Gastronomy and Culinary Arts

The word gastronomy, which focuses on nutrition, which is the most basic need of humanity, is formed by the combination of the Greek words “gastros” and “nomos”, which are etymologically equivalent to the Turkish words “Stomach Law” or “Stomach Rule”.

However, the word gastronomy is expressed in the dictionary of the Turkish Language Institution as “Curiosity to eat well, a healthy, well-organized, pleasant and tasty kitchen, food layout and system”. The concept of nutrition and the food and drink sector, which are the most basic needs that will never disappear and will constantly improve as long as humanity exists, form the basis of gastronomic science.

It is a multi-disciplinary field that appeals to the taste buds and the eye, where creativity and art stand out by blending the gastronomy and culinary arts department with food and beverage and culinary culture, quality and aesthetics. Moreover, it includes the management of the food and beverage sector.

The Goals of the Department

As the Department of Gastronomy and Culinary Arts, our main goal is to train executive chefs who master Turkish cuisine as well as world cuisines, follow culinary arts and gastronomy trends, apply creativity and application direction with current technologies and advanced quality understanding, and have advanced management capabilities in both the national and international gastronomy sector.

We aim to train not only chefs who can cook but also executive chefs who know the sensory and characteristic features of food, have a good command of all the principles and art of cooking, can successfully combine food with design and aesthetics, are disciplined and responsible, follow the innovations in the sector, are open to change and development, have leadership qualities and have strong communication skills.

We aim to train executive chefs who have full command of the gastronomic culture, who know the food and food and beverage sector, who have business knowledge as well as chefs, who can foresee the future, and who have advanced cultural, technological, artistic and creative aspects with both theoretical and applied courses in the curriculum of the Gastronomy and Culinary Arts Department, which is a multidisciplinary field consisting of science and art.

We aim to ensure that our students, who have spent 60% of their education with applications with the systematic infrastructure that we have created in our curriculum prepared together with people active in the sector, are focused on the field they want, have developed creativity, can dominate the sector both as a chef and an operator with their courses that they can choose according to their interests, with a strong application direction.

In line with these goals, our priority is to ensure that our graduates are fully equipped in accordance with the needs of the sector with the sector-academy cooperation-oriented training that we provide, taking into account the needs of the sector.

Training

Gastronomy and Culinary Arts undergraduate education is a 4-year department and the medium of instruction is Turkish. However, English and Professional English courses are included in the department’s course curriculum. Chefs who can improve themselves by following international developments and publications with English courses in the curriculum of the department and who have the English terminology required by their profession are trained.

In Gastronomy and Culinary Arts undergraduate education, students are given complimentary courses such as Food Safety, Food Legislation, Kitchen Hygiene, Nutrition Principles, Business Ethics, Basic Occupational Health and Safety, and Information Technologies. In the curriculum of the department, there are theoretical courses on Gastronomy Tourism, Trends in Gastronomy, Service and Presentation Techniques, Menu Management and Planning, Ready Meal Technology, Beverage Culture and many more. In order to improve the managerial characteristics of students in their professions, courses such as Business Management, Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Quality and Management Systems have also been added to the department curriculum.

In addition to the above-mentioned theoretical courses, 60% of the course curriculum consists of practical courses in order to develop the necessary practical and practical skills of our students. Before graduation, every student studying in the program is required to take practical courses in basic areas such as Turkish Cuisine, World Cuisines, Hot and Cold Cuisines, Bakery Products, Pastry, and they are also provided to create a special curriculum with elective courses that they can choose according to their interests.

A systematic approach was taken into account while planning the course curriculum, and the theoretical infrastructure of the students was prepared in the first year of education, and the application was given increasing attention every year from the 2nd grade, especially the last 2 years were made to be based on application and practice.

With the professional field and competence development elective courses added to the course curriculum, it has also been ensured that our students can further develop themselves in the field they are interested in.

Internship Opportunities

In addition to theoretical courses, there is also an intensive application course content in our department. In addition to the theoretical and practical knowledge that they will acquire at school, our students must complete their professional summer internships within 30 working days before graduating from the program. Our students get to know their business fields thanks to their internships, learn about the activities at work, have the opportunity to develop the education they receive by applying it in the sector and have the opportunity to adapt to business life before graduating.

ArelKariyer system provides all the necessary support to our students in finding the compulsory summer internship place of our department. Apart from the compulsory internship period, our students are provided with the necessary support for their optional works and in this way, they are provided with a place in the sector before they graduate.

Job Opportunities

Graduates of the Department of Gastronomy and Culinary Arts can open their own businesses by obtaining the title of gastronomer and operate in all areas of the food and beverage sector. Gastronom can work as a cook, chef, executive chef, manager, or operator in the kitchens of restaurants and hotels, food factories (Catering), sea, air and rail companies, and other food and beverage businesses in the private sector.

Graduates of the Gastronomy and Culinary Arts undergraduate program can work in all areas of the food and beverage industry, as well as find a place for themselves in different fields such as menu consultancy, food criticism, blogging, food photography or television programming as a minor branch of the profession.

Our graduates can become instructor chef at culinary schools or culinary academies, as well as complete their master’s and doctoral studies and work in academic and scientific terms.