Students at The Chef’s Academy’s Indianapolis campus.
members before the completion of the degree, so we do our best in the interview process to determine which candidates have what it takes to go the distance.” The Chef’s Academy will begin welcoming students in August, with another cohort group launching in October. And though the degrees are considered two-year degrees, the concentrated scheduling, with classes that continue throughout the summer, allows students to earn their degrees in as little as 18 months. Boyers stresses that both degree programs are full-time and there are no part-time options. The minimum level of education to be considered for admission is a high school diploma or GED, but since the opening of the Indianapolis campus in 2006, there have been many applicants with bachelor’s or master’s degrees, and even a few PhD’s. “The student population at The Chef’s Academy is so dynamic and so diverse,” Boyers says. “You’ll see a young high school graduate who always considered himself the cook in the family. He really enjoys being in the kitchen and can’t see himself pursuing another career. Then you have the applicant with an advanced college degree, and she’s worked in the same field for 20 years, and now realizes she has a passion for cooking and is serious about a career change. It really runs the gamut.”
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