Where should I start my search?
Explore Nolan School of Hotel Administration academics and The Culinary Institute of America academics. Take note of specific classes, concentrations and tracks that appeal to you to. Think about your career goals and how the courses will fit with your aspirations. If you are excited by the opportunities you see, you are on the right track.
What is the Collaborative Degree Program?
The Collaborative degree program between the Cornell Nolan School of Hotel Administration and The Culinary Institute of America combines the strengths of these two leading institutions into an educational powerhouse for students interested in food careers. Students at the Nolan School of Hotel Administration can complete the requirements for an associates in Culinary or Baking & Pastry Arts from The CIA in conjunction with their bachelors program at Cornell OR students who earn their associates in Culinary or Baking and Pastry Arts at The CIA have the opportunity to complete their bachelors at the Nolan School of Hotel Administration in an abbreviated timeframe.
Where should I attend first?
Consider where you are most passionate, how competitive you may be for either program, and factors like financial aid opportunities when evaluating where to apply first. Many students apply to both The CIA and the Nolan School of Hotel Administration before making a final decision about attendance. Having hands on foodservice experience is a plus in ensuring this career path is right for you. Students enroll at either The CIA or the Nolan School of Hotel Administration and must be accepted into the other school, so even if you apply as a freshman, you will need to re-apply as a transfer student. To be eligible for the full transfer credit program, CIA students must complete their associates degree. Nolan School of Hotel Administration students need to complete the pre-requisite classes (they are usually juniors or seniors) in the core and elective curriculum to qualify.
What are the benefits of the Collaborative Degree Program?
The intent is for students graduating from this program to have added depth to their culinary knowledge and skills, and a broader perspective about the operations and impact of foodservice across the hospitality spectrum. At the Nolan School of Hotel Administration, students have a chance to learn about restaurant design, development, financing, and management, to study foodservice in hotels, resorts, spas, stadiums, institutions and other hospitality settings and to participate in classes and activities specifically focused on restaurant entrepreneurship. They can also explore courses across Cornell University, in food related paths like food science, agriculture, enology, viticulture, nutrition, sustainability, food policy, retail food management, and R&D.
As part of The CIA’s associates program, students can pursue culinary or baking and pastry arts. Students exploring culinary arts will develop a foundation in knife skills, cooking methods, culinary techniques, ratios and formulas, flavor profiling and menu development. They will internalize the concept of mis-en-place, and develop the confidence and mastery to produce successfully in a commercial kitchen environment. Students investigating baking and pastry arts will study the fundamentals, developing similar strengths in ratios and formulas, flavor profiling and menu development but they will also gain a unique understanding of baking ingredients and technology, design principles and production techniques for specialized areas including specialty cakes, pastries, chocolates, confections, breads and rolls.
Alumni note that the intensity of earning the two degrees spring boarded them into their chosen career paths.
How long does the Collaborative Degree Program take?
Students who start at the CIA will complete the associates program over approximately twenty one months and then have about six additional semesters at the Nolan School of Hotel Administration. Students who start at the Nolan School of Hotel Administration will complete the CIA associates program on site at the CIA, around their Cornell studies. Culinary students will miss one full semester at Cornell and a summer, Bakers will miss one full semester at Cornell, a summer, and spend a final semester at The CIA after graduating Cornell.
I am a transfer from another college into the Nolan School of Hotel Administration or The CIA. Can I participate in the Collaborative Degree Program?
Transfer students will have to consult individually with the Program Director to determine if they are eligible for the Collaborative degree program.
In general, students transferring to Cornell with two semesters or less of transfer credit should be able to participate. Students who have few remaining free or non Nolan School elective credits remaining may only be eligible to participate after they have graduated from the Nolan School of Hotel Administration.
Students transferring to The CIA must complete their associates degree to receive maximum transfer credit to Cornell. Courses awarded transfer credit by The CIA may need to be re-evaluated by the Nolan School. In addition, Cornell University does not accept students into the undergraduate program if they have already completed a bachelor’s degree at another institution.