Get comprehensive and convenient online training in plant-based culinary skills and techniques with ICE's online Plant-Based Culinary Arts & Food Operations diploma program.
Gain foundational, professional training in the techniques and art of plant-based cooking — from the convenience of your own kitchen. This 900-hour intensive curriculum is thoughtfully designed with aspiring culinary professionals in mind, even if all you've ever taken are a few vegan cooking classes. The program explores theory, science, technique, sustainability, palate development and culinary business fundamentals vital to professional success. A hands-on industry externship gives you the opportunity to enhance your skills and gain real-world cooking and baking experience.
There’s no need to put your life on hold to pursue your culinary passion!
If you’re unable to access an ICE campus in New York or Los Angeles, relocate or schedule consistent classes, you can still earn an ICE diploma in plant-based culinary arts. Students in a growing number of states can now enroll in our online program featuring a customized curriculum and experienced Chef-Instructors.
*The externship portion of this program must be completed in person.
Program Name: Plant-Based Culinary Arts & Food Operations
Program Duration: 16 months
Weekly Virtual Classes: participate live or view on-demand
The Online Plant-Based Culinary Arts & Food Operations diploma program has been expertly designed by our team of chefs and educators from ICE's New York and Los Angeles campuses. This unique program gives students of all ages who are unable to attend on-campus classes the skills and experience needed for a variety of roles at restaurants, hotels and other food service settings.
Our online approach to plant-based culinary school education provides essential training in foundational principals of culinary arts — the theory, science and techniques that form the basis for major cuisines. In addition, students will study the fundamentals of pastry and baking, as well as food service operations and management. A typical week includes cooking a variety of dishes and cuisines, assigned readings, instructional videos, individual or group projects, and chef-led classes, which you can view live or on-demand.
Our carefully designed labs give you the opportunity to apply what you have learned in readings, videos and chef-led classes. You’ll be using plant-based recipes designed to develop your palate and reinforce the techniques that are the core of cuisine. Some of the things we’ll teach are how to:
The online plant-based culinary school curriculum is structured so students get assessed on their learning path several times a week. Chef-Instructors provide individual feedback on student's photos, videos and text submissions to support continual progress toward learning objectives and refinement of skills and techniques.
Our career services team will help match you with a restaurant or food-related business that aligns with your professional goals in order for you to gain real-world experience. You'll put your culinary skills to the test, make connections in the industry and gain business knowledge you can use to launch your culinary career.
Past guest speakers have included (clockwise from top left): David Chang, chef, restaurateur, TV host and author; Christina Tosi, Milkbar founder and chef; Thomas Keller, chef and restaurateur, The French Laundry and Per Se, and ICE alumna Mashama Bailey, James Beard Award winner and executive chef of The Grey.
Experts from all over the nation visit ICE's campuses in New York City and Los Angeles (in person and virtually) to lead professional development classes, demonstrations, lectures and events — most of which are available to students and alumni for no additional charge. Online students can take advantage of these exclusive opportunities when they are available, to watch, interact with and ask questions of successful epicureans from various areas of the industry.
Upon successful completion of the program, you’ll receive a diploma in Plant-Based Culinary Arts & Food Operations with the option to join our commencement ceremony in Los Angeles. You’ll also benefit from the ongoing support of our Career Services department, which has helped more than 17,900 graduates secure jobs in the restaurant and hospitality industry.
ICE is approved to offer online distance education to students in select states. The online Plant-Based Culinary Arts & Food Operations program is taught asynchronously, which means you are not required to login to a virtual course at a specified time.
Tuition includes all books and supplies, including a laptop, so you're fully equipped from day one. All online Plant-Based Culinary Arts & Food Operations program students are also eligible to take our popular Wine Essentials series on campus at no additional charge. Visit our Tuition and Discounts page for complete information on the cost for specific class dates.
The admissions process is the start of a lasting relationship with ICE. Your Admissions Representative will introduce you to the personal experience the culinary arts school is known for. Their mission is to understand your career goals and help you select the right program(s) to fit your needs and your interests.
Why Choose ICE
You know it's in you — the ambition to pursue a rewarding career in food. ICE is ready to help you find your culinary voice and achieve your culinary career dreams.
Learn about Career Services
Attending a well-established school like ICE has many benefits, including the vast professional network available to students from day one. With campus recruitment from top hospitality brands, regular ‘hot job’ emails, and ongoing support long after graduation, your Career Services team is here to help.
Resources:
Ready to take your interest in ICE further? Speak to an Admissions Representative about your personal goals, start your application or download our career brochure so you can access our program information anytime.
ICE’s Online Plant-Based Culinary Arts & Food Operations program contains 16 courses, offering students comprehensive training in the art and actual practice of plant-based cooking. The 60-week program is designed so students can attend classes on their own schedule each week. Expert chef-instructors from ICE’s Los Angeles and New York City campuses introduce students to the time-tested fundamentals of cooking, cuisines from around the globe and techniques from modern masters.
