Culinary Science

About the Program

Bachelor of Science Degree: 185.0 quarter credits

The Bachelor of Science (BS ) in Culinary Science at Goodwin College combines the creative spirit of the culinary arts with the technical and scientific expertise of the food scientist. Combining courses in culinary arts, hospitality management, and food science, the program includes a strong base in the basic sciences and will fulfill the requirement for a minor in business from the LeBow College of Business. 

 Culinary scientists learn to integrate and apply knowledge from the disciplines of chemistry, microbiology, culinary arts, hospitality management, food science, and nutrition in order to preserve, process, package, and distribute foods that are safe, nutritious, and delicious. Students majoring in Culinary Science are prepared for careers in the food industry such as a research chef or product developer. In such positions, graduates can combine their creative and aesthetic talents with their technical expertise as food scientists.

The Culinary Science program at Goodwin is committed to providing a professional, comprehensive, and challenging college experience as it prepares students for a variety of rewarding careers in the culinary field and food science and manufacturing industries. In order to provide students with a well-rounded educational experience, the Culinary Science curriculum is composed of approximately equal amounts of coursework in liberal arts, business administration, food science, natural sciences, and culinary arts. As part of the Culinary Science BS program, students choose from minors in business administration, entrepreneurship, marketing, or they can select a science concentration.

The four-year, 182-credit curriculum includes one six-month period of cooperative employment in the spring and summer terms of the junior year.

Career possibilities for someone with a degree in culinary science include numerous positions in food companies such as research and development technologist, quality assurance manager, corporate executive chef, research and development chef, senior culinary research technologist, flavor development laboratory manager, and technical sales representative.

For more information, visit Goodwin College's Culinary Science web page.

Program Delivery Options

Drexel’s BS degrees include courses in the liberal arts, the humanities, sciences, hospitality management and culinary arts. Three business minors are also offered. The BS degree can be completed on a full-time or part-time basis:

Traditional 4-year option, with one co-op experience

Traditional 5-year option, with 3 co-op experiences

Four plus One option BS/MBA combined degree, with co-op experience:
This option combines the four-year BS degree followed by the one-year Professional MBA to qualify freshmen applicants. Incoming freshmen will generally have a minimum of 1300 on the SAT, a GPA of 3.5 or higher, and be in the top 10% of their high school graduating class. For MBA requirements visit the LeBow College Professional MBA web site.

Full-time Status Evening option without co-op experience:
To be eligible, students should have a minimum of two years full-time work experience related to students’ majors, and a minimum of one year of college level work. Full-time students are eligible for full-time financial aid packages.

Part-time option without co-op experience:
Students work closely with academic advisors to develop a customized plan of study toward degree completion.

London option:
(Available for Hospitality Management and Culinary Arts students. ) Students are invited to spend a term in their sophomore, junior or senior year in the Study Abroad Program, Drexel in London, while earning up to 18 credits. The program’s emphasis is on the global implications of and opportunities within the hospitality industry.

Drexel University and Burlington County College (BCC) option:
(Available for Hospitality Management students. ) Drexel University and Burlington County College (BCC) have joined together to create a unique educational opportunity: Drexel at BCC. This partnership enables BCC students to earn a bachelor’s degree from Drexel University while remaining on BCC’s Mount Laurel campus. For more information about the BS in Hospitality , visit the  Drexel at BCC web site.

Degree Requirements

Concentration Requirements 18.0 - 32.0 Credits

Students have the option of either satisfying the requirements for a business minor or completing a science concentration.

Science Concentration Option Requirements

Business Administration Minor Option

Entrepreneurship Minor Option

Marketing Minor Option

Writing-Intensive Course Requirements

In order to graduate, all students must pass three writing-intensive courses after their freshman year. Two writing-intensive courses must be in a student's major. The third can be in any discipline. Students are advised to take one writing-intensive class each year, beginning with the sophomore year, and to avoid “clustering” these courses near the end of their matriculation. Transfer students need to meet with an academic advisor to review the number of writing-intensive courses required to graduate.

A "WI" next to a course in this catalog may indicate that this course can fulfill a writing-intensive requirement. For the most up-to-date list of writing-intensive courses being offered, students should check the Writing Intensive Course List at the University Writing Center. Students scheduling their courses can also conduct a search for courses with the attribute "WI" to bring up a list of all writing-intensive courses available that term. Transfer students need to meet with an academic advisor to review the number of writing-intensive courses required to graduate.

