Study With Us

Our students receive instruction - never more then 15 students in Culinary Arts and 12 students in Baking & Pastry Arts per 1 Chef instructor - in the fundamentals of classic French and International culinary cuisine and/or baking & pastry. Students also operate our onsite Bistro 101 ®, Catering Division and Bakery 101 ® to gain more practical real-world application of their skills prior to entering into the hospitality food and beverage industry. Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts was the first private culinary school in Canada with an on-site student operated fine dinning restaurant and bakeshop.

Enhancing our students’ knowledge we include: Foundation Level Wine Certification through the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) and Food & Beverage Operations Management covering effective menu planning, inventory control, costing and various food operations. These courses provide students with an in-depth knowledge of hospitality operations beyond the kitchens doors ensuring students gain a more well-rounded education.

Instruction from Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts includes job-search training and a Lifetime Employment Placement Assistance for every graduate. 

Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts (PICA) is the only private culinary school in BC accredited to perform Industry Training Authority (ITA) Red Seal practical assessments using our own Industry Training Authority (ITA) Certified Chef Assessors at our on-site facilities. Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts (PICA) is recognized as an ITA Designated Training Provider of Professional Cook 1 Workplace Entry until May, 2017.

Upon commencement of your culinary training program at our Institute, you will have the option to register for ITA’s – Professional Cook certification (PC1).  Once registered, any extra-curricular hours earned during your first three (3) months of your professional training will be recognized as part of your required PC1 - 1,000 industry hours.

In the advanced portion of your professional training program, both in-class training hours and extra-curricular hours earned will be put towards the above required PC1 - 1,000 hours.

Upon successful completion of your professional training program and having met the required 1,000 hours, a written and practical examination will need to be coordinated with PICA to receive your PC1 designation.

Students who receive their PC1 certification may be eligible to receive a $1,000.00 grant from the BC Government by applying to http://www.itabc.ca.

For those students wishing to pursue their PC2 and/or PC3 (Red Seal credential) you can continue to be supported after graduation. 

Graduates will be required to fulfill the total hours’ requirements necessary to challenge PC2 and/or PC3.  PC2 designation requires a minimum of 2,000 hours and PC3 requires a minimum of 5,000 hours.  Once a graduate has successfully acquired all of the required hours, the graduate will have the option to complete their final practical examination at PICA’s on-site facilities and achieve their Industry Training Authority (ITA) Red Seal Certification.

Our Programs

Designed for people who wish to be productive immediately in a professional environment upon graduation, Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts offers two diploma-granting programs and one dual diploma-granting program.

Our two 6-month programs and one 1-year program in Culinary Arts and Baking & Pastry Arts are offered four times each calendar year. Program start dates are in January, April, June and September.

• Full-time 1-Year Dual Diploma program students choose from a morning or afternoon session, Monday to Friday.
• Full-time Culinary Arts students choose from a morning or afternoon session, Monday to Friday.
• Full-time Baking & Pastry Arts students attend morning or afternoon sessions, Monday to Friday.

We observe all BC statutory holidays.