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 placement assistance service for every graduate.

Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts (PICA) is the only private culinary school accredited to perform Industry Training Authority (ITA) Red Seal practical assessments using our own Industry Training Authority (ITA) Certified Chef Assessors at our facilities. 

During your training at PICA, you will earn approximately 65% of the total 1,000 hours required to be eligible for Professional Cook (PC1) certification. Opportunities will exist to earn additional hours, during your training, as well. There is no other private culinary school that offers this accumulation of hours towards your goal of 1,000 hours.

PICA graduates will then only need to get the balance of the required 3,000 hours to be eligible to do their PC2 final practical exam; they will have the competency upon graduation for the theoretical component. 


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.