Discover your passion for cooking with our Culinary Arts courses and certificates! Whether you're an aspiring chef, a seasoned cook looking to refine your skills, or a home cook eager to elevate your craft, our programs offer something for everyone.

Learn from experienced instructors, master essential techniques, and stay ahead of the latest culinary trends—all in a hands-on, engaging environment. From foundational skills to advanced culinary artistry, our programs provide the tools and knowledge you need to succeed in the kitchen and beyond!

Courses and Certificates

CUL-306 Grilling Basics

Master the art of grilling in this fun and flavorful class. Whether you're firing up a gas or charcoal grill, you'll learn essential techniques for temperature control, searing, and flare-up management. Discover how to season and marinate meats, seafood, and veggies for maximum flavor, and practice safe food handling and grilling practices. By the end of this course, you'll be able to grill various foods to perfection and create mouthwatering meals. 

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  • Safely operate grills, control temperature, and effectively manage flare-ups.
  • Apply marinades, rubs, and seasoning blends to enhance flavor and tenderness.
  • Grill cooked meats, seafood, and vegetables with proper doneness, sear marks, and smoky flavor.
  • Follow safe grilling practices, including proper food storage, handling, and temperature monitoring.
HCT-300 Healthy Cooking Certificate

Elevate your cooking with essential techniques for preparing healthy, flavorful meals. This comprehensive certificate course emphasizes fundamental skills and knowledge in creating nutritious alternatives to everyday dishes. You’ll explore topics such as knife skills, proper cut measurements, kitchen safety, food buying principles, and temperature controls while learning to prepare delicious, balanced meals. A key focus will be a deeper understanding of nutrition, wellness, and the essential nutrients that fuel the body.

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  • Review kitchen safety and food handling best practices.
  • Demonstrate proper knife skills for efficient and precise food prep.
  • Practice mise en place (organizing and prepping ingredients) for smooth cooking.
  • Compare and contrast the nutritional and health value of various foods and preparation methods.
  • Prepare a variety of vegetables, grains, and starches in healthy and creative ways.
CUL-722 Kitchen Cook Certificate

Elevate your cooking with essential techniques for preparing healthy, flavorful meals. This comprehensive certificate course emphasizes fundamental skills and knowledge in creating nutritious alternatives to everyday dishes. You’ll explore topics such as knife skills, proper cut measurements, kitchen safety, food buying principles, and temperature controls while learning to prepare delicious, balanced meals. A key focus will be a deeper understanding of nutrition, wellness, and the essential nutrients that fuel the body.

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  • Review kitchen safety and food handling best practices.
  • Demonstrate proper knife skills for efficient and precise food prep.
  • Practice mise en place (organizing and prepping ingredients) for smooth cooking.
  • Compare and contrast the nutritional and health value of various foods and preparation methods.
  • Prepare a variety of vegetables, grains, and starches in healthy and creative ways.
HSM-655 Servsafe Certification

This course provides an overview of the principles of food microbiology, important food-borne diseases, standards enforced by food service regulatory agencies, and applied measures for preventing food-borne diseases and other microbiological problems. It also covers the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) system. Completion of this course rewards the opportunity to test for a ServSafe® certification.

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Culinary Lab Requirements

Uniform Policy for Culinary Labs

Students must wear the full and complete uniform on class days. Those who arrive without the requirements will not be allowed to participate in lab activities or remain in the lab space. Uniform items should be clean and wrinkle-free.

Required Uniform Items:
  • Knife set*
  • White chef's jacket with PGCC logo*
  • PGCC checkered chef's pants*
  • White bib apron and chef's hat*
  • All-black, non-absorbable, non-slip kitchen shoes

* These items can be purchased at the Campus Bookstore.

Other Required Materials for Culinary Courses:
  • Course textbooks and materials (as specified in syllabi)
  • Instant-read thermoeter
  • Calculator
  • Black Sharpie marker and pen
  • Printed or typed recipes for lab days
  • Notebook for lecture

Culinary Lab Safety Requirements

Sanitation and Hygiene Requirements

Hair: Any hair touching the collar must be completely inside the chef hat. Facial hair should be neatly and closely trimmed or clean-shaven. Excessive facial hair requires a beard hairnet.

Jewelry: A plain wedding band and small stud earrings are allowed. Visible piercings that cannot be removed must be covered. Items that are not permitted include watches, bracelets, necklaces, additional rings, facial piercings (including nose rings and tongue piercings), or any other visible jewelry.

Nails: Nail polish and long fingernails are prohibited.

Locker Use

All personal items must be kept in lockers, as classrooms are not considered secure. Students must provide their own locks. No personal items are allowed to enter the lab space, and overnight storage in lockers is not permitted.

Cell Phones

Cell phone use is not allowed in the lab space. Phone use during class is discouraged and should only occur as needed in the hallways. Instructors may authorize cell phone use for photography during designated times.

View our Flyer

See our latest flyer for a featured list of health and wellness courses.

Contact Us

Sabrina Nash, Program Director
Wellness, Culinary Arts, and Hospitality Department
WellnessCulinaryHosp@pgcc.edu | 301-546-0234