Prepare For A Career in the Baking & Pastry Industry at The International Culinary School at The Art Institute Of California – San Francisco

[SAN FRANCISCO, CA, SEPTEMBER 2009] – Getting paid to do what you love is sweet. That’s why The Art Institute of California – San Francisco is proud to announce the launch of its new Baking & Pastry program. Students can choose from either a Baking & Pastry Diploma or an Associate of Science degree in Baking & Pastry.

The five-quarter diploma program trains students in the art of baking and patisserie. Students have an opportunity to develop competencies in breads, desserts, cake decoration and buffet centerpieces. The program focuses on both production and the individualized skills necessary to pursue employment in bakeries and restaurants, as well as catering and institutional settings. The curriculum also includes courses in Safety & Sanitation, Nutrition Science, Management, Supervision & Career Development and an externship to support and develop students’ professional skills for employment.

The seven-quarter Associate of Science degree program builds upon the diploma program, emphasizing culinary skills in addition to core baking and pastry courses. The Associate of Science degree program also includes a solid foundation in restaurant business knowledge. The combination of a culinary skill set along with restaurant operations coursework are designed to enhance each graduate’s ability to meet the challenges of the increasingly demanding and rapidly changing field.

“When you consider its legendary reputation for all things culinary, San Francisco is the ideal place to pursue an education in baking and pastry,” said Linda Carucci, Chef Director at The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of California – San Francisco. “The San Francisco Bay Area is home to a wealth of talent in this industry, from artisan bread bakers and chocolatiers to award-winning pastry chefs and authors of highly regarded books on the subject.”

The Art Institute of California – San Francisco is located at 1170 Market Street, where the school has been located for more than ten years on San Francisco’s United Nations Plaza. The Baking & Pastry program will be housed in the school’s culinary facility at 1130 Market Street, just across the Plaza from the main building. The new facility opened in March to accommodate the school’s new culinary program, and includes kitchens, locker room and lecture classrooms.

The program’s Academic Director is Chef Linda Carucci, an award-winning culinary instructor and cookbook author. In 2002, Chef Carucci’s peers in the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) voted her Cooking Teacher of the Year. She is the author of Cooking School Secrets for Real World Cooks (Chronicle Books, 2005), which was honored as a finalist for the IACP’s Julia Child First Book Award and for a James Beard Cookbook Award. Most recently, Chef Carucci served as the first Julia Child Director of Culinary Programs at COPIA: The American Center for Wine, Food & the Arts. From 1989 to 1993, Chef Carucci was the dean at the California Culinary Academy. Chef Carucci is a graduate of the California Culinary Academy, has a bachelor's degree in Psychology, magna cum laude, from Stonehill College in North Easton, Massachusetts and a master's degree in education from Colorado State University.

The Art Institute of California – San Francisco is one of The Art Institutes (www.artinstitutes.edu), a system of over 40 education institutions located throughout North America, providing an important source of design, media arts, fashion and culinary arts professionals.

For more information about the Baking & Pastry program at The Art Institute of California – San Francisco, please contact Lorraine Woodcheke, Public Relations Coordinator, by phone at 415.276.4019 or by e-mail at lwoodcheke@aii.edu.