I'm sure there are other people who have more experience in the business  than I do who can better answer your question but I'll share my experience with you.

I did not go to culinary school.. .I did go to college and I worked with special needs people until I had my own children, and then I became a stay home mom.  It was during those years that I knew I wanted to cook for a living and I learned everything I could.  

When the kids were napping I would watch cooking shows and this was back when cooking shows were educational and not what we see for the most part today.  I learned so much from watching Mario Batali, Sara Moulton and Emeril.. not  his live show so much but when it was just him and the camera.  I read cookbooks, experimented with recipes, and I was just a sponge and I soaked all of the info in. 

Then I got a job working at TIm Horton's when my younger one was in school full days.. it was not haute cuisine but I was baking and learning to function in the quick serve world.. from there I went to a workplace cafeteria... I was in over my head but managed and had to leave though as my sitter got a real job and I had to be a stay home mom.. I learned lots and lots at the cafeteria, and if the chef wasn't such a jerk  I would have considered hiring a new sitter but it is what it is all worked out for me..  I found the job at the cafe and it worked with the kids hours in school.. I wasn't sure at first if I could do it but I went at it with both feet firmly planted on the floor and I stayed there until the ownership changed.  I knew I would not do well with the new owners (they cut alot of corners to save money and the food suffered), so I went looking and landed a nightshift job at a hospital cafeteria/coffee shop.  As much as I hated that job it came at a good time as our son had been diagnosed with a benign brain tumor and when he was released from hospital he needed someone home with him during the day.  Once I could see he was able to function on his own I started looking for a job... I was hired by the place I am at now as a line cook and within less than a year I have been promoted to AKM (assistant kitchen manager) which could also be called sous.

How did I get there?  By working my rear end off!!  I have learned as much as I can from every place I have worked at and I learn all the time.  

By all means if you want to work in this business take the course but as to what you can expect upon graduation I would say it will be an entry level position.  One does not go to culinary school and graduate to be a sous or an exec chef.. those positions have to be earned.  

I hope I have helped you and the best thing you can do before you go to school for this is get a job in the business if you haven't already.. it will do you worlds of good!

A B.S. in Culinary Management is, IMHO, probably overkill for daily kitchen activities but would be a great start up the "corporate ladder". In my "old fashioned mind", even an AA is over-rated unless you anticipate working in the "corporate world".

Cooking is a TRADE, running a culinary empire is a profession.

That would depend on the employer but your experience and the food you make will speak louder than what school you went to. 

Have you worked in the business before?

"Well would i get hired more quickly with a Culinary degree?"

As what?


A dishwasher, certainly not.
A "prep cook/helper? Nooo, but this is where you'll probably start after any culinary school whether it is a certificate, diploma, AA, or BA in culinary practices
A cook? Probably not, this is where experience Rules!
A chef/sous chef? It might help, as long as you have the necessary cooking/work experience.
An administrator? Maybe, as long as you promise to stay out of the kitchen ;)

Of course, ALL of the above is strictly my personal and highly opinionated viewpoint!

I agree with Pete McCraken. School is really just a foundation it does not make you a chef. Experience and skills/talent gets you places in the culinary world. Your work ethic and product speaks for itself. I start culinary school this fall and I know its a just a stepping stone. I know I need to do an apprenticeship under an excellent chef so I can learn, practice and work on my skill. If your looking for a career so you can make a lot of money I suggest you get a degree in something else.

 I would like to throw my two cents in on this. Travis, having a bachelor's degree in culinary school can actually hurt you. Particularly if you have to take out school loans to get it. A while back I went to visit my school the Culinary Institute of America and met two senior students. They told me they were graduating from the school with an Associates degree in Culinary Arts which cost them $50,000. After they graduated they were planning to get their bachelor's in Culinary /Hospitality management and told me that by the time they graduated they would have over 100,000 in school loans! It will take them an enormous amount of time to get to a level where their degree will pay off. And most likely it will take them 10+ years to pay that off. 

I know more people than I can count who started down the path of culinary/hospitality only to leave later because of the hard hours and time away from family. If you are going to leave school with thousands of dollars in school loans then don't do it. Go work for a chef or a hotel that will pay for the program for you.

Hope that helps.

Go around to your local restaurants, NOT THE FAST FOOD PLACES, and see if you can get a job washing dishes, keep going back until someone hires you.

When you get a job, work hard, keep your eyes and ears open and mouth closed. You'd be surprised how often a prep cook/helper either doesn't show or calls in at the last minute to say they won't be there, guess who's "next in line"?

 Pete is spot on. And take notes because you will never remember everything. When I was in France I had a notebook next to my prep station open and wrote everything I could (without getting in trouble) down.

Make sure you do your research though find a good chef that has the heart of a teacher. And be willing to do anything (clean pots, floors). DO NOT have the attitude of "I don't want to clean snow peas or peel carrots". 

Lastly, make sure you are learning. You don't need to go to Charlie Trotter's to learn how to peel carrots. You also don't need to go to culinary school to learn how to do that.

:)

 Well Travis, it does if you want to open a pizza shop. And it is actually not a bad start to get a feel for the business if you have never worked in a professional kitchen before. 

If you are serious about being a chef though then you need to find a "chef" who will guide you through the basics. How to cut mirepoix, how to make stock, how to break down a chicken, how to make a simple pan sauce (well) etc.

I to had this question about what job I could apply for, with a bs degree in business management. I just graduated from Le Cordon Bleu, and I feel that an AOS degree isn't going to cut it, I've worked as a paint foreman for almost 20 years, so I need a strong educational back round, though my goal is a Masters degree. Which is more money, is it worth it?

Short answer....no. Most likely not.