Bachelor of Arts Culinary Entrepreneurship

This programme develops honours degree students in the field of culinary entrepreneurship. Participants on the programme will acquire the critical thinking and applied skills necessary to succeed in culinary business, food enterprise development and food innovation management.

You will also discover the impact of food on tourism, hone your IT skills and advance your culinary business knowledge. The course is available full time and leads to many exciting opportunities in the culinary sector.

All students in the Department of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure, including new first years, are eligible to take part in annual international field trips. In the last few years more than 150 of our students have worked or studied abroad, including in Beijing, Shanghai, Dubai, Parma, Poznan, Paris, San Sebastian, Barcelona, Cannes, the Balearics, Ontario and Lisbon.

What will I experience?

On this course you will learn

How to cook, prepare and serve exceptional restaurant standard food

How to develop a new food product;

How to brand and promote food;

International best practice in food marketing (we have an annual international fieldtrip);

How to write a market research, business model canvas and business plan;

Sensory analysis of food;

An introduction to food science skills.

Culinary Practice

Food Preparation

Pastry and Baking Practice

Food Science

Food Photography

Food Marketing

Food Entrepreneurship

Product Innovation and Development

Work Placement

Business Management

What opportunities might it lead to?

An honours degree (Level 8) is an effective basis for postgraduate training and research leading to Master's and PhD (Level 9/10) qualifications. Taught postgraduate opportunities for the graduates of this programme are numerous and varied and include Master's in food, hospitality and business management. Graduates of this course will likely work in:

Hotels and restaurants

Food marketing and retail

Food product development

Food tourism

Culinary arts

Food sales

Contract catering

Course spotlight: Head of Department Dr Tony Johnston discusses the practical culinary skills you'll acquire as well as the theoretical, business focused and food science type modules you'll experience in years 2, 3 and 4 of this culinary entrepreneurship degree.

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Assessment Information

We place a lot of emphasis on student support and so we aim to provide a learning environment that is both stimulating and academically challenging, whilst also supporting your learning. You will encounter a range of teaching methods - from lectures, workshops and seminars to hands-on practical sessions and lab exercises. The course is taught by experienced lecturers with a track record of success in many sectors including the hotel, restaurant and food production industries.

We appreciate that different students have different learning styles and so we provide a range of assessment approaches to suit everybody. Here are some of the ways we assess your work:

Here are some of the ways we assess your work:

mini-projects

presentations

group work

examinations

in-class tests

multiple-choice tests

essays

portfolio work

Minimum Entry Requirements: Minimum O6/H7 grades in the Leaving Certificate examination. One of the six subjects presented must include English. Two of the six subjects must be at a grade of H5 or above. Level 5 QQI: Any QQI-FET level 5 qualification is acceptable but must contain a minimum of 3 distinctions.

Foundation level programme: Certificate in English for Academic Studies: Minimum IELTS 4.5 or equivalent.

Pre-sessional Summer programme in English June to August: Minimum IELTS 5.0 or equivalent.

Undergraduate programmes: Minimum IELTS 5.5 with no Band less than 5.0.

Postgraduate programmes: Minimum IELTS 6.0 with no Band less than 5.5 *

*note some postgraduate programmes require minimum IELTS 6.5.

Work Placement

Students take two work placements during this course, in summer of 1st year and at the end of 4th year. Both placements can be

taken locally, nationally or internationally and are approx 3 month(s) in length.

The Department provides dedicated support with all work placements, including assisting students in finding opportunities and then making sure they have positive experiences in field.

We will strive to find paid work placement opportunities for you.

Application Procedures for Non-EU Students

Students applying for entry to undergraduate or postgraduate programmes should supply the following information directly to the International Office, Athlone Institute of Technology on or before 1 May for programmes commencing in September:

• Completed AIT application form;
• Detailed curriculum vitae;
• Certified transcripts of examination results and English language translations of qualifications not issued in English
• Evidence of ability to follow classes in the English language (which must satisfy Institute entry requirements for the following programmes)

• Letter of recommendation from appropriate Head of Department of own institution
• Any other relevant information regarding qualifications or previous work experience.

Students from non-EU countries must apply for a valid study visa for the duration of the programme of study in advance of registration at AIT. Visa application guidelines can be found on Department of Justice & Equality website: http://www.inis.gov.ie/