Studying Culinary Arts

Are you someone who is constantly thinking about food? Do you dream of working to a professional kitchen? Do you eat at a restaurant and think ‘I could make this better’? Perhaps you are someone who has a new food concept that you aspire to bring to life. If this sounds like you then studying Culinary Arts at Dubai College of Tourism could be the best decision you will ever make and here is why.

At DCT we look for individuals with the right attitude and ambition, not necessarily the highest academic grades. Cooking is all about passion and this is the only thing we expect you to bring to the college every day. The experienced teaching faculty will guide you with patience, through all the basic knowledge and techniques required to become a competent professional chef, from dicing and slicing to braising and poaching. The class size is limited to 12 students meaning we can guarantee you always get the one on one attention and support that you need.

Being a chef is a profession that appeals to practical, creative and hardworking individuals. With fifty per cent of your time being spent working in state of art kitchen facilities wearing a full chef uniform (which even has your name on) and professional equipment our focus is preparing you for the workplace. The programme is intense with classes running five days a week from 8.30am to 4pm meaning that across the 1 year certificate programme you will get the opportunity to really practice, practice, practice after all practice makes perfect!

At DCT all instructors are not just instructors, they are professional chefs who have extensive and impressive resumes. This means they not only talk the talk but also walk the walk! I have spent more than 25 years working around the world for Marriott International as an Executive Chef so I know exactly what you need to know to be successful in this industry. We also take the culinary arts students into the industry to visit different professional kitchens and to learn where the products we use come from including trips to dairy farms, chicken farm, hydroponic vegetable farms, fish farms and many other related businesses. We regularly have key industry professionals come to the class as guest speakers allowing you to build your network and gain greater insights into career pathways

The programmes have been specifically written for Dubai College of Tourism, with significant industry input. They are up to date and relevant covering the latest information and trends such as Vegan, Keto, Nutrition, Hyper Cultural and Health and Safety.

We guarantee all our students a 1 month internship as part of the Certificate level programme and a further 4 month internship at Diploma level. We will work with you to understand your area of interest and to find reputable establishments for you to gain valuable work experience. Past internships have included Hilton, Sheraton, Shangri-La, Ritz-Carlton, Jumeirah and Emirates Flight Catering to name a few. At DCT we really focus on the employability of our students and we believe internships provide the perfect opportunity to build you CV and get your foot onto the career ladder.

Dubai is one of the best locations in the world to study to be a chef because it is extremely multicultural and this is reflected in the restaurants and dishes you can find here. There isn’t a type of cuisine or product that is not available in Dubai! This means you will learn to be a flexible and diverse chef and have the top hotel brands and restaurants available on your doorstep. Working in a kitchen means working as part of a team, no one cares about nationality or background, success will come to those with the right attitude and talent.

Choosing to become a chef is not choosing a job but following a passion. It will be challenging and tiring but if you are up for the challenge, where you will have support along the way DCT is the place for you. I look forward to seeing you in the kitchen soon!