Culinary Production Specialist Technical Diploma

92%

Job Placement

92% job placement within six months of graduation.

91%

Work Local

91% of our recent graduates work in Wisconsin.

Culinary Production Specialist

Program Number: 313162

Your Degree:

Technical Diploma

Area of Study:

Culinary, Hospitality and Fitness

Delivery Method:

100% In Person

Estimated Time to Complete:

27 Credits | Finish diploma in 1.5 years

Financial Aid Available

What You'll Pay

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Estimated Program Cost

$5,728.48

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Financial Aid

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Program Overview
The Culinary Production Specialist program at Madison College will help you develop the skills necessary to pursue a career in the food-service industry within restaurants, bakeries, catering services, delis, hotels, resorts, healthcare facilities, and schools.
Statistics show that the foodservice industry is America’s #1 retail employer. There is an increasing need for well-trained food service personnel for restaurants, catering enterprises, healthcare facilities, and other institutional food service establishments in Wisconsin and throughout the nation.
Program Details
Students in the Culinary Production Specialist program can attend full or part-time.
Culinary Production Specialist classes may be offered at these Madison College campuses:
Madison - Truax
Careers
Prospective employers throughout Madison consider Madison College Culinary Production Specialist graduates top candidates. Graduates from this one-year technical diploma are ready for a range of professional positions in the field of culinary arts, including:
Prep Cooks/Cooks
Line Cooks
Broiler Chefs or Garde Managers
Sous Chefs
Executive Chefs or Owner/Operators
Take a Look Inside a Classroom
Launch Baking and Culinary
Curriculum and Experience
Prospective program students, the information below reflects the basic requirements for students admitted for the 2025-2026 academic year. To learn more about Madison College, visit us.
Current and newly admitted program students, go directly to your Degree Progress Report to view:
- Progress toward your specific requirements
- Alternative (in lieu of) courses to meet specific requirements
If you have questions after reviewing your degree progress report (advisement report), please see Advising Services.
Prior to Start of Program
10-316-101
Principles of Sanitation
1 credit
First Semester
10-801-195
Written Communication
3 credits
10-316-106
Food Theory
2 credits
10-316-108
Culinary Baking Fundamentals
1 credit
10-316-111
Professional Cooking 1
4 credits
10-316-115
Culinary Baking Lab
2 credits
Second Semester
10-804-123
Math with Business Applications
3 credits
10-316-121
Professional Cooking 2
4 credits
10-316-133
Garde Manger/Decorative Foods
2 credits
10-316-139
Catering
2 credits
10-316-152
Nutrition
1 credit
Third/Summer Semester
10-316-194
Culinary Internship
2 credits
Admission
To Apply
Earning a degree is a great way to advance your career development opportunities, so apply today!
International students who wish to apply for, maintain, or transfer their F-1 student visa status to Madison College are required to complete the International Admission Process.
Application Dates
Fall 2025
Application open
Application completion deadline is August 15, 2025
Admission Requirements
All materials must be submitted by the application deadline.
1. Admission Application
The online application allows you to save your work as you complete it and ensures fast, secure delivery to our office.
2. Education Completion
Official transcripts must be sent from the institutions you attended and indicate one of the following:
High school transcript (current high school seniors may submit an in-progress transcript)
GED/HSED transcript
College transcript(s) showing:
Completion of an associate degree or higher, or
At least 30 credits completed with a minimum GPA of 2.0 on a 4-point scale
The credits must be completed at a single college and cannot be combined with other transcripts
Any transfer credit listed on a transcript does not count toward the 30-credit minimum
All high school and/or college transcripts are recommended to be submitted for Credit for Prior Learning evaluation.
Additional Notes
Class capacity is limited and is available on a first come, first served basis.
Course prerequisites differ from admission requirements; admission into a program does not guarantee eligibility to enroll in courses or success in the program. Refer to program curriculum for details.
After Acceptance
Once you are admitted into your program, complete the Next Steps after Program Acceptance to prepare for your first day of classes at Madison College.
Questions?
Contact the Enrollment Center at EnrollmentServices@madisoncollege.edu or 608.246.6210.
Get Started!
Apply to Madison College and take the first step towards your Culinary Production Specialist career.
It's Free to Apply

Career Outcomes

After completing the Culinary Production Specialist program at Madison Area Technical College, you will be able to:

Apply principles of safety and sanitation in food service operations.
Apply basic principles of nutrition.
Demonstrate basic culinary skills.
Assist in food service management.
Plan menus.
Explore food service financial information.

