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Specialty foods cook education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
2 min read
Usually, specialty foods cooks don't need a college education. The most common degree for specialty foods cooks is high school diploma with 50% graduates, with only 16% specialty foods cook graduates earning associate degree. Specialty foods cooks who decided to graduate from college often finish University of Phoenix or Monroe College. Some good skills to have in this position include food handling, basic math and dishes.

What education do you need to become a specialty foods cook?

What degree do you need to be a specialty foods cook?

The most common degree for specialty foods cooks is high school diploma, with 50% of specialty foods cooks earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 16% and associate degree degree at 14%.
  • High School Diploma, 50%
  • Associate, 16%
  • Bachelor's, 14%
  • Diploma, 13%
  • Other Degrees, 7%

What should I major in to become a specialty foods cook?

You should major in business to become a specialty foods cook. 18% of specialty foods cooks major in business. Other common majors for a specialty foods cook include general studies and culinary arts.

Best majors for specialty foods cooks

RankMajorPercentages
1Business18.0%
2General Studies15.0%
3Culinary Arts11.7%
4Criminal Justice5.6%
5Psychology3.8%

20 best online courses for specialty foods cooks

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1. Cooking for Busy Healthy People

coursera

Cooking is one of the most powerful ways in which we can optimize our enjoyment of great quality food while protecting our health. Even on a tight budget, cooking can be a cost-effective, joyful and rewarding way to love the food that will love us back for a lifetime. In this course, you’ll learn some basic recipes from a home cook and two professional chefs who prioritize healthful eating. You’ll also learn some of the fundamentals of principle-based cooking that can help you break free from...

2. Introduction to Food and Our Environment

coursera

This course is designed to help learners around the world become more sustainable eaters. Course videos can be watched in any order. Feel free to explore special areas of interest by skipping ahead and coming back to less familiar topics at a later stage. Together, we’ll explore key topics, like how food production impacts the environment and why meat production and protein consumption are often at the center of the debate around sustainability. We’ll introduce the pros and cons of different...

3. Fun food safety and sanitation course

udemy
4.6
(539)

The food safety course will help prepare you for safely working in a kitchen and food handler tests like Servesafe...

4. ISO 22000:2018. Food Safety Management System

udemy
4.4
(976)

Understand the requirements for a food safety management system applicable for any organization in the food chain...

5. Unravelling solutions for Future Food problems

coursera

Our society depends on the availability of food and accessibility to it. According to the United Nations nearly 800 million people are hungry and on the other hand, over 650 million people are obese. While many people in developing countries experience food shortage, in industrialized countries people are throwing food away. These facts show how paradoxical and complex the world’s food problem is. ln this course, more than 10 food researchers from Utrecht University will address the main issues...

6. Stanford Introduction to Food and Health

coursera

Around the world, we find ourselves facing global epidemics of obesity, Type 2 Diabetes and other predominantly diet-related diseases. To address these public health crises, we urgently need to explore innovative strategies for promoting healthful eating. There is strong evidence that global increases in the consumption of heavily processed foods, coupled with cultural shifts away from the preparation of food in the home, have contributed to high rates of preventable, chronic disease. In this...

7. Food Safety for Managers and Supervisors

udemy
4.3
(489)

The Highfield Food Safety Level 3 syllabus presented in two hours of video tutorials. Boost your food safety knowledge...

8. Cook Real Food: How to Make Simple Plant-Based Meals

udemy
4.6
(1,644)

Learn how to cook whole plant foods to make quick, easy, and healthy vegan meals for practical everyday eating...

9. Food Photography: Capturing Food in Your Kitchen

udemy
4.7
(3,133)

With DIY Food Photography, you'll be taking better photos in no time with what you have in your own kitchen!...

10. Basic Food Photography

udemy
4.2
(1,349)

Learn how to take delicious food photos from scratch...

11. ISO 22000 (HACCP and PRPs) for Food Safety

udemy
4.4
(618)

Standards, analysis, control points, and risk management related to ISO 22000 for food industry professionals...

12. Get to Know Your Food: Claims, Labels & Ingredients

udemy
4.4
(813)

Learn how to make the healthiest and best food choices amidst processed and packaged foods...

13. Blockchain applications in Food Safety, Healthcare & Pharma

udemy
4.5
(3,019)

Best course to learn about Blockchain Business Applications in Pharma, Food Safety, Healthcare and Insurance Industries...

14. Fundamentals of Logistics, Supply Chain & Customer Service

udemy
4.5
(3,822)

Learn Logistics, Supply Chain and Customer Service. 3 Courses in 1...

15. Vegan Nutrition Health Coach Certification

udemy
4.6
(2,112)

Become a Vegan Nutrition Certified Health Coach, Learn Vegan Cooking, Embrace a Holistic Approach to Food...

16. Customer Service & Support For Customer Service Executives

udemy
4.5
(941)

Learn Customer Service Skills & Provide Excellent Customer Support, Customer Experience & How To Manage Upset Customers...

17. Customer Service: 6 Keys To Exceptional Customer Service

udemy
4.6
(601)

Master Customer Satisfaction & Astonish Your Customers With A+ Customer Service...

18. You Found It! Foodies Ultimate Food Photography Masterclass

udemy
4.9
(571)

Beautiful Food Photography with any smartphone, iphone or digital camera. See Progress Quickly. Fundamentals matter!...

19. Customer Service, Customer Support, And Customer Experience

udemy
4.6
(2,666)

Customer service, customer support, and customer experience training. Loyal clients through world-class customer service...

20. SAP Customer Service (CS/SM) - Service Management module

udemy
4.4
(960)

Real World SAP CS and SD, Repair Orders, Service Orders, Service Contracts...

Average specialty foods cook salary by education level

Specialty foods cooks with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $33,377 annually. With a Associate degree, specialty foods cooks earn a median annual income of $32,677 compared to $32,025 for specialty foods cooks with an High School Diploma degree.
Specialty foods cook education levelSpecialty foods cook salary
High School Diploma or Less$32,025
Bachelor's Degree$33,377
No Education$31,686
Some College/ Associate Degree$32,677

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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