Culinary Arts Degree

A: Three things: scale, facilities, and business training. Nossi's average culinary class size is 12 students,* so students cook alongside their instructor rather than watching from the back of a demonstration hall. Students train in two commercial kitchens — not classroom kitchenettes — on the equipment used in working restaurants. And the curriculum pairs technique with the business of food: restaurant operations, menu development, cost control, and a required capstone business plan. Students graduate able to run a station and read a P&L.

*Average class size based on Nossi's 2024 academic year.

A: Two years — 24 months across six semesters, 75 curriculum hours total. The program runs continuously rather than pausing for a long summer break, which is how students reach the industry in two years instead of four.

A: An Associate of Occupational Studies in Culinary Arts. It is an occupational degree, built to prepare graduates for work in professional kitchens and food businesses rather than as a transfer track toward another degree.

A: Students begin with fundamental technique — knife skills, cooking methods, sanitation, and baking basics — then move through American, European and Mediterranean, and international cuisine. Along the way they study pastry science, garde manger and the cold kitchen, and advanced technique including sauces, protein fabrication, and plating. The program closes with a capstone and a required internship. See the full curriculum.

A: Both. Alongside culinary technique, students take Restaurant Technology and Cost Control, Restaurant Operations and Menu, Off Premise Catering Management, Introduction to Financial Literacy, and a Portfolio and Business Plan course. Technique is what kitchens look for on the line. The business coursework is what prepares a graduate to run a kitchen of their own.

A: Yes — an internship in a working professional kitchen is required, not optional. Students complete it before graduating, which means they finish the program with documented industry experience rather than coursework alone. Nossi's PACE program (Professional Accelerated Career Experience) adds further real-world project work.

A: Twelve students.* Instructors know every student's skill level, learning pace, and career goals from the first semester, and critique happens at the student's own station rather than from a lectern.

*Average class size based on Nossi's 2024 academic year.

A: The Culinary Arts department is chaired by Chef Russell Ransom, MBA. The faculty are working chefs and food-industry professionals who bring current kitchen practice and industry standards directly into instruction — students learn the way kitchens actually operate right now, not the way they operated a decade ago.

A: More than chef. Graduates of culinary programs pursue roles across the food industry including line cook, sous chef, chef, pastry chef, baker, garde manger, catering manager, kitchen manager, restaurant manager, personal or private-event chef, and food stylist. The business coursework in Nossi's program also supports paths into food entrepreneurship and independent catering operations.

Career paths represent potential opportunities. Individual outcomes vary based on skills, experience, and market conditions.

A: According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for chefs and head cooks nationally was $60,990 in May 2024. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $36,000 and the highest 10 percent earned more than $96,030 — pay varies substantially by role, region, type of establishment, and years of experience. BLS projects employment of chefs and head cooks to grow 7 percent from 2024 to 2034, much faster than the average for all occupations. These are national figures for the occupation as a whole and are not a representation of what Nossi graduates earn.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook — Chefs and Head Cooks, May 2024.

A: Yes — Nossi's Career Services team assists students with internship placement, résumé and interview preparation, portfolio development, and connections to Nashville-area kitchens and food businesses. Career Services provides assistance and connections; it does not guarantee employment.

A: Yes. Career Services remains available to Nossi alumni after graduation, and the Alumni Together program keeps graduates connected to the school and to each other. Graduates may also return and retake courses from their own program at no charge, once they have completed their degree.

A: Current tuition, fees, and the full cost breakdown are published on Nossi's tuition page, which is maintained as the single source of truth so figures stay accurate. Supplies and equipment are purchased by the student and are not included in tuition — the required list by program is on the Supplies and Equipment page.

A: Nossi holds a student's tuition rate steady for the duration of their program. A student's per-semester rate does not increase partway through, so families can plan the total cost of the degree at the point of enrollment rather than budgeting against annual increases.

A: Nossi participates in federal and state aid programs including the Federal Pell Grant, Direct Loans, PLUS Loans, the Tennessee Student Assistance Award (TSAA), and VA education benefits, and offers institutional scholarships including the Nossi Promise Scholarship. Financial aid and scholarships are available to those who qualify. Nossi's FAFSA school code is 017347. The financial aid office can walk through options based on individual circumstances.

A: The Nossi Promise is Nossi's own answer to Tennessee Promise. Tennessee Promise is a state program that applies at public community and technical colleges, so students who choose a private college like Nossi cannot use it. Nossi created the Nossi Promise Scholarship to help close that gap for students entering directly from high school.

Eligibility is limited to students enrolling straight out of high school. Award amounts and current requirements are confirmed by the financial aid office, and the scholarship is available to those who qualify.

A: Yes. Nossi enrolls students at every life stage — recent high school graduates, career changers, veterans, and working adults. Transfer credit is evaluated individually based on prior coursework. Admissions can review a transcript and outline what transfers before a student applies.

A: No. The program begins with fundamental technique and assumes no prior professional kitchen experience. Students arrive from restaurant jobs, from home kitchens, and from no cooking background at all. What matters is the willingness to work on your feet, take direction, and repeat a technique until it is right.

A: Yes, and it is the single best way to evaluate a culinary program. A campus tour includes both commercial kitchens, so prospective students can see the equipment, the class size, and the working environment for themselves and ask the chefs questions directly. Schedule a tour.

A: Nossi's campus is at 590 Creative Way, Nashville, TN 37115, just north of downtown. Prospective students are welcome to schedule a tour and see both commercial kitchens in person.