The Research Chefs Association (RCA) announces its newest certified Culinology undergraduate degree program at Drexel University in Philadelphia.
The bachelor of science in culinary science program combines the creativity of culinary arts with the technical and scientific expertise required of a food scientist preparing students for jobs in the product development, quality assurance and sensory industries.
The Drexel program is one of 13 RCA-approved Culinology undergraduate degree programs across the United States and Asia offering a strategic curriculum for students interested in food product development and other areas of the food industry.
“The Drexel University Center for Hospitality & Sport Management is proud to offer a Culinology certified degree program through the Research Chefs Association for our culinary science students,” says Rosemary Trout MS, Instructor of Culinary & Food Science, Drexel University. “This is the beginning of a new partnership with the RCA, and we look forward to working together to help our students grow into qualified and confident professionals across the many exciting disciplines in the food industry.”
The Culinology approval gives Drexel’s program a distinctive combination of both the artistic and scientific side of food and the food industry. The program will incorporate a mix of culinary arts, food science, and physical science classes offering a well-rounded curriculum for students. In addition, the newly opened Drexel Food Lab offers students the opportunity to solve real-word problems in the areas of recipe and product development and product ideation.
“The addition of Drexel’s Culinology degree program is a huge win for the food industry,” says Allison Rittman, CRC, RCA Education Committee Chair and Corporate Chef/owner of Culinary Culture. “The RCA is honored to partner with Drexel’s Center for Hospitality and Sport Management, and we look forward to engaging their students as they complete their degrees and then welcoming them as professionals in the food industry.”
In 2002, the RCA introduced this novel concept to the food product development community: a unified academic experience combining both culinary arts and food science training, giving students the opportunity to combine their knowledge and skill set to practice culinology, the blending of these two fields.
Through RCA-approved undergraduate degree programs in the United States and Asia, students learn how closely the two components interconnect. These programs offer a well-rounded, interdisciplinary curriculum that focuses on culinary arts and food science, but also incorporates other elements of food product development, such as business management, nutrition, processing technology, and government regulations, to name a few.
