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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
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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 ProgramFirst SemesterSecond SemesterThird/Summer Semester -
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.
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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.
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Graduate Summary
Graduate Report Summary Overview
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
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
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
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
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)
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 2021 2022 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* State** Positions 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 * - Only cities outside of Madison will display.
** - Only states outside of Wisconsin will display.
*** - If you have a position to post, please contact Career and Employment Services at jobpostings@madisoncollege.edu
