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The CIA Leads the Way Setting the Standard for Excellence
For more than six decades, The Culinary Institute of America has been setting the standard for excellence in professional culinary education.
The CIA has inspired excellence throughout the food world by leading the way: in the Education of students, in the Elevation of the culinary profession, through the Innovation of thought leadership, and through Collaborations on critical food and industry issues. In all these ways, the college has truly changed the way the world looks at food.
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"The first time I visited, I knew I had finally found a school that teaches the traditions of the world's cuisines...It's the best culinary school in the world." |
EDUCATION OF STUDENTS
The mission of The Culinary Institute of America is to provide the world's best professional culinary education.
Founded in 1946 in New Haven, CT by Frances Roth, a prominent attorney, and Katharine Angell, the wife of Yale President James Angell, the early school was created to provide culinary training and careers for returning World War II veterans. As the original culinary institute, the CIA served an unmet need for high quality, professional culinary education and grew rapidly. In 1972, with a student body of 1,000, the college moved to its expansive main campus in Hyde Park, NY, the former Jesuit novitiate St. Andrew-on-Hudson. In 1995, the CIA opened its first branch campus, The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, in St. Helena, CA, in the heart of the Napa Valley. In 2008, the college opened a second branch campus, the CIA, San Antonio, in Texas. And in 2010, the college opened an additional location for its bachelor's degree program in Singapore.
CIA education programs are distinguished by their quality, innovation, and resources. CIA instruction emphasizes hands-on learning in small class settings, and innovations have included the creation of hands-on student-staffed restaurant courses, the introduction of courses in nutritional cooking and wine studies, the addition of management studies, and the CIA's unique Progressive Learning Year system. This system assures that students build their knowledge and skills in the ideal learning sequence.
To address the growing responsibilities of foodservice professionals, the CIA has advanced its education programs in steps that have given depth of knowledge and stature to CIA graduates. The college introduced the first associate degree program in culinary arts in 1971. Following this success, an associate degree in baking and pastry arts was added in 1990—thereby establishing both culinary arts and baking and pastry arts majors, and providing formal degree education for both career paths.
The CIA continued its innovations by offering the first-ever bachelor's degrees in culinary arts or baking and pastry arts management in 1993. Bachelor's students develop a command of key management tools, advance their communication and critical thinking skills, and build their knowledge of human behavior, language, and culture.
This advance ensures that bachelor's graduates are prepared for the complexity of the food professions and for future leadership in the industry.
Throughout this history, the CIA developed supporting textbooks for its programs, including The Professional Chef, the first and leading culinary text in higher education, and many specialized texts about the culinary arts and foodservice management.
Today, the college enrolls more than 2,800 students from virtually every U.S. state and 30 countries in its degree programs. The curricula offer students a broad base of knowledge and skills to prepare them to be effective professionals and leaders in the food world, and CIA programs are recognized internationally for their excellence.
This excellence is backed by the CIA's extraordinary facilities and faculty. The CIA provides world-class facilities at our campuses in Hyde Park, NY; St. Helena, CA; San Antonio, TX; and Singapore. As the main campus, the Hyde Park locale features 41 kitchens and bakeshops, five public restaurants, and a culinary library second only to the Library of Congress in Washington. The Greystone campus in California's Napa Valley includes six professional cooking and baking suites, a restaurant, and the Rudd Center for Professional Wine Studies. The CIA, San Antonio campus has state-of-the-art kitchens and classroms in the heart of San Antonio and offers specialized studies in Latin American cuisines.
Across its campuses, the CIA faculty is comprised of more than 140 chefs and instructors from 16 countries around the world. They have unrivaled industry experience in the kitchens, bakeshops, and dining rooms of famed establishments—from New York City to San Francisco, and international capitals beyond. And along with Master Chefs and Bakers, the CIA's renowned teaching team includes PhDs, Culinary Olympians, authors, Registered Dietitians, and MBAs—ensuring students get the CIA's gold-standard education in culinary and baking and pastry arts, business management, and liberal arts.
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"The CIA gave me the skills and knowledge I needed to not only become a successful chef, but to launch a nationwide restaurant group as well." |
ELEVATION OF THE CULINARY PROFESSION
When The Culinary Institute of America was founded, there was a clear need to build a positive image for culinary careers in the United States. In response, early CIA teaching emphasized the importance of professional values—addressing behavior, language, work habits, employee relations, sanitation, and even a strict uniform standard. Today, this focus has grown to become the five CIA core values that guide both the college and its graduates: excellence, leadership, professionalism, ethics, and respect for diversity.
To extend opportunities for continued education to those working in foodservice, the CIA created accessible, short courses for professional development. Since 1960, the CIA has provided these continuing education courses in a program that now serves more than 3,000 professionals a year.
And American chefs also needed to be elevated to the same level of respect as their European counterparts. To that end, the CIA affiliated with the American Culinary Federation to create and administer the Master Chef examination. The college further designed its own ProChef certification program for chefs, to validate both skills and knowledge. Overarching all, the college is proud to recognize excellence in the culinary profession with its annual CIA Leadership Awards—the "Augies," named for legendary French chef Auguste Escoffier.
Now, with added thanks to popular media like the Food Network, the spotlight shines as never before on food professionals. In this world, CIA alumni have an extraordinary record of professional achievements.
