What is the Department of Gastronomy? What Do Graduates Do?

Gastronomy department is one of the undergraduate types that was established in Turkey in 2003 and has attracted a lot of attention since then. This section, which also offers important opportunities in the promotion, development and announcement of Turkish cuisine, is an area frequently preferred by everyone who loves to cook and is interested in Turkish and world cuisine. We have tried to explain all the unknowns and questions about the Gastronomy Department for you below. Happy reading!

Gastronomy department, in the most general terms, is a type of undergraduate education about food and culinary arts. It is a department that provides students with detailed information about all food and beverages during the undergraduate period, as well as educational information on bacteria, fungi and molds that can occur on foods. It is aimed to develop the artistic perspectives of the students who have educational information about the nutritional values of foods, the unknowns of world cuisine and the history of foods. Graduates of the department have the title of “gastronome”.

The education period of the gastronomy department is 4 years. However, this period can be increased to 5 years with the 1-year English preparatory class, which is compulsory in some schools. Although the department is generally affiliated to the “faculties of fine arts” of universities, it can also take place in the faculties of “applied sciences” and “tourism” in some universities. There is a compulsory internship for 60 days in the department. In addition, the department accepts students from the verbal field.

The courses that students take during their 4-year undergraduate education are as follows:

● Food Technology for Gastronomy and Culinary Arts
● Introduction to the Kitchen
● Food and Beverage Services
● Food Production
● Gastronomy History
● Food Safety and Hygiene
● World Culinary Cultures
● Food and Gastronomy Culture
● Turkish Cuisine
● World Cuisine
● Food Science
● Nutrition Principles
● Kitchen Management
● Basic Pastry and Bakery Products
● Kitchen Planning and Design,
● Wine Science
● Food Hygiene
● Kitchen Calculations
● Tourism
● Marketing and Entrepreneurship
● Creative Presentation Techniques and Food Pairing

Students can also take departmental elective courses in their fields of interest. Apart from these courses, elective courses such as Atatürk’s Principles and Revolution History, Turkish Literature and foreign language are also included in the curriculum.

The aim of the department is to train individuals who are experts in the field of gastronomy and culinary arts. Graduates are expected to grasp the value and sustainability of different food cultures around the world. For this reason, we can say that the graduates of the gastronomy department are educated people about the food culture in the world and the marketing, presentation and sustainability of the food, in addition to cooking.

In this context, it is obvious that there are different business lines that graduates can turn to in line with their education and interests. While some graduates prefer to be chefs, cooks, trainers or academicians, some graduates prefer to be their own boss by opening their own businesses. Graduates also have the opportunity to excel in the field of gourmet and food writing.

Salaries of graduates of the gastronomy department vary according to the place they work. According to this, although the minimum wage is the minimum wage in government institutions, it can reach 6 thousand TL. In private, it can be said that a salary of 7 to 10 thousand TL can be received. These figures, of course, show the average. You should not forget that your earnings will increase in line with your experience and knowledge.

The general opinion about the gastronomy department is based on learning to cook and mastering world cuisine recipes. However, there is one thing we should warn about that the purpose of the department is not just to train cooks. In addition, students are provided with detailed information about microorganisms in food and training on food management during their undergraduate education. It is known that in some schools, theoretical training also precedes practice. For this reason, we recommend that you be aware of the purpose of the department and head towards schools with good education.

It is also worth remembering that language is an important element for opportunities to work, train, or study abroad. For an advanced career goal, you should not forget that foreign language may be a problem in front of you and you should focus on improving yourself.

We fully believe that anyone who has an interest in cooking and food culture can be successful in this department. However, as we mentioned before, do not forget that trainings about food business and food science are also included in the section. Finally, it will be inevitable for creative minds with developed imagination to achieve great success in this field.

Graduates of the department graduate as “gastronomers” and there are many different fields they can focus on. In general, graduates of the gastronomy department;

● Cookery in tourism and hotel businesses,
● Kitchen chef,
● Executive Chef
● Kitchen manager,
● Food writer,
● Food photographer,
● Food critic,
● Programmer in media and TV channels
● Gourmet,
● Food controller

We can say that they can operate in their positions. The aim of the department is to train individuals who are already experts in the field of gastronomy. Apart from all these, graduates can also make a career in academia if they wish. They can teach at universities as well as work as instructors in cooking courses and culinary academies.

Let us state that foreign opportunities are open for those who want to study Gastronomy. Because during the 4-year education, students not only learn Turkish Cuisine, but also acquire a lot of information about world cuisine. In the light of the education received, we can say that gastronomes can work in restaurants in Europe and America. In addition, graduates can examine abroad opportunities for graduate education if they wish. The only condition for all these opportunities is to have a foreign language. The more you improve yourself in language, the easier it will be for you to catch up with opportunities abroad.

Actually, we touched on this issue in the job opportunities section. However, to elaborate, it is known that gastronomy graduates can specialize in the fields of teaching, academics, gourmet and food photography. It is possible to say that there is a deficit in Turkey, especially in the field of academics. You can also take the advantage of this open space and take the lead in raising important gastronomes of Turkey. In addition, it is possible to educate yourself and make a name in the world by chasing abroad education opportunities. You just need a little patience and a lot of effort.

Gastronomy is a profession that has become very popular in recent years. Of course, the gastronomic culture and the importance of healthy and good food for everyone are effective in this. Considering these factors, the gastronomy department is expected to be one of the important professions in the future.

On the other hand, as long as the nutritional need for people continues to be among the basic needs such as shelter and clothing, we think that the interest in gastronomy will not decrease. Therefore, we can say that we are talking about a profession with a very clear and bright future.

All other university departments from here you can reach.