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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The Culinary Arts (AAS) is offered at:
- Breckenridge: Mostly in-person
Program Learning Outcomes are what we expect each student will learn while earning a degree or certificate. Meeting these learning outcomes is how we assess our performance as a college. Our learning outcomes support both important career skills and future success as a student.
Upon completing the Culinary Arts (AAS) program, CMC students will be able to:
- Demonstrate the ability to succeed in the professional kitchen environment through the display of professional standards and teamwork.
- Demonstrate the ability to produce a wide variety of classical and contemporary dishes in the professional kitchen.
- Develop knowledge of classic and contemporary cooking and baking techniques representing a variety of global cuisines.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the concept of sustainability as it applies to the sourcing and production of food and beverage.
- Develop an understanding of basic business management techniques used in food and beverage operations.
You can earn your degree in five or six consecutive semesters. To fully benefit from the sequence of courses, we encouraged you to enter in the fall semester, which starts at end of August. Following is a sample schedule for the program.
The actual courses, days and times will be available at registration.
Term 1, Fall / Year 1
| Code | Course | Cr Hrs |
|---|---|---|
| CUA 1003 | Intro to Sanitation and Production | 3 |
| CUA 1022 | Introduction to Stocks, Soups & Sauces | 1 |
| CUA 1026 | Intermediate Soups and Sauces | 1 |
| CUA 1028 | Breakfast Preparation & Cookery | 1 |
| MAT 1240 | Mathematics for Liberal Arts or higher | 4 |
| CUA 1080 | Internship* | 3 |
| ENG 1021 | English Comp I | 3 |
| Term 1 Total | 16 |
Term 2, Spring / Year 1
| Code | Course | Cr Hrs |
|---|---|---|
| CUA 1023 | Introduction to Garde Manger | 1 |
| CUA 2051 | Advanced Garde Manger: Hors D'Oeuvres | 1 |
| CUA 1018 | Vegetable Preparation | 1 |
| CUA 1080 | Internship* | 3 |
| CUA 1056 | Nutrition for the Hospitality Professional | 3 |
| COM 1250 | Interpersonal Communication | 3 |
| Term 2 Total | 12 |
Term 3, Summer / Year 1
| Code | Course | Cr Hrs |
|---|---|---|
| CUA 1038 | Food and Beverage Service | 2 |
| CUA 1035 | Center of the Plate: Beef & Veal | 1 |
| CUA 1031 | Starches, Pastas, Casseroles & Grains | 1 |
| BUS 1015 | Introduction | 3 |
| Term 3 Total | 7 |
Year 1 total hours = 35
Term 4, Fall / Year 2
| Code | Course | Cr Hrs |
|---|---|---|
| CUA 1037 | Center of the Plate: Fish & Seafood | 1 |
| CUA 1039 | Center of the Plate: Pork, Lamb & Game | 1 |
| ENG 1030 | Center of the Plate: Poultry | 1 |
| ENG 2053 | Advanced Seminar in Sacue | 1 |
| CUA 2061 | Cost Controls | 3 |
| 2050 | Advised Elective | 3 |
| CUA 1080 | Internship* | 3 |
| Term 4 Total | 13 |
Term 5, Spring / Year 2
| Code | Course | Cr Hrs |
|---|---|---|
| CUA 1041 | Baking: Principles and Ingredients | 1 |
| CUA 1042 | Basic Yeast-Raised Products & Quick Breads | 1 |
| CUA 1043 | Baking: Cakes, Pies, Pastries and Cookies | 1 |
| CUA 2065 | Menu Planning | 4 |
| CUA 2042 | Intermediate Garde Manger/Charcuterie | 1 |
| CUA 1080 | Internship* | 2 |
| HOS 2026 | Supervision | 3 |
| Term 5 Total | 13 |
Year 2 total hours = 26
Culinary students are required to complete 275 hours (6 credits) of internship. The students must choose an additional 5 credits of CUA coursework. This may include up to 5 additional credits of internship. These courses may be taken at any time.
61 Total Hours for 2-Year Program
*The internship may be completed at anytime. The student is not required to take the internship during the semester indicated.
Related Degrees
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