The Academy's Premier International Culinary Arts Diploma Course

Course Description

Combining a strong foundation in theory, practice, and experience, our intensive 12-month program is designed for those who are passionate about starting a career in culinary arts. With the most compact and focused classroom set-up in the country, we have a 14-students-per-class policy which ensures that each individual is given thorough and personal attention by our master chef instructors. This TESDA-accredited course is composed of two modules: Certificate in Commercial Cooking and Advanced Professional Cooking and Kitchen Management. Students are armed with the basic theoretical and practical knowledge necessary to practice culinary profession. To give them the cutting edge they need in order to enhance their careers, they are also equipped with in-depth understanding of the different facets of international cuisine, the methodologies of professional chefs, and how to run a well-managed restaurant.

Students of this course indulge in a rigorous and exhaustive curriculum that instills in them professional kitchen methods, complete with a thorough simulation of working in a professional kitchen. Not only do students undergo on-the-job training, each individual is also involved in an Immersion Program unique to the Academy. Every student clocks in every week at a renowned restaurant that meets AICA’s standards. This is to provide them with an avenue to apply their theoretical learning, and at the same time instill in them the discipline and attitude required for them to succeed in the culinary profession.

Our versatile diploma course also gives students the freedom to customize their study track. To further their education, they are given the chance to choose their concentration by allowing them to take up additional electives and short courses. For instance, while taking this program, students have the option to take electives that they are interested in, such as chocolate making, or take a set of classes that will gain them a minor in Baking and Pastry, along with the respective certificate for it. This setup allows them to customize their learning to heighten their experience of the Culinary Arts.

Certificate in Commercial Cooking

This 5-month program prepares students for starting out in the field of culinary arts. Graduates of this course become well equipped with the basic theoretical foundations and practical applications. In addition to learning techniques and honing their skills in the kitchen, students of this course are also given an intensive lesson on professional kitchen operations and food safety. These classes ensure that every graduate is not only trained in the basics of commercial cooking, but also educated in the vital requirements of a functional and effective kitchen.

The curriculum is inclusive of a weekly Immersion Program, wherein each student applies their classroom learning in an AICA-approved professional kitchen. Here the students will have first-hand experience on how to execute their theoretical knowledge, and get a feel of real-world kitchen dynamics. This creates well-rounded individuals that are honed in the basic principles of culinary arts, and also adept at practical applications. This is a Commercial Cooking course that will take students from the classroom straight to the culinary arts profession.

Level 1

• AICA Orientation
• School Code of Conduct
• Introduction to Nutrition
• Introduction to Food Science
• Weighing & Measuring
• International Food Safety & Sanitation
• HACCP
• Basic Culinary Terms
• Basic Ingredients
• Basic Equipment
• Standard Professional Kitchen Operating Procedures
• Knife Handling Skills
• Butchery & Seafood Fabrication
• Basic Egg Cookery
• Cooking Methods & Techniques

Advanced Professional Cooking and Kitchen Management

This course is for those who have completed AICA’s, Certificate in Commercial Cooking. If you have accomplished the certificate course in AICA and still wish to take your career a step further, finishing this module will give you a Diploma for the Academy’s Premier International Culinary Arts Course.

After learning the basics in CCC, this 5-month course will familiarize you with the intricacies of various international cuisines, give you a primer on professional kitchen management, orient you on the different types of services, and provide you with rigorous training that will propel you to culinary success. Consisting of many advanced courses that are designed to give you that necessary edge to stand-out within the industry.

This is the course that will take you beyond the basics, and arm you with the necessary tools and experience to hone you into a true chef. Students will be exposed to courses that will indeed define their excellence in the Culinary Arts. It is here that they will discover and learn the various cuisines of the world (Asian, American and European) as well as experience advanced subjects like Healthy Cooking (where they will learn to cook healthy yet flavorful dishes in line with the today’s trends), Garde Manger (exposure to the craft of cold cuts and sandwiches), and Restaurant Simulation Week (a one-week intensive program that gives them a chance to learn the intricacies of the kitchen as a whole).  This will indeed challenge their skills as they hone them with these subjects.

This is the best next step for AICA Commercial Cooking Certificate holders as the foundations that they earned through their initial studies will be put to the test to be further pruned and be one of Culinary Excellence.

Level 2

• Introduction to Baking & Pastry
• Garde Manger & Charcutterie
• Asian Cuisine
• American Cuisine
• European Cuisine
• French Cuisine
• Introduction to Table Service for chefs
• Food & Wine Pairing
• Career Planning & Introduction to Management
• Professional Management for Chefs
• Techniques of Healthy Cooking
• Degustation Service Production
• Final Competency Exam
• On the Job Training