Culinary Arts D.i.t

charco mac

I am considering doing the culinary arts degree programme in DIT this September 09. I will be 20 when this course begins. Could anyone tell me what they think of this course? Perhaps they thing it might be possible to learn the same amount learned in Culinary arts in less time? Any info would be great thanks.

sprocket1

im doin the professional cookery course in cathal brugha st at d mo , and also considering doin the culinary arts degree or the bakery/ patisserie management degree in bolton street,
in my opinion if you want to be a chef , the fulltime 2year pro cookery course is good enough, they reckon only 30% of the people who do the culinary ats degree go on to be chefs , the rest go into management in the food indusrty or specialise ie pastry, chocolate etc, the cathal street culinary arts course (honours degree) is the best one as the one in tallaght is only an ordinary degree,still good though.
it all depends what you want to achieve,( give me a few ideas and ill give you my opinion)
at the moment can only speak for the full time professional cookery course
there is a feeling of disillousionment by the students (the ones that have a genuine intrest in food) imo as budgets have been slashed and the practical classes / learning events where you as head chef pick your own menu and run the front of house or kitchen
you cant even get all food you order for the menu . also a few of the lecturers seem to have very little intrest in their jobs or instructing us properly
and speaking to friends who do the course a few years ago it was a lot better then than now.

sorta has me worried that the degree course is goin the same way as i wouldnt want to comit to 3 /4 yrs and not get the level of instruction etc i was expecting, some say you would be better doin the degree course in newry as its better funded. ie by uk goverment

hope its some help 2 you

Ren0O

I did professional cookery oiriginally and got direct entry into the honours degree programme in caghal brugha street and would say it really depends what you want to be honest. if you want to be a chef your better off just doing professionally cookery cause the degree is much longer and harder and really doesnt set you up any better than professional cookery to be chef.

In fact where i did my course i found the students far more capable and competent for kitchen skills, ability and experience in professional cookery than the degree. Whereas everyone in the professional cookery course was working every spare minute in kitchens you could count the degree students on your fingers who were. In fact most of the degree students really arent serious about being chefs whether they know it or not however having said that if like me you dont want to be a chef but wont to get a good well paid related job working for bord bia, failte Ireland, lecturing, food product developement etc. your better off slugging through the degree and possible a masters after as it is the highest national degree in this area as all other culinary arts degrees are ordinary degrees in every other collage in the country. The degree also sets you up with international hot kitchen placements with a nice goverment grant in year 3. In professional cookery not only is their no fee's but they will pay you around 100 euros a week to attend regardless of parents income or even if your under 23 and they will buy you your knives etc. or at least they6 should. The degree you must pay 1500 euros a year in september which is likely to rise and rise in the coming years, their are other related costs too.

Noonabean

I agree that the certificate course is probably a better option if you want to just be a chef. Im in my second year in the degree course and it is difficult, im not gonna lie. They expect alot more from you than if you were in the certificate course. Its great though, I love it like, but although im working as a chef now im not quite sure if i want to do cheffing when i graduate. I do want to work with food and there are alot of options available to a degree graduate. The certificate course is more practical while the degree course is more theory based. You get to go on national and international placements in the degree course though , which is cool. People who do the certificate course can go straight into year two of the degree when they do the certificate aswell. it all depends what ya want to do really.

niallo87

where are the work placements based outside ireland?

no scope

sprocket1 wrote: »

im doin the professional cookery course in cathal brugha st at d mo , and also considering doin the culinary arts degree or the bakery/ patisserie management degree in bolton street,
in my opinion if you want to be a chef , the fulltime 2year pro cookery course is good enough, they reckon only 30% of the people who do the culinary ats degree go on to be chefs , the rest go into management in the food indusrty or specialise ie pastry, chocolate etc, the cathal street culinary arts course (honours degree) is the best one as the one in tallaght is only an ordinary degree,still good though.
it all depends what you want to achieve,( give me a few ideas and ill give you my opinion)
at the moment can only speak for the full time professional cookery course
there is a feeling of disillousionment by the students (the ones that have a genuine intrest in food) imo as budgets have been slashed and the practical classes / learning events where you as head chef pick your own menu and run the front of house or kitchen
you cant even get all food you order for the menu . also a few of the lecturers seem to have very little intrest in their jobs or instructing us properly
and speaking to friends who do the course a few years ago it was a lot better then than now.

sorta has me worried that the degree course is goin the same way as i wouldnt want to comit to 3 /4 yrs and not get the level of instruction etc i was expecting, some say you would be better doin the degree course in newry as its better funded. ie by uk goverment

hope its some help 2 you

What he said btw sprocket wat group you in a , b or c

*giggles*

Hi all, just having a quick glance through this thread. Thanks for all the info.

Just wondering, some of you said to become a chef, the 2 year course will suffice. But what do graduates of the 4 year course (DT407) end up doing? Thanks in advance.