Center for Hospitality and Culinary Studies
Pursue your Passions with a Career in Hospitality
The Dragon's Fire Campus Restaurant Lab is now open! See our menu and make reservations!
It’s an exciting time to pursue a career in hospitality and culinary arts. Job growth is predicted to triple in the next decade for hospitality and culinary program graduates!
If you are seeking high quality training and mentoring from some of the finest professionals in the area, look no further – the HCC Center for Hospitality & Culinary Studies program is the region’s premier hospitality and culinary program with state-of-the-art learning facilities, located conveniently in Columbia, MD.
Want to be a top chef? Hotel manager? Restaurant owner?
Career opportunities for HCC Center for Hospitality & Culinary Studies graduates are expansive here in Howard County and throughout the region.
Industry accredited by the American Culinary Federation Education Foundation and the Accreditation Commission for Programs in Hospitality Administration (ACPHA), these top tier programs promise the high-quality education you seek at an affordable price with flexible scheduling to accommodate the rest of life’s demands.
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Why Pursue Culinary/Hospitality?
Top 5 Reasons HCC's Center for why HCC's Hospitality and Culinary Studies is the Leading Program Across the Region:
- PERSONALIZED ATTENTION: The Center for Hospitality and Culinary Studies places a premium on working closely with students to map out a path to their desired career destination. With hands-on labs maxing at 12 students, the small learning communities lend themselves to individualized attention from the professional staff dedicated to helping every student meet their goals.
- FLEXIBLE SCHEDULING: Whether students are recent high school graduates, career changers, or mid-career, this program is designed to help all students meet their educational goals while accommodating the rest of life’s demands, offering flexible course schedules and credit for work experience.
- STATE-OF-THE-ART FACILITY: The Center for Hospitality and Culinary Studies isn’t just a sweet space to learn; it’s an important stop on the way to a dazzling array of both well-known and less familiar career destinations. The beautiful, newly renovated space includes new classrooms, two additional hands-on labs—a kitchen and an advanced baking lab for making pastries and chocolates—and a student-operated restaurant where students can practice their customer service skills while serving food and café drinks prepared on campus.
- HANDS-ON LEARNING: Strong foundational academic classes are combined with hands-on learning taught by current industry professionals to promote deep and sustained learning. In addition to hands-on labs, all students pursuing an associate degree participate in an internship in their field of study, gaining real-world experience and building professional relationships beyond the college campus.
- STUDY ABROAD: HCC will offer two new faculty-led study abroad programs. Culinary students will have the option to attend the Passport to Pastries program, a five-day intensive baking course at Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Pâtisserie with some of the country’s best pastry chefs in the town of Yssingeaux, France. They’ll visit sites like La Cité du Chocolate Valrhona and spend a day in medieval Le Puy-en-Velay to explore pastry and chocolate shops. The group will also visit Paris to tour patisseries, boulangeries, and chocolatiers. Hospitality students in the Introduction to Humanities and Travel &Tourism classes will have opportunities to extend their learning in a program designed in cooperation with the Athlone Institution of Technology (AIT), located in Athlone, Ireland.
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Additional Program Details
You may view our strategic plan for more details about the department. We also provide further information about our Hospitality Management Program Advisory Committee.
View Center for Hospitality and Culinary Studies - Culinary graduate information and Hospitality graduate information
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Mission/Vision/Values
MISSION
The Center for Hospitality and Culinary Studies (CHCS) will build lasting relationships between students, community, and industry.
VISION
We are dedicated to providing today’s students with the opportunity to determine the best career destination through our accredited programs with innovative technology and industry proven faculty.
VALUES
- Sustainable
- Experiential
- Rigor
- Visionary
- Innovative
- Community
- Equity
Our Programs
Our signature Associate Degree programs include: Culinary Arts & Baking, and Hotel, Restaurant & Event Management. We also offer one-year certificate programs in Baking & Pastries, and Event Management.
Culinary Arts Management Associate Degree Program
Follow your passion in the culinary arts while gaining a solid academic foundation, essential business and technical knowledge, and hands-on skills training in culinary arts and foodservice operations. An associate degree in culinary arts and baking positions you for a variety of career paths, such as:
- Baker
- Banquet Manager
- Chef or Sous Chef
- Food and Beverage Manager
- Food Inspector
- Grocery Store Manager
- Restaurant Manager or Owner
Hotel, Restaurant & Event Management Associate Degree Program
The Hotel, Restaurant, and Event Management associate degree program provides a solid academic foundation, essential business and technical knowledge, and hands-on experience across the hospitality industry, including lodging, food and beverage, tourism, and event management. An associate degree in hotel, restaurant, and event management positions you for a variety of career paths, such as:
- Banquet Sales Coordinator or Manager
- Conference Manager
- Concierge
- Dining Room Manager
- Event Planner
- Executive Housekeeper
- Food & Beverage Manager
- Guest Services Manager
- Hotel General Manager
- Sales Manager
- Travel Agent
Baking & Pastry Arts Certificate
Turn your passion for baking into a professional career with the HCC Center for Hospitality & Culinary Studies one-year certificate program, which will prepare you for an entry level position in the field. Learn the essential skills you need to pursue a career in baking, including an introduction to the hospitality industry, culinary basics, and food handling. Unleash your creativity as you learn the art of making plated desserts, baking and pastry showpieces, and cake decorating.
Event Management Certificate
The Center for Hospitality and Culinary Studies event management certificate program is designed to gives students a foundation in event management and hospitality services over the course of one year. The program prepares students for entry-level positions in a variety of hospitality settings, including in food services, event management, tourism, travel, and hotel management.
Hi! We would be happy to share more information about our programs.
Please submit the form and we will be in touch shortly!
- Baking and Pastries Arts Management - A.A.S, Associate of Arts, (career)
- Baking and Pastry Arts - Culinary Management Certificate (Career), Certificate Program, (career)
- Culinary Arts - Culinary Management Certificate (Career), Certificate Program, (career)
- Culinary Arts Management - A.A.S. Degree (Career), Associate of Applied Science, (career)
- Event Management - Hospitality Management Certificate (Career), Certificate Program, (career)
- Hotel, Restaurant, and Event Management - A.A.S. Degree (Career), Associate of Applied Science, (career)
- Restaurant Management - Hospitality Management Certificate (Career), Certificate Program, (career)