hands-on real-world experience.

Faculty

Le Cordon Bleu Schools North America taps industry professional chefs and hospitality experts to teach classes at the school. Educators are hired not just for their industry skills but also for their ability to foster and nurture students and for their capacity to encourage students to uncover their creative potential.

Student Life

Le Cordon Bleu Schools North America does not offer housing; however, schools may have arrangements that help place students in area apartments or houses.

With opportunities to congregate in the library, the campus lounge, the student-run restaurants, in the kitchens or during their "externship," students have a chance to develop friendships and to build a post-graduate network of peers and instructors that operate throughout the industry.

Admissions and Financial Aid

Candidates with a passion to work in the food service or hospitality industry are encouraged to apply to Le Cordon Bleu Schools North America. The schools require that students have a high school diploma or its equivalent to enter the program. Individual campuses may stipulate that students go through an interview process to ensure that prospective students are enthusiastic about their education in the field.

Financial aid is available for students who qualify. The school's financial aid office will help applicants navigate the process which may include requests for Federal or Private Loans and Grants, as well as, scholarships and work study programs.