Culinary Arts

Turn your passion for food into a career. Saskatchewan Polytechnic’s Culinary Arts diploma program is hands on, fast paced and cutting edge—and the only four semester advanced culinary training program in Saskatchewan.

Get the professional training you need to launch a career in cooking, whether you’re interested in a career in restaurants, hotels, resorts, private clubs, catering, institutional settings or running your own restaurant. We train the next generation of culinary leaders.

Culinary Arts is a four semester diploma program offered at Saskatchewan Polytechnic Prince Albert Campus, Regina Campus, and Saskatoon Campus, Idylwyld Dr. Your instructors are all experienced Red Seal chefs. They will introduce you to cooking principles and practices, everything from baking to breakfasts, garde manger to a la carte, and meats, seafood and poultry to vegetables, starches and pasta. Here are some of the exciting culinary subjects you will be exposed to:

• baking and pastry
• catering and special event cooking
• Contemporary cuisine and modern food trends
• field to fork experience
• fine dining
• meat cutting and cooking
• regional foods and Indigenous foods
• sauces and soups
• short order food production
• vegetable cooking
• wines and beverages
• world cuisines

Intensive, Hands-On Education

From food prep to short order cooking to fine dining, you will learn what it is like to work in a commercial kitchen—you’ll spend your time learning new skills and applying new knowledge through a combination of hands-on learning, online learning, and participation in actual food events.

Get a Global Learning Experience

As a Sask Polytech Culinary Arts student, you can sharpen your intercultural skills. You’ll have an opportunity to participate in a one week cultural and culinary tour of Mexico, including museums, restaurants, and classes together with the Mexican students in the culinary program at Universidad Cuauhtemoc. Learn more about global learning experiences at Sask Polytech.

Apprenticeship Credit

With this Saskatchewan Polytechnic credential, you may be eligible for credit towards apprenticeship training. To learn more, contact the Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission (SATCC).

Diploma to Degree

Diploma graduates are eligible to take the Bachelor of Applied Management degree right here at Saskatchewan Polytechnic with only two years of additional study. Remote classes and part-time options are available.

Your Career

On graduation, you will be qualified to work as a first cook, sous chef, pastry chef, chef de partie, banquet chef, garde manager, junior chef or kitchen supervisor in many different settings. Build your career resume as you work your way up in restaurants, hotels, resorts, catering and private clubs. Look for career opportunities in institutional and corporate settings or use what you’ve learned to start your own business. Our graduates have over a 90% success rate in finding work within six months of graduation.

Potential Careers

September, January, and May intakes

• September intake: Prince Albert, Regina and Saskatoon
• January intake: Saskatoon
• May intake: Saskatoon

Note: Prince Albert and Regina's intakes are offered from the fall to spring. After a summer break, the upcoming semesters will begin the following fall. Saskatoon has all semesters offered concurrently for one and 1/3 years with no summer break.

Semester 1 - 16 weeks; Semester 2 - 16 weeks; Semester 3 - 16 weeks; Semester 4 - 16 weeks

• Prince Albert
• Regina
• Saskatoon

Admission Requirements

• Grade 12
• You must be 18 years old as of the program start date in the year of admission
• English Language Requirement

Alternative Admission

Applicants who do not possess the academic qualifications for a program may be admitted if evidence of probable success can be established through an alternative admission assessment. Applicants are automatically considered for alternative admission. However, some specific admission requirements may still need to be met.

ACCUPLACER©

Refer to the ACCUPLACER© cut scores for this program below, and review additional details concerning Alternative Admission using Accuplacer.

• 250 Arithmetic
• 237 Reading

Post-secondary

Some programs allow applicants to meet the admission grade level requirement using 15 approved post-secondary credits. Review additional information.

If the program applied to has specific course requirements, they may be met through alternative post-secondary courses. Review already approved courses that may be used for admission purposes for your programs.

Admission Method

The First Qualified/First Admitted (FQFA) process is used for the majority of Saskatchewan Polytechnic programs. When we determine that you meet the program's admission requirements, you will be offered admission based on the date you fully qualify for the program. The earlier you provide the appropriate documents and information that qualify you for admission to the next intake, the earlier you might begin your studies. Your application, once qualified, is always considered for the next intake. 

Applicants to programs with multiple intakes in an academic year remain in the application pool until the last intake for that academic year has begun. Programs using the FQFA process receive applications year round and maintain an application pool for each academic year. Qualified applicants who are not offered a seat must reapply for the next academic year. 

Sponsored programs or programs targeted to specific groups do not accept applications year round or maintain an application pool.

See Admission Processes for more information about this method of admission.

2022/23 Academic Year

September 2022 intake (Year 1 and 2) - $13,790
January 2023 intake (Year 1 and 2) - $13,790
May 2023 intake (Year 1 and 2) - $13,790

International Students

View tuition rates for international students.

Year 1 - Semester 1

CKNG 140

Kitchen Operations

4

CKNG 143

Stocks, Soups and Sauces

4

CKNG 144

Garde Manger

4

CKNG 150

Kitchen Foundations

4

EQPT 119

Tools and Equipment

4

PLAN 179

Menu Development

3

SAFE 115

Safety in the Professional Kitchen

3

Year 1 - Semester 2

CKNG 142

Vegetables, Starches and Complimentary Proteins

4

CKNG 146

Meat, Seafood and Poultry Processing

4

CKNG 147

Meat, Seafood, Poultry and alternative/plant based proteins cooking

4

CKNG 219

Charcuterie

4

CKNG 223

Food Presentation

3

CKNG 285

International Cuisine

4

NUTR 104

Nutrition

2

Year 2 - Semester 3

CKNG 141

Bakery 1

4

CKNG 182

Bakery 2

4

CKNG 225

Hors d’oeuvres

2

CKNG 284

Baking and Pastry Arts

4

CKNG 287

Indigenous Cuisine

4

CKNG 290

Catering Production

4

CKNG 292

Food Services Management

4

Year 2 - Semester 4

CKNG 145

Breakfast

4

CKNG 217

Line Cooking

3

CKNG 218

Dining 1

4

CKNG 221

Dining 2

4

CKNG 222

Sauces

2

CKNG 224

Field to Fork

2

CLTR 100

Diversity

3

PROF 102

Professionalism in Culinary Arts

4

Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition

Saskatchewan Polytechnic recognizes that adults learn in many different ways. This includes acquiring knowledge and skills through life and work experience or non-formal training.

See link(s) below to get more information about PLAR.

• Candidate Guide
• Candidate Guide (Department of Arts and Sciences courses)
  • communications, mathematics, sciences, social sciences
• More about PLAR

Transfer Credit

Many Sask Polytech students benefit from transferring course credit. You may be eligible to transfer credit to Sask Polytech or to another college or university.

Thanks to the generosity of donors and alumni, Saskatchewan Polytechnic gives away more than $2 million in student awards during the academic year.

Saskatchewan Polytechnic offers student awards for every certificate and diploma program at every campus. Not all student awards are based on marks - some are based on financial need or things like community or volunteer involvement.

More about scholarships

• Personal Readiness