You don't need a lot of education to become a chef. Just a high school diploma and some chops in the kitchen are all that most employers require, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, most aspiring chefs choose to complete at least an associate's degree at a community college or culinary arts school. While an associate's degree may be enough to start working as a chef, a bachelor's degree can open up more opportunities for management or even opening your own business.
Executive Chef
A bachelor's degree in culinary arts provides additional training in leadership, kitchen management, ordering and procurement, menu planning and advanced culinary techniques. Though some of these topics may be touched on in an associate's program, they are explored in more depth in a bachelor's program. Graduates with a bachelor's degree can qualify for positions as executive chefs in restaurants, hotels, resorts and spas. Executive chefs are responsible not only for cooking meals, but also for managing assistant chefs and sous chefs, creating the menu, managing kitchen inventory, and assuring a safe and sanitary environment.
International Cuisine
Students who complete a bachelor's degree get advanced training in culinary techniques and different types of cuisines. Most bachelor's degree programs explore more international cuisine than associate's degree programs. International cuisine may require the use of different cooking techniques and different ingredients. Popular international cuisine includes French, Italian, Japanese, Thai, Indian, Mexican, Spanish and Chinese. Many culinary classes are broken down by continent or region, such as Europe or the Americas. Training in different types of international cuisine prepares graduates to work in a variety of kitchens, expanding job opportunities.
Management
Management and leadership training is a focus of a bachelor's degree in culinary arts. Students who complete the bachelor's degree may be eligible to manage a restaurant kitchen, hotel dining services or the catering branch of an event management company. Course work includes food service management, accounting, marketing, human resources management and food service technology. This training exceeds what is provided in an associate's degree program and can lead to a variety of managerial positions in the hospitality and tourism industry.
Business Ownership
Entrepreneurial chefs may benefit from a bachelor's degree more than an associate's degree. The additional culinary training combined with the management and leadership training gives students a broad skill set that they can use to run their own food service business. Bachelor's degree holders may choose to open their own restaurant or bistro, or they may start a catering company. The culinary and leadership skills they have learned would serve them in either endeavor.