Culinary Arts
Turn Your Passion for Food into a Rewarding Career
At Colorado Mountain College, our Culinary Arts Degree program is designed to transform your love of cooking into the skills and confidence needed to thrive in today’s professional kitchens. In our hands-on culinary labs, you’ll explore both classical techniques and modern, global cuisines; learning by doing, tasting, creating, and perfecting.
Becoming a chef requires more than great knife skills. That’s why our program pairs culinary training with courses in restaurant operations, leadership, and hospitality fundamentals. By the time you graduate, you’ll be prepared to step confidently into a wide variety of roles in the industry.
Learn, Work, and Grow in a World-Class Resort Community
Located in the heart of Ski Country USA, CMC offers opportunities you won’t find anywhere else. With a thriving resort and vacation destination right outside your door, the possibilities for a paid internship that fits your goals are nearly endless.
Picture yourself learning from James Beard Award–winning chefs, cooking on a dude ranch, mastering high-volume service at a major ski resort, or helping launch the next great local food truck. These experiences happen here every semester.
Internships are required; however, you can choose when to complete your internship. Many students work while taking classes, but you’re free to schedule it separately, even after finishing your coursework. Already have real-world experience? You may be eligible to earn credit for prior learning.
Housing at CMC Breckenridge
Limited student housing is available at CMC Breckenridge and through our resort partners.
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Graduates
Matt Vawter: A Legacy of Fine Dining
Matt Vawter rose quickly through the ranks after graduating from CMC with a degree in culinary arts. He is currently the proprietor of the award-winning restaurant Rootstalk in Breckenridge.
A native of Summit County, Matt returned to the mountains after making a name for himself as executive chef at Mercantile Dining & Provision in Denver. Matt often hires fellow CMC grads to work for him.
“My education at CMC has helped me in my career because of the three years of true kitchen experience,” Matt says. “Not only was I introduced to all of the elements of classic cuisine, but I also was able to apply my classroom education in kitchens around the resort on a daily basis. When I graduated, I was ready to step into any kitchen I wanted to.”
Kevin McCombs
“The culinary apprentice program at Colorado Mountain College was the perfect start to my career in the hospitality industry. It furnished me with the tools to become the Executive Chef of the award-winning Ski Tip Lodge and go on to owning my business as a personal chef in House Cured Culinary. You, too, can jump start your culinary career with the Colorado Mountain College Keystone Culinary Institute.”
Kevin McCombs, House Cured Culinary/Owner/Executive Chef, Dillon, Colorado Read more: Kevin McCombs