Frequently Asked Questions

How much does each diploma program cost?
The total cost for Diplome Professionale du Commis de Cuisine (Cuisine Diploma) program is $21,960.00. This amount includes uniforms, a knife kit, a baking kit, textbooks, fees and applicable taxes — virtually anything you will need to attend the program.

The total cost for our Diplome Professionale du Commis de Patisserie/Boulangerie (Baking and Pastry Diploma) program is $18,065.00. This amount includes uniforms, student supply kit, textbooks, fees and applicable taxes — virtually anything you will need to attend the program.

SDCI offers an array of loans and other programs to help you finance your education. You can rest assured, we have helped students in your circumstances find financing for their education. Contact our Community Affairs Officer for more information on Financial Assistance programs, as always at 619.644.2100

Can I get financial assistance?
The San Diego Culinary Institute works with several organizations and financial institutions to help you achieve your educational goals. You may qualify for tuition assistance, such as from the VA, the EDD, or other organizations. You also may qualify for one of an array of student loans through one of our lending partners.

SDCI sponsors an interest-free installment program, which can be arranged with the Admissions Department.

Whatever your circumstance may be, you should note SDCI has helped qualified students from a wide variety of backgrounds and circumstances to find a way to pay for their culinary education. We are committed to assisting those students that demonstrate a seriousness and a passion for this business in any way possible.

In other words: convince us you are a future culinary star and we will do whatever we can to help you. Whatever your concerns about financing, the serious student should always contact us: don't give up before you call.

For more information, please call us at 619-644-2100 to schedule an appointment with one of our Admissions Advisors to discuss your financing options.

Do you accept grants?
If you have any doubts our questions concerning the terms of your grant, we urge you to contact the organization managing that grant to determine whether or not you can use it with our institution. We cannot currently accept grants that require that our institution be accredited. We are currently a candidate for accreditation with the Council on Occupational Education.

Do you accept career changers?
Yes, in fact we encourage them. Our student body typically consists of about 60% students that either worked in or studied a different career in college. Many of our students come from fields as diverse as engineering, marketing, and the military. We accept recent college graduates and students that have just graduated from high school.

The average age of our student population is about 30, though our students have ranged in age from 18 to 60+.

How long does each diploma program take to complete?
Our Cuisine Program is available in a variety of class schedules to fit into your busy schedule. Classes are offered in one of the following schedules:
FULLTIME DAY CLASSES: Monday/Wednesday/Friday, 8AM - 5PM (approx. 7 month completion time)
PART-TIME DAY CLASSES: Tuesday/Thursday, 8AM - 5PM (approx. 8-9 month completion time)
EVENING CLASSES: Monday through Thursday, 6PM - 10PM (8-9 month completion time)

Our Baking and Pastry Arts Diploma Program is only offered Tuesdays through Fridays, 7AM - 3:30PM and takes approximately 8 months to complete.

Please consult the class schedule for details. Some classes in your schedule may take place on a different day of the week than normally scheduled.

What does it take to become a Chef?
Chef de Cuisine is a title, like General. Like the General of an army, one becomes a Chef when someone awards you with that title. To become a Chef, someone must trust you with a kitchen and a big piece of business.

A Chef must demonstrate more than just a talent for cooking. A Chef leads. And teaches. A Chef must manage — not just staff, but also product and finances. The Chef greets clientele. Assists with sales. The job description of a Chef encompasses a range of duties and anyone aspiring to this position benefits not only from a strong culinary education, but also from experience working for a top Chef.

Whatever your career aspirations, you can count on our Career Planning office to assist you in your search and to help you uncover opportunities you might not otherwise have discovered.

Do you offer placement assistance?
At SDCI, we offer more than 'placement assistance'; we offer Career Planning.

Of course we assist our students with placement but our Career Planning Services encompass a great deal more. As a part of your course of study with us, you will begin the process of career planning on your first day of class. You will learn about the different options available to you in the culinary industry and how to prepare yourself for your chosen corner of the field. Your course of studies will also cover interview skills and even salary negotiating strategies. You will also learn how to write a resume and prepare a portfolio that gets noticed — whether you are just beginning your career endeavors, you have years of experience working in food service, or you are a career changer. You will learn to display whatever experience you have to best advantage to the finest employers.

Once you complete your studies on our campus, we will place you in an externship with a top rank hotel, restaurant, resort, or catering company — in San Diego or throughout the country. Many of our students take full-time employment from their extern host.

You can also count on us to forward your resume directly to the finest employers. We work with every student — not just to secure employment — but to help them find work with fine dining employers committed to building their careers.

How large are your classes?
Your lab classes will never exceed a total of 16 students. We find that number to be optimal for our subject matter.

It means that you will always stand within an arm's length of your instructor at every cooking demonstration. It means that our student/teacher ratio describes a ratio of students to a team of instructors each with over 20 years of experience in some of the finest kitchens in the world — and we never substitute a less qualified 'teaching assistant' to augment our ratio.

Your kitchen/classroom will always be equipped with sufficient tools and cooking surfaces for every student — while you will typically work in teams of twos or threes, the classroom supports those occasions when every student works separately.

Do you accept foreign students?
We accept foreign students that meet all of the Bureau of Customs and Immigration Service's regulations. We gladly assist our foreign students with the preparation and processing of the necessary forms for you to obtain a visa for study in the United States — provided you meet SDCI's strict standards of admission.

How do I get accepted to the program?
The process for admission to San Diego Culinary Institute is stringent. We designed it to ensure that only the most committed students attend our programs — an thereby ensures that your classmates will be as committed to their studies as you are to yours.

You may learn more about the process of enrollment here.

As for the admissions criteria:

     •  Demonstrate your passion for your culinary studies and your commitment to the business.

     •  Demonstrate your desire to complete the program.

We will learn these things about you by reading your resume, your letters of reference, and your mission statement — but most importantly, we will learn about you in your Chef Interview. This interview is your opportunity to tell us who you are and to express why you want to attend our institute.