Program Overview

Culinary Arts – Bachelor of Arts

Course Overview

This Level 7 Bachelor Degree Add-On programme develops students in the field of culinary arts. Students will acquire the critical thinking and applied skills necessary to succeed in various chef roles, culinary businesses, food enterprise development, and/or food innovation management.

The course is taught in modern facilities on the TUS Athlone Campus, which include:

• Two large-scale production kitchens
• Three Individual teaching kitchens and a specialised pastry kitchen
• 120-seat lecture and culinary demonstration theatre
• Bright and contemporary 100-seater training restaurant
• Licensed training bar
• Large open-plan reception area
• The Department also boosts a polytunnel, a wormery, a hydroponic propagator and vertical aeroponic tower gardens.

Entry Requirements

• A Higher Certificate in Culinary Arts or an approved equivalent Level 6 qualification is required.
• Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) will be per the TUS Recognition of Prior Learning Policy 2022 – 2025. Applications for RPL will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Course Modules

Year 3 – Semester 1

• Advanced Pastry Art and Design (5 credits) This module enables the learner to develop artistic pastry concepts suitable for a high-end culinary enterprise. Learners are encouraged to research new and innovative techniques associated with advanced pastry art and design, environmental sustainability and frugality. Learners are encouraged to prepare for national and international pastry competitions.
• Culinary Innovation and Botanical Cuisine (5 credits) This module is designed to allow learners to enhance and refine their culinary skills, and to demonstrate specialist expertise and creative ability in the areas of modernist and botanical cuisine.
• Talent Acquisition and Development (5 credits) This module aims to provide learners with a comprehensive knowledge of the function and scope of talent management and its role in driving the success of the organisation with particular reference to the international hospitality industry.
• Tourism Management (5 credits) The module aims to introduce the key principles of tourism and to engage the students in the practical application of tourism theory within the various forms of tourism e.g. food, sport, cultural, wellness, and creative, at local, regional, national and international levels sustainably and competitively.
• Environmental Management & Resource Efficiency (5 credits) This module seeks to introduce the learner to the contribution of the hospitality and tourism industry to the global movement for sustainable environmental development. It presents the business case for environmental best practices and further identifies the value of hotel sustainability and innovative leadership.
• Hospitality Marketing (5 credits) This module aims to introduce the learner to the principles, concepts and language of marketing in the context of the international hospitality business sector. Learners will explore hospitality marketing trends and digital opportunities within a wider societal context.

Year 3 – Semester 2

• Advanced Pastry Innovation and Commercialisation (5 credits) This module allows the learner to develop pastry concepts suitable for a modern culinary enterprise. Advanced preparations of Irish and international pastry, bakery and confectionery products are explored, enhanced and adapted to meet the needs of the current market.
• Applied Culinary Nutrition (5 credits) This module aims to help learners understand the principles of nutrition and apply them to maintain a healthy and balanced diet while also learning practical skills for selecting and preparing healthy meals. It emphasizes the importance of shared responsibility for producing, supplying, and consuming safe and nutritious food while ensuring that the industry remains viable and protects our natural environment.
• Food Product Development (10 credits) This module aims to develop knowledge of the concepts, theories, and practices of the product development process and to critically apply these principles in the development of new food products.
• Advanced Culinary Techniques in Fermentation and Preservation (5 credits) This module is designed to allow learners to enhance and refine their culinary skills, in particular, to demonstrate specialist expertise and creative ability in culinary fermentation and preservation.
• Digital Transformation in Service Businesses (5 credits) Digital Transformation (DX) provides the learner with the platform to investigate how advancements in digital technologies, (cloud computing, the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence, blockchain technologies and others) are disrupting organisations and professions in the service business sector.

What can you do after this programme?

Career Opportunities

This programme will allow graduates to progress into senior positions in the food industry or further study should they choose. Graduates of this course will likely work in:

• Various Chef roles and grades
• Contract catering
• Food Enterprise Development
• New Food Product Development
• Food Marketing

Further Study

Successful graduates of this programme are eligible to apply for our Level 8 Add-On Honours Bachelor Degree in Culinary Entrepreneurship or other programmes in a related discipline within TUS or elsewhere.