Studying Culinary Arts in France

France is a country known for its interest in gastronomy and the different cuisines they offer. While the French cuisine is known for being rooted in culture and tradition, the various expeditions they have made throughout history have made their interest in food vary by even appropriating dishes from other parts of the world to fit theirs. From selecting the right ingredients for meal prep to finding the perfect ways of cooking the dish, aspirant chefs will always have something new to learn in France.

This country offers candidates with innumerable options when it comes to culinary education ranging from courses that have a duration of a few months to a few years. France always provides candidates with the opportunity of working with world-famous chefs in their schools making the experience more natural and out-of-the-world. Different parts of the country have different culturally-rooted dishes one can prepare to allow candidates to enrich their taste in both consuming and creating local cuisines. France is considered to be one of the most ideal locations to learn culinary throughout the world.

Benefits of Studying Culinary in France

France is a country known for its deep-rooted interest in arts, cuisine, and architecture. Their interest in cuisine ranges from the local delicacies one can find to international dishes that require high food preparation standards. The generational knowledge the country has in cooking makes France one of the most ideal locations to learn culinary. A few of the benefits include-

• The country has a wide network of hotels, bars, restaurants, pastry shops, and even bakeries that allow candidates to explore the cuisine of both France and the rest of the world. The international standards every place keeps allow candidates to learn and benefit from the knowledge without having to travel the world for it.
• While studying in a French culinary school, candidates will have to have intermediate knowledge of French which is useful to chefs irrespective of the place they plan to eventually work in.
• Most of the courses offered in the country have a watch, learn, do method of teaching which helps students be better chefs.
• The country offers candidates with study programs of various durations which lets them pick a course that suits their needs. Irrespective of whether they need to learning culinary art as a hobby or a profession, they will be able to find a course that suits them best.
• The courses have a multicultural environment, in general, owing to having students from different parts of the world. This will let candidates learn more about different cultures and also about the cuisines and culinary art in those respective places.

Eligibility Requirement for Culinary in France

The requirements to enroll in a culinary arts program varies from institution to institution and program to program especially depending on the duration of the program. While degree programs may require candidates to have completed their high school, certification programs often do not have any said requirements. The general documents one must submit for culinary arts programs are-

• Educational Transcripts
• English/French Proficiency Proofs, if required
• Valid Passport
• Recommendation Letters
• Statement of Purpose

Duration of Culinary Programs in France

France offers candidates with culinary programs of different durations due to the nature of the program. The types of programs offered in the country and their duration includes-

• Bachelor’s- 3 years
• Master’s- 18 months
• Diploma/Certificate-6 weeks to 35 weeks

Cost of Culinary Programs in France

The cost of culinary programs in France depends on the type of program the candidate has chosen. For gourmet programs that have a duration of a month, the fee can range from €2,000 to €3,000 on average. And for courses that include cooking and pastry lessons which last around 2 months, the cost starts from €5,500. Though these are the average fees that candidates might have to pay, the fee will increase dramatically depending on the credibility of the institution.

For instance, the cost to study in Le Cordon Bleu which is the best institution in France for non-EU students are as follows-

Progam	Fee
Bachelor’s	€13,000 per year
Basic Cuisine Certificate	€10,600- 3 months
Cuisine Diploma	€28,850- 9 months

Specializations Offered for Culinary in France

A few of the specializations that candidates can take while studying culinary in France are as follows-

• Baking and Pastry- Candidates who take this course will deal with subjects like basic techniques, bread-baking, cake decoration, fondants, mixing and production, etc.
• Culinary Arts- This is a broad course that candidates can take where they will learn subjects like food safety, food management, baking, nutrition, world cuisine, wine-matching, etc.
• Food Service Management- This is mostly provided as a degree where candidates will learn subjects like nutrition, food planning and prep, food safety, marketing, business law, culinary arts, etc.
• Culinary Nutrition- This is a crucial program that deals with subjects like restricted diets, sustainable foods, allergies, alternative diets, food therapy, etc.
• Professional Cooking- Candidates who take up this course will learn a little about everything like baking, pastry-making, world cuisine, regional cuisine, cooking techniques, kitchen management, marketing, etc.
• French Cooking- This is a regional course that is sought after by many due to its international importance. Candidates will learn in detail about the French cuisine including the regional specialties and pastries.
• French Pastry- This course is highly specific in nature and will deal with the basic techniques used in making French pastry along with the making of various French pastries that are internationally popular.

Top Culinary Institutions in France

The top institutions for culinary programs in the country include-

• Ecole de Cuisine Alain Ducasse
• Les Coulisses du Chef
• Le Cordon Bleu
• Atelier Guy Martin
• Ecole Lenotre
• L’ateliers des Chefs
• La Vie du Chateau
• La Cuisine Paris
• Gastronomicom
• Two Bordelais

Scholarships for Culinary Students in France

France is a country that offers affordable education in a lot of fields for candidates from all over the world. Culinary arts is no exception to this feature but at the same time, due to the exotic nature of this course, the tuition fee for the course can exceed the affordability range. But even in such cases, the country offers candidates a lot of scholarships they can make use of to complete their education debt-free. A few of these scholarships are-

• Culinary Trust Scholarship- This scholarship is provided to candidates from all over the world and they have both program and certificate scholarships which are convenient for culinary programs. Candidates are required to have internship or apprenticeship experience to apply for the scholarship. The award amount varies from year to year.
• James Beard Foundation Scholarship- The James Beard Foundation offers candidates with scholarships, tuition waivers, and work-study grants. The scholarship is awarded to candidates who are studying culinary arts, wine studies, and food systems. The eligibility criteria for each scholarship offered by this foundation vary according to the program. The award amount can range anywhere between $2,000 to $20,000.
• Gaston LeNotre Scholarship- This is a non-profit organization that offers merit and need-based scholarships to candidates in the culinary field. Candidates who are applying for this scholarship will have to be enrolled in a culinary program with at least 6 months of food industry service. The award amount varies from year to year and the amount offered in 2021 was $17,200.

Career Options for Culinary Students in France

Candidates who take up culinary arts often do so not due to the investment returns the course can provide but due to the passion they have for the subject. During the duration of the course, they will be able to specialize in different fields like regional cuisine, pastry, baking, etc. which will all lead them into different career options. A few of the career options that candidates can take after completing a culinary course are-

• Private Chef
• Food Stylist
• Beerologist
• Food Critic
• Restaurant Chef
• Baking and Pastry Chef
• Restaurant Manager