Sample Plans of Study

BS in Culinary Science: Science concentration

(See below for the additional plans illustrating the other Business Minor options)

BS in Culinary Science: Minor in Business Administration

BS in Culinary Science: Minor in Entrepreneurship

BS in Culinary Science: Minor in Marketing

Co-op/Career Opportunities

Career Outlook

Depending on what measures one uses, the food processing industry is the largest or second largest manufacturing segment of all industries in the US. Employment opportunities for college graduates in the food processing industry are expected to remain strong over the next five years. In fact, an estimated 20,000 positions in food and agriculture are filled by people who have had training in an allied field. The Central Atlantic region is home to a number of food processors and companies that supply ingredients to the food industry, but the industry is global in scope.

Typical career paths for culinary science graduates include the following:

• Food product developer
• Research chef
• Ingredient marketing and sales
• Food quality assurance manager
• Food microbiologist
• Food chemist
• Research food scientist

Co-Op Opportunities

Drexel University has long been known for its co-operative education/internship programs, which allow students to mix periods of full-time, career-related employment with their studies. All traditional Culinary Science students pursue the 6-month co-op employment. This six-month experience during the junior year can be completed locally or nationally. The following employers have recently offered positions to Drexel's Culinary Science majors:

• Keystone Foods Corporation
• Campbell Soup Company
• Ottens Flavors
• Victory Brewing Company
• David Michael & Company
• Barry-Callebaut
• Virginia Dare Company

Visit the Drexel Steinbright Career Development Center page for more detailed information on co-op and post-graduate opportunities.

Facilities

The major facility of the Hospitality Management, Culinary Arts and Food Science programs is located on the sixth floor of the Academic Building. It is a 6,500 square foot space that includes three state-of-the-art commercial kitchens and laboratories, as well as the Academic Bistro, the student-run restaurant, bar and lounge. The facility also includes a conference room and the Les Dames d'Escoffier Library, which currently holds over 1,200 publications.

Philadelphia Location

A unique feature of the Hospitality Management program at Drexel is that it is located in Philadelphia, with close proximity to New York City, Baltimore, and Washington, as well as the resort centers on the Atlantic seacoast and in the Pocono Mountains. These regions include hundreds of hotels, restaurants, resorts, and casinos that are used for field trips and campus visits by hospitality resource professionals. Students also gain hands-on experience through faculty-directed field trips throughout the region.

Program Delivery Options

Drexel’s BS degrees include courses in the liberal arts, the humanities, sciences, hospitality management and culinary arts. Three business minors are also offered. The BS degree can be completed on a full-time or part-time basis:

Traditional Four-year option, with one co-op experience:
This option includes one six-month period of full-time employment in the junior year.

Four plus One option BS/MBA combined degree, with co-op experience:
This option combines the four-year BS degree followed by the one-year Professional MBA to qualify freshmen applicants. Incoming freshmen will generally have a minimum of 1300 on the SAT, a GPA of 3.5 or higher, and be in the top 10% of their high school graduating class. For MBA requirements visit the LeBow College Professional MBA web site.

Full-time Status Evening option without co-op experience:
To be eligible, students should have a minimum of two years full-time work experience related to students’ majors, and a minimum of one year of college level work. Full-time students are eligible for full-time financial aid packages.

Part-time option without co-op experience:
Students work closely with academic advisors to develop a customized plan of study toward degree completion.

London option:
(Available for Hospitality Management and Culinary Arts students. ) Students are invited to spend a term in their sophomore, junior or senior year in the Study Abroad Program, Drexel in London, while earning up to 18 credits. The program’s emphasis is on the global implications of and opportunities within the hospitality industry.

Drexel University and Burlington County College (BCC) option:
(Available for Hospitality Management students. ) Drexel University and Burlington County College (BCC) have joined together to create a unique educational opportunity: Drexel at BCC. This partnership enables BCC students to earn a bachelor’s degree from Drexel University while remaining on BCC’s Mount Laurel campus. For more information about the BS in Hospitality , visit the Drexel at BCC web site.

Culinary Arts/Food Science/Hospitality Management Faculty

Emeritus Faculty