Elevate your skills and advance your cooking career while gaining work experience in VCC’s service outlets.
Professional Cook 2
What you will learn
- Restaurant operations
- Dining and bar service
- Restaurant promotion
- Menu planning (table d’hôte)
- Nutrition
- Specialty soups and sauces
- Advanced vegetables and starches
- Traditional and ethnic cooking
- Vegetarian dishes
- Advanced baking, pastry, and breads
- Restaurant desserts
- Plating and presentation techniques
- Line cooking (a la carte)
- Appetizers
- Running the pass
- Advanced butchery
- Charcuterie
- Human resources principles
- Canadian labour laws
- Kitchen operation costs
- Entrepreneurship
- Purchasing and receiving
- Food costing and menu pricing
- Inventory and cost control
- Teamwork
- Communication
- Time management
What to expect
Program Duration and Maximum Time for Completion
The program is 16 weeks. Students have a maximum of three years to complete the credential.
- 16 weeks of full-time study
- Classes Monday to Thursday 7 a.m. - 2 p.m.
- A fully equipped commercial kitchen
- Work experience in VCC’s food service outlets
- Hands-on learning
- Classroom instruction
- Active participation
- Teamwork
- Critical thinking
- Self/peer assessments
- Exams
- Practical assessments
- Course assignments
- Portfolios
- Opportunity to take exams for STBC Level 2 certification
Admission requirements
Program-specific
If you are joining this program before May 2025, you must meet these admissions requirements:
- SkilledTradesBC Professional Cook 1 Certificate of Qualification
- Valid Food Safe Level 1 Certificate (certification must remain valid throughout the program)
- Valid Serving It Right Certificate (certification must remain valid throughout the program)
- Any grade 10 English course or equivalent or Department Head approval
- Any grade 10 Mathematics course or VCC’s Basic Arithmetic assessment with an 80% or equivalent or Department Head approval
Applicants must be able to physically handle; all seafood including but not limited to fish & shellfish, beef, lamb, pork, all types of poultry, all types of game, all dairy products, and all associated by-products required to meet the program outcomes. Any other known food allergies must be disclosed.
Applicants with a VCC Baking & Pastry Certificate or Baking & Pastry Red Seal Certificate may be exempt from CULI 2507 Advanced Baking.
If you are joining this program in May 2025 (or later), you must meet these admissions requirements:
- SkilledTradesBC Professional Cook 1 Certificate of Qualification
- Valid Food Safe Level 1 Certificate (certification must remain valid throughout the program)
- Applicants may be given credit for CULI 2507 provided:
- They have successfully completed the a VCC Baking Program, or
- They submit evidence of Baker Red Seal Certification
Note: Based on industry and STBC standards, students are expected to physically handle: all seafood including but not limited to fish & shellfish, beef, lamb, pork, all types of poultry, all types of game, all dairy products, and all associated by-products required to meet the program outcomes. For safety reasons, any known food allergies must be disclosed. Please contact VCC Disability Services to arrange any necessary accommodations.
Students who require an accommodation for the STBC theory examination, must have an active file with VCC Disability Services. Accommodations for the STBC cooking practical exam are not available.
Program-specific
- SkilledTradesBC Professional Cook 1 Certificate of Qualification
- Valid Food Safe Level 1 Certificate (certification must remain valid throughout the program)
- Valid Serving It Right Certificate (certification must remain valid throughout the program)
- Applicants may be given credit for CULI 2507 provided:
- They have successfully completed the a VCC Baking Program, or
- They submit evidence of Baker Red Seal Certification
Note: Based on industry and STBC standards, students are expected to physically handle: all seafood including but not limited to fish & shellfish, beef, lamb, pork, all types of poultry, all types of game, all dairy products, and all associated by-products required to meet the program outcomes. For safety reasons, any known food allergies must be disclosed. Please contact VCC Disability Services to arrange any necessary accommodations.
Students who require an accommodation for the STBC theory examination, must have an active file with VCC Disability Services. Accommodations for the STBC cooking practical exam are not available.