Graduate Summary

Graduate Report Summary Overview
Count Percents	2021	2022	2023
Number of Program Graduates	10	12	8
Number of Surveys Sent	10	12	8
Number of Surveys Returned	8	9	8
Percent of Surveys Returned
Available for Employment	3	2	7
Percent Available for Employment	37.5%	22.2%	87.5%
Not in Labor Market
Percent Not in Labor Market	62.5%	77.8%	12.5%

Available for Employment
Count Percents	2021	2022	2023
Graduates Employed	3	1	7
Percent of Graduates Employed	100.0%	50.0%	100.0%
Employed in Related Occupation	3	0	5
Percent Employed in Related Occupation	100.0%	0.0%	71.4%
Employed in Unrelated Occupation	0	1	2
Percent Employed in Unrelated Occupation	0.0%	100.0%	28.6%
Employed - No Response	0	0	0
Percent Employed - No Response	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
Seeking Employment	0	1	0
Percent Seeking Employment	0.0%	50.0%	0.0%

Reaction To Training at Madison College
Count Percents	2021	2022	2023
Student satisfaction Mean (Out of 4)	3.8	3	3.6
Number of Satisfaction Responses	5	2	8
Very Satisfied (4)	4	1	5
Percent Very Satisfied	80.0%	50.0%	62.5%
Satisfied (3)	1	0	3
Percent Satisfied	20.0%	0.0%	37.5%
Unsatisfied (2)	0	1	0
Percent Unsatisfied	0.0%	50.0%	0.0%
Very Unsatisfied (1)
Percent Very Unsatisfied	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%

Primary Reason for Attending Madison College
Count Percents	2021	2022	2023
Number of Primary Reason Responses	8	9	8
Preparation for Getting a Job
Percent Preparation for Getting a Job
Career Change
Percent Career Change
Improvement of Existing Skills
Percent Improvement of Existing Skills
Preparation for Further Education
Percent Preparation for Further Education
Personal Interest
Percent Personal Interest
Other
Percent Other	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%

When Employment was Obtained
Count Percents	2021	2022	2023
Number of When Employment Obtained Responses	3	1	7
Before Enrollment	0	0	1
Percent Before Enrollment	0.0%	0.0%	14.3%
While Attending the College	1	1	5
Percent While Attending the College	33.3%	100.0%	71.4%
After Training at the College	2	0	1
Percent After Training at the College	66.7%	0.0%	14.3%

Location of Employment (related and unrelated)
Count Percents	2021	2022	2023
Number of Employment Location Responses	3	1	7
In College District	3	1	7
Percent In College District	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%
In Wisconsin, Not in District	0	0	0
Percent of In Wisconsin	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
Outside of Wisconsin	0	0	0
Percent Outside Wisconsin	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
Employer Location Unknown	0	0	0
Percent Location Unknown	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%

Salary Trend
Salary Trend		2021	2023
Full Time Employment (Related Job)	Full Time Salary Count	3	5
	Average Monthly Wage	$2,924	$3,833
	Average Hourly Wage	$17.00	$22.29
	Average Work Hours per Week	48.3	40.6
Part Time Employment (Related Job)	Part Time Salary Count
	Average Hourly Wage
	Average Work Hours per Week

Graduate Employers

Graduate Employers for academic year: 2023
Employer(s)	Job Title	City*
Cadre Restaurant	Line Cook
Epic Systems Corp	Cook/Chef	Verona
Epic Systems Corp	Cook	Verona
Metcalfe's Sentry	Butchers Apprentice
UW - Madison Memorial Union	Assistant Chef