Top 20 School on East Coast is the Latest in a Long List of Recognitions for CCM
Best Choice Schools, a premier online resource for students and families to obtain information about colleges, features County College of Morris (CCM) on its latest list of the Top 20 Best Culinary Schools on the East Coast. To be considered, schools must offer hands-on training, a variety of program options, internship opportunities and have a solid reputation in the field.
“We are delighted and honored that our strong programs in the Hospitality Management & Culinary Arts department have gained this recognition,” says Patrick J. Enright, vice president of Professional Studies & Applied Sciences. “Our programs are designed to prepare diverse populations for career success and this recognition provides additional confirmation of the outstanding opportunities they offer individuals to pursue rewarding careers.”
CCM’s culinary and hospitality degree and certificate programs provide both academic and practical training for students interested in a variety of careers in hotels and restaurants, food service management, menu preparation, supply ordering, travel and tourism, recreation and leisure, and senior living services. Students may also pursue hands-on professions in cooking, baking, pastry making, catering services and food science.
“CCM is the leading culinary training institution in our area,” says Dr. Kathy Naasz, dean of the School of Business, Mathematics, Engineering & Technologies. “We train future chefs.”
Best Choice Schools identified CCM’s facilities as a winning asset, specifically the Teaching Kitchen and Dining Room with its individualized kitchen workstations students use to gain hands-on experience. In addition, the large meeting and event areas enable students studying hospitality to bring imagination and creativity to culinary business and social events.
CCM’s Hospitality Management & Culinary Arts department offers two Certificate of Achievements – Culinary Arts, and Hospitality Management & Event Planning – and two associate degrees – Culinary Arts & Science, and Hospitality Management. CCM also has transfer agreements with several four-year schools to make it easy for graduates to transfer their credits should they wish to earn a bachelor’s degree. In addition, the college offers the Culinary Opportunity Program to prepare adults with disabilities for work in food production and the hospitality industry.
“The department is a member of the National Restaurant Association, the International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education, the American Culinary Federation and the Chaine des Rotiisseurs,” says Enright. “Unique offerings in hands-on studies bring even more value to the CCM programs.” For example, students enrolled in the Food Truck Entrepreneur class receive hands-on experience working in the college’s Culinary Café trailer, as they learn the fundamentals of owning and operating a small business and the free and low-cost ways to market via social media. The students also serve guests in the winter months through the newly designed Pizza Kitchen & Titan’s Tavern indoor mobile food cart.
Summer Session begins as early as May 23 with registration starting February 14. In just 10 weeks, students can complete the four classes required to earn the certificate in Culinary Arts, learning all the skills needed to operate their own food truck.
The Best Choice Schools ranking is the latest addition to numerous national distinctions CCM has gained in recent months. Those include being named:
• In the top 1.8 percent of the Best Community Colleges nationwide by Academic Influence
• #1 for Best Associated Degrees in New Jersey by Intelligent
• #1 for the Most Popular Online Business Associate Degree by Business Degree Central
• #1 in New Jersey for Community College Graduates Who Earn the Best Salaries by PayScale – a distinction the college has held for five consecutive years.
To learn more about how you can become part of a leading community college, visit www.ccm.edu/.