General
- This program is available to Canadian citizens and permanent residents. See program options for international students at VCC International.
- Applicants who self-identify as Indigenous are strongly encouraged to connect with VCC’s Indigenous Education and Community Engagement team to learn more about VCC’s Indigenous Enrolment policy, application preparation/completion, program advising, and a range of other individualized services.
- Applicants must be 16 years of age or older or a graduate of a secondary school. (Some exceptions may apply.)
- Applicants must submit official transcripts and other documents as required by their course or program. Seats are offered to eligible applicants with completed applications, in order of application completion date (except for programs with competitive admissions). A complete application includes an application form, evidence of educational pre-requisites (e.g. transcripts), any required supporting documents (e.g. language proficiency, audition video), and the required deposit or fee payment. If you do not meet the requirements for the term applied, your application may be cancelled.
Missing prerequisites? Learn more about VCC's tuition-free academic upgrading or English as a Second Language (ESL) courses, or discover which university transfer options are right for you.
Recommended Characteristics
- Displays commitment to dedication to education and training
- Displays consistent attendance and participation
- Ability to multi-task, work accurately and neatly, and manage time effectively
- Integrity, ability to take initiative and handle responsibility
- Ability to work independently, respectfully, and, in groups
- Ability to give close attention to detail for sustained periods
- Interpersonal & respectful communication skills
- Some creativity is an asset
- High standards of personal hygiene
Considerations: This program can be physically taxing, with students typically needing to perform motor skills and hand-eye coordination over extended periods of time, including a need to stand over hot stoves. The physical demands of the profession may worsen existing wrist, shoulder, and back conditions.
Courses *
Courses are delivered 4 days per week over 16 weeks.
Monday to Thursday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
This program must be completed within three years.
Prior learning assessment and recognition
Prior learning assessment and recognition is not available for this program.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CULI 2500 | Kitchen Management and Cost Controls | 3 |
| CULI 2503 | Restaurant Customer Service | 2 |
| CULI 2505 | Advanced Cookery | 2 |
| CULI 2521 | Global Cuisine, Nutrition and Dietary Alternatives | 3 |
| CULI 2507 | Advanced Baking | 5 |
| CULI 2513 | Restaurant Kitchen | 4.5 |
| Total Credits | 19.5 | |
The following equivalencies will be applied for students who began the program prior to September 2025:
- CULI 2521 Global Cuisine, Nutrition, and Dietary Alternatives is equivalent to CULI 2504 Nutritional Menu Development and CULI 2506 Global & Vegetarian Cuisine
This guide is intended as a general guideline only. The college reserves the right to make changes as appropriate.
* This information is intended as a guideline only. Program and course details are subject to change with the approval of VCC's Board of Governors.
Fees and other costs *
| Fee description | Fee Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | 36 | |
| Tuition Tuition | 1808 | |
| Student union | 71 | |
| College initiative | 58 | |
| Materials | 0 | not including textbooks |
| Campus resource | 37 | |
| Laundry | 0 | |
| Tools (deposit) | 0 | |
| Coverall (deposit) | 0 | |
| Uniform (deposit) | 0 | |
| Medical and Dental | 0 | |
| Temporary Medical Insurance | 0 | |
| U-PASS | 188 | |
| Graduation | 45 | |
| Program-specific extra fees | 0 | |
| Total |
* Fees are approximate and subject to change with the approval of VCC's Board of Governors. Students are required to pay any applicable fee increases. Application and assessment fees are non-refundable. Tuition fees include a non-refundable deposit ($300 or $500, depending on program).
Fees listed are for domestic students. For international programs, visit VCC International.
Any refunds are issued according to VCC's refund policy.
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Are you interested in this program? Find out more information in the Culinary Arts Student Handbook.
Note about locations:
- This program typically takes place at the VCC Downtown campus.
- Occasionally, courses may be scheduled at off-site locations. If you take a course that is scheduled at an off-site location (such as a high school), you may be required to submit a Criminal Record Check (CRC). You will be given instructions if you need to submit a CRC. Additional information can be found here.
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† B.C. Labour Market Outlook 2018