Bachelor of Culinary Arts and Food Science (Honours) (Co-op)

Full program info >>

Co-op type:

Mandatory

Skills students have at the start of co-op work term:

For Coop 1 – Culinary   By their first Coop, students have had the opportunity to prepare and apply (at varying levels), or become aware of;

• Knife skills
• To cook (sauces, stocks, poultry, meats, soups, and fish) for individual and larger quantity settings
• Present menu items for meal service
• Produce basic yeast breads, custards, and doughs
• Are aware of food safety standards (they have both basic and advanced food safety training)
• Be allergen knowledgeable (allergen certification)
• Create and revise nutritional information of a product
• Be aware of food choices and their effect on personal health and nutritional needs
• Analyse the most common microorganisms found in food (including bacteria, yeasts, moulds, and viruses)
• Be able to work in a group setting and/or independently

Coop 2 – Food Science   By their second Coop, students have had the opportunity to prepare and apply (at varying levels), or become aware of;

• Knowledge of human nutrition and can create and revise a product's nutritional information.
• Understand the implications of nutrition, health, cost, and marketing in designing and developing new food products.
• Aware and have examined different stages of product development from ideation to prototype.
• Understand the fundamentals of food and labour cost controls, menu planning and pricing, customer satisfaction, and purchasing.
• Test food products for water activity, appropriate pH levels, and sugar content.
• Understand the implementation, panel training, product presentation, statistical analysis, and interpretation of sensory data.
• Small-scale product development, including testing for marketability through sensory evaluation, cost analysis, and recipe development
• Analyse the most common microorganisms found in food (including bacteria, yeasts, moulds, and viruses), as well as the most important groups of microorganisms associated with food spoilage: food fermentations, food infections and intoxications.
• Aware of the sources of microbiological, chemical, and physical contamination to minimise microbial growth and survival.
• Understand the factors contributing to sensory perception of foods and the various test methods and procedures used to evaluate, measure, analyse, and interpret sensory reactions to food characteristics and consumer needs.

Suggested job titles:

• Cook
• Assistant to the research chef
• Quality assurance Inspector
• Recipe/Product development assistant/Chef
• Food production manager
• Food industry regulation/inspection
• Food packaging technologist
• Food processing technician
• Food science educators

Requirements to remain eligible for co-op:

Co-op students must maintain Co-op Eligibility at all times. In addition to maintaining Co-op Eligibility Criteria, students in this program must achieve:

• A minimum GPA of 1.7

Additional Info:

• This program requires students to complete two co-op work terms.
• If you are an international student enrolled in the co-op program, you are required to have a valid co-op work permit before starting your work term. You must apply for and receive a Social Insurance Number to work in Canada. You are encouraged to start the application process in your preparation term as government processing time can take up to 4 months or more. Please refer to the Algonquin College International Education Centre for more information.

• Completing the total number of co-op work terms listed is mandatory for graduation. Co-op students must make every effort to remain on schedule and participate in co-op work terms as planned. Students who fail to complete co-op work terms as scheduled may be required to take an unscheduled break in their studies and complete their co-op at a later date, potentially delaying their graduation. Taking an unscheduled break in studies can also impact an international student’s immigration status including, in most cases, the ability to work. International students are advised to consult with the International Education Centre to understand the potential implications of unscheduled breaks.