Culinary Arts and Management (Associate in Science)

Cost: $4,072
Length: 72 weeks
Working 6 months later: 83%

Program names, program descriptions and occupation titles appear here in English, because that is the only language the federal and state records publish them in. Everything else on this page is translated.

What happened to people who took this

People enrolled: 122

Finished the program: 45%Based on 31 peopleTypical California program: 85% of 1,951 reportingThat median pools every California program that reported this measure, whatever its length, credential, or field, and leaves out the ones that reported nothing. It is a reference point, not a rating of this program.
Working 6 months later: 83%Typical California program: 69% of 1,690 reportingThat median pools every California program that reported this measure, whatever its length, credential, or field, and leaves out the ones that reported nothing. It is a reference point, not a rating of this program.
Earnings in one quarter after: $12,026A single quarter of earnings, roughly three months, not a yearly salary. Do not compare it directly with the yearly pay shown for the occupation.Typical California program: $10,900 of 1,339 reportingThat median pools every California program that reported this measure, whatever its length, credential, or field, and leaves out the ones that reported nothing. It is a reference point, not a rating of this program.

The job this trains for

This describes the jobs people do, not the classes this program teaches. It comes from the U.S. Department of Labor, which asks people already doing the work. The Department publishes it in English only, so the job names and the sentences below stay in English on this page.

Where California publishes a separate figure for Santa Maria-Santa Barbara MSA (Santa Barbara County), it appears beneath the statewide one. Statewide stays the headline: people who train here do not necessarily work here.

Bakers

Job ads may call this: Baker · Mixer · Scaler · Dough Mixer

Some of what people in this job do. The Department rates how important each one is, and they appear in that order.

Check products for quality, and identify damaged or expired goods.
Set oven temperatures, and place items into hot ovens for baking.
Combine measured ingredients in bowls of mixing, blending, or cooking machinery.
Place dough in pans, molds, or on sheets, and bake in production ovens or on grills.

Show 4 more things this job involves

Set time and speed controls for mixing machines, blending machines, or steam kettles so that ingredients will be mixed or cooked according to instructions.
Measure or weigh flour or other ingredients to prepare batters, doughs, fillings, or icings, using scales or graduated containers.
Observe color of products being baked, and adjust oven temperatures, humidity, or conveyor speeds accordingly.
Check the quality of raw materials to ensure that standards and specifications are met.

What this pays in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara MSA (Santa Barbara County)

Each bar runs from the lowest-paid tenth to the highest-paid tenth. The darker middle is where half the people are, and the line is the median.

Area	The lowest-paid tenth earn under	Half earn under	The highest-paid tenth earn over
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara MSA (Santa Barbara County)	$37,353	$44,626	$52,481
Across California	$37,343	$44,104	$56,214

The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2026 figures for Santa Maria-Santa Barbara MSA (Santa Barbara County) beside the same figures for the whole state. A region can sit well below or above the statewide spread, and the statewide number is the one most often quoted — so where they differ, the local row is the one that describes the work near this program.

Typical pay in California: $44,104per yearSanta Maria-Santa Barbara MSA: $39,941
Projected openings: 52,930Santa Maria-Santa Barbara MSA: 820
Projected change: +8.8%
Usually needs: No formal educational credential

Getting in

Experience needed first: None
Training after you are hired: 1 to 12 months

These are the federal government's answers for the occupation, not rules this provider sets. California publishes the same two answers for every one of these jobs.

What people in this job actually studied

Most common: High school diploma — 35% of the people doing this work.

No high school diploma: 17%
High school diploma: 35%
Started college, no degree: 21%
Two-year degree: 10%
Four-year degree: 14%
Master's degree: 3%
Doctorate or professional degree: 0.6%

This counts people already doing this job, across the whole United States. Every other figure on this page is California's, and the federal government publishes no state version of this one. It is what people happen to have, not a rule about who gets hired. A small row does not mean you would be turned away, and a large one is not a promise of a job.

Program details

This program provides in-person instruction only.

The Associate in Science in Culinary Arts and Management will prepare students for entry-level employment or to transfer to a university for further study. This program will help you to identify which sector of the hospitality industry you belong in, demonstrate competency in safe, sanitary, and efficient production and service operations, analyze and respond to differing business climates, demonstrate competency in oral, written, and electronic communications, supervise and train a diverse employee pool in best industry practices, follow all the governmental laws and regulations pertaining to food and beverage operations, demonstrate basic baking and cooking skills using current industry tools and equipment, gain hands-on experience in our commercial Culinary Arts Lab.

Provider's website →

Someone else may be able to pay for this

This program was on California's Eligible Training Provider List when the state last reported it to the U.S. Department of Labor (2026-08-04). Programs on that list can be paid for through an Individual Training Account. Listings are renewed periodically and can lapse, so a program listed when the state last reported may not be listed today. Ask before you rely on it.

The place to ask is an America's Job Center of California

America`s Job Center of California Workforce Resource CenterComprehensive center
Phone: 805-614-1550
1410 South BroadwaySuite ESanta Maria, CA 93454about 11.8 miles away
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Has a veterans' representative

Distances are straight-line, so the drive is longer. Call before you travel: opening hours here are as the federal directory published them, and the state notes its own staff are not present at every location.

Find a center anywhere in California, and check what is on the list today:
CareerOneStop — American Job Center Finder (U.S. DOL) · California EDD — Office Locator · California EDD — Eligible Training Provider List

How this gets paid for, and what to ask →

Whether a person can have a program paid for is decided by their local workforce development board and the America's Job Center staff who interview them — not by this site, and not by the training provider. California has 45 local workforce development areas and each sets its own policies, so the answer can differ between two people in neighboring counties. Nothing here is a promise of funding or a determination of eligibility.

The rules cited here, and the state and federal sites linked to, are published in English.

How this site gets its figures, and what they do not tell you →