Graduates who are leading chefs and restaurateurs include Roy Yamaguchi '76, Susan Feniger '77, Charlie Palmer '79, Alfred Portale '81, Todd English '81, Cameron Mitchell '86, Melissa Kelly '88, John Besh '92, Jonathan Benno '93, Grant Achatz '94, Johnny Iuzzini '94, and Roy Choi '98.
Those who educate and entertain in the media include Sarah Moulton '77, Anthony Bourdain '78, Michael Chiarello '82, Michael Symon '90, Cat Cora '95, Anne Burrell '96, and Duff Goldman '98.
Many graduates start their own businesses, such as Steve Ells '90 (Chipotle), Tim Curci '87 (Bonefish Grill), and Lori Daniel '79 (Two Chefs On A Roll). Others pursue management or R&D careers, like Doug Martinides '75 (Aramark), Tom Gumpel '86 (Panera Bread), Stephan Kalman '93 (Restaurant Associates), Dan Coudreaut '95 (McDonald's), and Brooke Brantley '97 (McCain's).
All reflect the extraordinary breadth of careers that CIA graduates successfully pursue in the food world.
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"The American Bounty Restaurant has been a showcase for regional foods and preparations from all over America; it has contributed to the American Food Movement in a very special way." |
INNOVATION OF THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
The CIA has led the development of new culinary knowledge with the innovation of its thought leadership. It has continually brought forward new insights that advance the way people think about food—from expanding Americans' understanding of global cuisines to elevating American cuisine internationally.
Not surprisingly, the curriculum taught by the early CIA was based on the classic techniques and recipes of Northern Europe. But, as the United States experienced new waves of immigration, American culinary professionals needed to broaden their education in global cuisines.
To acknowledge the complexity of these international cuisines, the CIA innovated its curriculum by dividing world cuisine studies into separate regional classes—encompassing the Americas, Asia, and the Mediterranean. The college also added the Caterina de' Medici Restaurant course, which was launched in 1984 and later enhanced by the opening of the Colavita Center for Italian Food and Wine.
Then, in 1995, the college added its California campus—the CIA at Greystone—and created a new center for advanced studies in global cuisines, flavors, and beverages. Now, the annual Worlds of Flavors Conference at Greystone is the "thought-leading" forum in America for world cuisines and emerging food trends.
CIA innovation also played a key role in the American Cuisine movement. By the late 1970s, American chefs needed to learn about U.S. regional foods to advance their creativity. The college researched American menus, added American Regional Cooking to the curriculum, and opened the award-winning American Bounty Restaurant course in 1982. American Bounty became the CIA's living laboratory for students to learn about American chefs, products, and dishes. Today, the appreciation of American cuisine is second nature to both the college and the culinary profession.
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"Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Lives is intended to attract, inform, and inspire this and the next generation of medical professionals and food industry leaders to serve as role models for change when it comes to healthy eating." |
COLLABORATIONS ON CRITICAL ISSUES
The CIA's collaboration with other leading institutions has launched new learning and sharing on critical issues like nutrition and diversity.
Nutrition and sanitation have been taught at the CIA since the early days in New Haven. These studies were further enhanced by the launch of the General Foods Nutrition Center in 1988 and publication of The Professional Chef's Techniques of Healthy Cooking in 1993.
As public awareness of health issues grew, the college launched new initiatives regarding health and nutrition in the American diet. In 2004, the CIA joined with the Harvard School of Public Health to present the first Worlds of Healthy Flavors Conference, providing foodservice leaders with healthy menu options for their use.
Then, the CIA entered into a second partnership with Harvard Medical School to create "Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Lives." This semi-annual event educates doctors on the latest nutrition science, and shows them how to help patients choose foods that reduce disease risk.
Other research initiatives and conferences at the CIA include the college's collaboration with the University of California, Davis on food sourcing and sustainability.
A second key industry topic—respect for diversity—is one of the college's core values. Diversity is reflected throughout the CIA's student body, faculty, student activities, and the curriculum itself.
Within diversity, there is an ongoing need to raise the profile of Latin American cuisines and chefs in the United States. The CIA has responded vigorously with the addition of its CIA, San Antonio campus, in Texas. Backed by generous philanthropic and business support, its purpose is to realize a shared dream—to elevate Latin American culinary traditions and promote the development of Latino chefs. This bold initiative is moving forward with culinary education programs, Latin American cuisine classes, and conferences.
THE LEGACY OF LEADERSHIP CONTINUES
Only one college—The Culinary Institute of America—has advanced the food professions and the American diet for over 60 years. And the CIA vigorously carries forward its legacies of Education, Elevation, Innovation, and Collaboration in its programs, research, and service—and through the impact of its alumni. More than 44,000 strong, CIA graduates advance in the kitchen to become sous chefs, executive chefs, and chef/owners. They advance outside the kitchen to become restaurateurs and business owners, food and beverage managers, and restaurant and hotel chain executives. They also lead as media personalities, food writers, research chefs, and culinary educators.
With the support of the foodservice and hospitality industry, the CIA continues to lead the way, inspiring excellence the world over. We are confident that the future has never looked better for the world's premier culinary college and its graduates.
