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How a Culinary Arts Degree Can Jumpstart Your Career

Nossi College of Art Culinary Arts Department
Nossi’s Culinary Department

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Is a Culinary Degree worth it?
Culinary Scholarships
Culinary Arts Mentors & Industry Leaders
Why Learn Culinary Arts in Nashville?
Degree Program Foundation
Culinary Arts Career Guide
Book my Kitchen Tour

Working in the restaurant or hospitality business can be extremely demanding—and extremely rewarding. It’s a career field with almost unlimited growth potential, and there are countless stories of people who climbed the ranks from dishwasher to busboy to server to CEO. And while cutting your teeth at various stops along the way to the top works for some, it’s not always the most efficient path to success.

At Nossi, our Culinary Arts degree program provides you with the skills you need to succeed in a kitchen or food industry career and the guidance necessary to avoid the pitfalls that are so common. You’ll learn exactly what it takes to prove yourself in any culinary endeavor you choose, whether it’s working as a chef, a manager, director, or any other food-related position.

Culinary Arts Food Photography by Nick Fantasia

Chef’s Table event hosted at Nossi College of Art in 2021 brought influential foodies, chefs, and culinary arts instructors to campus to highlight Nossi’s Culinary Arts Curriculum, taste, test, and connect with Nashville’s Culinary scene.

Photo by Nick Fantasia, Nossi Photography Student

Why Is a Culinary Arts Degree Worth It in the Food Industry?

If you have big dreams for your culinary arts career, it’s important to have both a solid foundation of skills AND a roadmap for success. At Nossi, we provide you with the kitchen and financial management skills required to achieve your goals.

Nossi College of Art's Culinary Arts Kitchen
Pictured left Chef Anthony Mandriota works with a High School Culinary Arts Senior from Wilson Central High School | Photo by Kathleen Munkel, Nossi Alumnus

And while jumping straight into a kitchen or other service industry job can get you real-world experience, it doesn’t always prepare you for the career you truly want. Our culinary program and coursework give you a well-rounded view of the industry and the time to both identify your strengths and sharpen them under the guidance of top instructors in culinary fields.

Having Access to Mentors and Industry Leaders Is Invaluable

Nossi College of Art's Culinary Arts Kitchen is visited by Wilson Central HS
Pictured left Chef Anthony Mandriota works with a High School Culinary Arts Senior from Wilson Central High School | Photo by Kathleen Munkel, Nossi Alumnus

At Nossi, we design our curriculum based on the input of professional chefs and restaurant managers. Because the industry is always changing and evolving, we this input and direction to ensure that we’re always providing the most relevant information and skills to our students.

These culinary leaders also assist us in shaping our curriculum to ensure our students become well-rounded in topics and skills that are in high demand by the restaurant and hospitality industries. The combination of classroom learning and hands-on skills allows our students to accelerate their careers in a fraction of the time that it typically takes when working in a kitchen or hospitality job. Developing a strong network of alumni, professional friends, and advisors is invaluable, which is why Nossi has an advisory board.

“Finding mentors in the culinary arts world is harder than you think,” said Andrea Duncan a former student of Chef Anthony’s, a Nossi advisory board member, and a restaurant manager. “It’s someone who is not going to give up on you. Chef Mandriotta never gave up on me and he never gave up on any of his students.”

The Culinary Arts Advisory Board is a panel of industry experts that provide an external review of our programs, equipment, facilities, and student achievement to ensure they are up-to-date for industry best practices and ensure high standards.

Culinary Arts Career Guide (PDF)

Nossi College of Art has a PDF career guide for those interested in learning more about a career in Culinary Arts. Download this guide and get information including:
– Career Opportunities
– Salary Guide from Salary.com
– A Career Outlook – where the next decade can take you!
– Culinary Courses at Nossi College

DOWNLOAD THE CULINARY CAREER GUIDE

Get the Foundation You Need for the Career You’ll Love

Nashville’s food scene has been written about in publications ranging from the New York Times, USA Today, and the Washington Post. Our Culinary Arts degree program prepares students who want to participate in this booming industry in their own backyards, in other cities throughout the U.S., and even in other countries.

Food is universal.

Being skilled and experienced in culinary arts opens doors around the world for aspiring chefs and restaurateurs. And don’t worry, the Nossi Culinary Arts degree program only contains 11 credit hours of General Education!  That is 11 out of 75 credits required for the program and each culinary student will experience a 300-hour internship before they graduate. Real people, real experience, for a real world.

Contact us today to learn more about our Culinary Arts degree program and to find out how we can help you thrive in this exciting and ever-evolving global industry.

Ready to see for yourself? Book your Kitchen Tour Today!

Nossi Culinary Art Scholarships – Now available!

Nossi College is NOW offering culinary art scholarships! See a complete listing of scholarships on our website.


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