How to Apply

The requirements for a completed application file when applying for the Accelerated Culinary Arts Certificate Program are as follows:

A completed registration form (along with the $50 fee) for the Accelerated Culinary Arts Certificate Program.
A 300- to 500-word essay indicating what you want out of the program and describing your interest in/passion for food or the foodservice industry.
All previous college transcript(s).

Two letters of recommendation—one from the dean/director of the program from which you will be graduating or have graduated, and one from another professional who can speak to your interest in, passion for, or talent with the culinary arts.

You will need to be interviewed by the education program manager at Greystone. Call 707-967-2497 to schedule an appointment. Where a visit is not possible, we will arrange an interview by telephone.

Application Process
You can begin the process online! Fill out the Online Application Form with your $30 application fee. After the application has been received you will be contacted regarding the rest of the application materials.

Or, you can download the online PDF Application (Adobe PDF 71 KB) and send it to:

ACAP Admissions Manager
The Culinary Institute of America
1946 Campus Drive
Hyde Park, NY 12538

or fax to: 845-451-1068

You can also download the Greystone Academic Catalog (PDF 436 KB) for more information.

Notice of Eligibility and Level of Instruction
The Accelerated Culinary Arts Certificate Program at Greystone is open to all interested individuals who successfully complete the application process and who possess an approved bachelor's degree in hospitality management, restaurant management, food science, nutrition/dietetics, or related fields, and have a serious interest in advancing their culinary knowledge.

Who should take our Accelerated Culinary Arts Certificate Program? We have designed the program for students with a bachelor's degree from another institution who may have learned the business, science, or nutrition side of the industry and who want more culinary information, skills, and practice. The Accelerated Culinary Arts Certificate Program is specifically designed for bachelor's degree graduates from these fields and is not equivalent to the associate degree program in culinary arts offered at the CIA's Hyde Park campus.

Early in the program, you will spend extensive time in basic skills, from knife skills and food costing to plate presentation and food safety. As the program progresses, you will be continually challenged by topics ranging from mastering wines to pâtisserie to garde manger to world cuisines. All the while, the program emphasizes techniques—as opposed to recipes—and quick and efficient work habits.

Eligibility and Admissions Procedures
The CIA will make a judgment about your background preparation and readiness to succeed in this program based on your interview, essay, recommendations, and transcripts. The program is open only to students who will have completed a bachelor's degree in hospitality management, restaurant management, food science, nutrition/dietetics, or related fields by June 1st of the year of your program date.

Your application for admission must be submitted to the education program manager at Greystone during the year of your program date. You will be notified of an admissions decision within a few weeks of the date you complete your file. The CIA reserves the right to verify any information you provide for review.