Gastronomy and Culinary Arts

Overview

The food and beverage industry which has spread in a wide region and become a giant sector has a big share in World economy apart from its significant importance in improving, protecting, and sustaining community health. The need for a qualified labor force is growing rapidly and this widely generates employment. The aim of the department is to raise chefs who know both Turkish and World cuisines and mediates in introducing our Turkish cuisine and bring forth management candidates in the hospitality sector. Another major aim of the department is to raise expert personnel equipped with the theoretical and applied knowledge and skills in the food & beverage sector to serve in the food & beverage and hospitality industry and can compete in both national and international areas.

Accordingly, the graduate program plans to provide the candidates with theoretical and applied training in areas such as international cuisine techniques, Turkish cuisine techniques, food & beverage management, food culture, and history, from the most basic to the most advanced level. Apart from the classical cooking techniques and Turkish-Ottoman cuisines, the program is enriched with elective courses such as World cuisines, pastry arts and chocolate making techniques, and management business courses.

Bahçeşehir University has a very strong international exchange program that covers our department as well. BAU provides its students the opportunity to be “world citizens” with education opportunities abroad. BAU students have the possibility of acquiring an international experience in BAU campuses in the Silicon Valley of the United States of America, its capital Washington DC and Boston, Canada’s biggest town Toronto, German capital Berlin, Italian architectural and artistic center Rome and Hong Kong, the new trade center of the world. Our graduates take the advantage of working mainly for kitchen staff or food & beverage units in national and international five-star hotels, kitchen or management sections of restaurants, research and development (R&D) sections of food establishments, training institutions in the food & beverage sector, and visual and printed media.

To be recognized by the Institut Paul Bocuse which is the top institution of higher learning specializing in Hospitality Management and Culinary Arts, in Turkey is an honor. The synergy between the two institutions will ensure that our students are equipped with the technical, behavioral, and managerial skills required in the corporate world.

Being a member of the Institut Paul Bocuse Worldwide Alliance further enhances the learning curve for our students not only through the appreciation of their culinary heritage but also through the cross-cultural promotion of gastronomy, culture, and education built on Institut Paul Bocuse Worldwide Alliance’s values of Trust, Respect and Commitment.

In line with the Bahçeşehir University of Gastronomy and Culinary Arts’ mission to bring forth the next generation of elite culinary professionals, a collaboration was formed with Ducasse Education so that our students have access to programs that will provide them valuable international exposure. Founded in 1999 by world-renowned chef Alain Ducasse, Ducasse Education’s objective of facilitating the transmission of knowledge and expertise in the arena of culinary arts, pastry arts, and management is aligned with Bahçeşehir University’s aspirations for our students. Our students who join Ducasse Education will also benefit from their international restaurant network.

Bahçeşehir University’s gastronomy and culinary arts students who successfully complete their program may opt for specialized top-up programs at Ducasse Education to further refine their skills. Other exciting programs that our gastronomy and culinary arts students have access to through this collaboration include study abroad programs for bakery, pastry, as well as chocolate and confectionery, all located at Ducasse Education in France.