Meet one of our instructors:
Chef Udo Prambs, CMC
Chef Udo Prambs is a Certified Master Chef with over 20 years of experience in European culinary cuisine. Commencing his training and apprenticeship in his native country, Germany, Chef Prambs has earned a Chef's Degree and Master Diploma in Hospitality, and diplomas as a Certified Master Restaurateur and Certified Master of Hospitality Business. More...
Culinary Arts Program
Diploma of Essential Professional Culinary Skills
Completed in 6 months | 16 students per classroom
Great chefs have one thing in common: a mastery of the fundamentals of cooking and baking. At the Professional Culinary Institute, we have designed our Culinary Arts Program to provide aspiring chefs with the skills and techniques they need to enter and excel in the highly competitive food service industry.
PCI's Culinary Arts Program brings the European apprentice training system to California to deliver detailed, personal, hands-on instruction in the classical techniques of the culinary arts. All techniques are taught using our unique Artisense™ method of culinary training: explanation, demonstration, and execution. Students will not be asked to prepare anything that has not first been demonstrated for them by our chef-instructors.
Through this program you will learn the classical techniques that form the essential skills of the culinary arts, as well as explore contemporary food-related subjects, including:
- Physiology of taste and smell
- Knife skills, selection, and safety
- The five mother sauces and derivative sauces
- Broths, bisques, and pureed soups
- Garde manger—preparing and presenting cold foods
- Baking and pastry
- Plated desserts
- Regional cuisines of Asia, Europe, the Americas, Africa, and the Middle East
- Current topics in the food industry
- Alternative food-related professions
Hands-On, Personalized Training
With only 16 students per classroom, you will have a chance to personally connect with chefs and master chefs as you progress through your culinary training. Our Culinary Arts Program also gives you a higher proportion of hands-on training than any other culinary program.
World-Class Facilities
We designed our facility in Campbell, California to support our hands-on Artisense method of culinary training. Each student has his or her own workstation in our state-of-the-art kitchen-classrooms, with access to a wide variety of professional equipment.
Focus on the Future
PCI's Culinary Arts Program focuses completely on food industry training—there are no general education classes. We've built our curriculum to train you and get you to work in six months.
Our chefs understand that each student has a different career path and a different set of skills and interests. By working closely with students, chefs are able to steer each student to events and opportunities that match their unique path for relevant exposure and hands-on professional experience.
When you complete your culinary program, PCI provides job placement assistance and follow-up. We have a team solely dedicated to identifying job opportunities and forming relationships with employers. After graduating from PCI, you can count on our continued support and guidance for lifetime career assistance.
Come See for Yourself
To find out more, please contact us to schedule a tour of PCI or join us for an open house. You'll see that there is far more space devoted to kitchens than to classrooms.