Many culinary professionals work hand-in-hand with business leaders or run their own businesses outright. To enhance students' education, the Online Plant-Based Culinary Arts & Food Operations includes multiple business and operations courses. These important sessions will introduce you to skills and topics such as marketing, purchasing and staff management. Operations courses are taken concurrently with culinary courses.
The final course in the program is an off-site externship at a location chosen by the student based on their career goals. ICE's Career Services advisors consider the student's career aspirations, skills, schedule and academic record to ensure the most beneficial externship placement.
The program is constructed as follows:
This course is designed to familiarize students with best practices for success in our online programs and in the restaurant industry.
Topics include:
Focusing on fundamental culinary techniques and criteria for selecting quality ingredients, this course will offer an introduction to the foundation for preparing health-supportive, whole-foods cuisine. We will also teach stock, soup and sauce preparations.
Course highlights:
Dishes include:
This course is designed to acquaint students with the realities of a culinary business by exploring concept — from creativity to profitability. By surveying the industry, students explore all types of operations and analyze concepts, as well as research feasibility and location selection. Students gain the knowledge required to develop and refine their ideas.
This course also gives a comprehensive view of key aspects of the menu, including planning, pricing, layout, and design. Students prepare sample menus as a project.
In this course, we continue education on plant-forward cuisine to include a variety of whole foods and share innovative ways to work with vegetables. This course show students how to put plants at the center of the plate and make them the star of the dish.
Course highlights:
Dishes include:
A working understanding of numbers is critically important to culinary success. The curriculum for this course focuses on the use of financial statements as a tool for control and decision-making, with emphasis on budgets, industry standards and variation analyses.
Topics include:
In this course, we prepare items featuring whole grains, beans, vegetables and non-dairy alternatives. We also teach how to ferment, pickle and sprout foods, as well as how to make alternative cheese & plant-based butter.
Course highlights:
Dishes include:
In this course, students receive an introduction to the study of the principles of human nutritional needs. Students examine current dietary guidelines, the function of nutrients, and dietary preferences. The course highlights the relationship between diet, health, disease and how applied nutrition can benefit not only immune-challenged populations, but average healthy populations as well.
Topics include:
In this course, students apply their growing command of health-supportive techniques to protein sources. Protein comes in a variety of forms – both plant and animal. We teach how to prepare soy foods and eggs in a health-conscious way, and how to work with store-bought protein alternatives.
Course highlights:
Dishes include:
Strategies for purchasing and control are vital for the success of any culinary operation. This course examines labor, beverage and food costs and revenue control. Purchasing guidelines, inventory and control, employee-performance standards, productivity and scheduling, use of point-of-sale systems, computers, and new technology are also reviewed.
The quality of our baking and desserts can benefit from using ingredients that are more natural, unprocessed and whole. In this course, we convert conventional baking recipes to alternatives featuring whole-grain flours and less-refined sweeteners, without sacrificing taste or texture. You will also prepare baked goods and desserts that meet special dietary needs, such as vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free. We will explore the art and science of baking, and focus on yeasted breads, quick breads, pizza and focaccia.
Course highlights:
Dishes include:
Effective communication is essential for success in all areas of food service, from management to menus. This course will use restaurant related scenarios to allow students to develop their skills including reviews, blogs, tweets and press releases as they explore the relationship between communication and public relations.
Cooking in restaurants involves learning everything from the preparation of sandwiches, breakfasts foods, and hors d’oeuvres, as well how to cook for special diets, allergies and food restrictions. In this course, students are taught how to develop adaptive culinary skills that will aid their service of customers facing dietary challenges or specifications.
Course highlights:
Dishes include:
Great leadership goes beyond good management and permeates a culture. This course will explore leadership variables, the power of vision, the importance of ethics, the empowerment of people, leadership principles, understanding people, multiplying effectiveness, developing others, and performance management.
Additionally, in this course students will identify their own leadership styles. They'll explore how best to utilize them to maximize leadership through organizational change and team building.
This course extends the emphasis on international cuisines as it explores food and specialty dishes from Asia, the Americas, the Middle-East, Europe and Africa. Within each area that we will explore it is important to note that these are not monolithic cultures, but instead each one has nuances within regions, towns, even households. One person’s curry may vastly differ from another.
And so, we encourage exploring these rich, international cuisines with cultural competence and humility.
Course highlights:
Dishes include:
The link between diet, lifestyle and wellness is well-established, and this course will provide perspectives on this relationship by looking at cardiovascular system health, the microbiome and detoxification systems.
On the culinary side, today’s kitchens rely on innovative ideas and modern techniques to produce their signature dishes. In this course, students study the methods, and flavors that master chefs are currently using to take food to the next level and create enjoyable dining experiences.
Course highlights:
Dishes include:
This is the last course in the program, during which students work in a foodservice-related site. While ICE strongly recommends that students extern in restaurant kitchens, they may request venues such as hotels, catering companies, corporate dining rooms, or test kitchens in accordance with their professional goals.
“I enrolled in the Plant-Based Culinary Arts program because I was vegan for four years and I felt like it was always more creative — there were a lot of different things you could do with it. I found ICE and I felt like it was a perfect fit for me."
