Professional Catering

An exciting, expanding career awaits you as a professional caterer. Sullivan University began offering the country’s first Accredited Associate Degree in Professional Catering in 1997. Employment opportunities include event planning, catering kitchen coordinator, hotel catering manager, catering company manager as well as catering company owner.

Hospitality and Catering majors, as part of their studies, receive catering experience working with Juleps Catering, a professional division of Sullivan University. Juleps Catering offers an unequaled blend of culinary expertise and creative event planning. Real-world experience is gained through working on actual catered events for a diverse selection of clients and institutions.

The wedding industry generates more than $25 billion in sales annually with a large portion being spent on catering. Each quarter students in Sullivan’s Professional Catering Lab produce a mock wedding reception, planning the menu for a dinner buffet and hors d’oeuvres, seating arrangements, table service, and produce a selection of wedding cakes. This exercise is always challenging as caterers generally partner with a pastry chef or preferred bakery to produce the cake based on bridal couples’ desires. However, since it is the caterer who cuts, serves and packs the cake to go, the service is highly specialized. Often a caterer must also know how to repair a cake at the reception site should the unexpected occur! This portion of catering production is a student favorite. The Catering Lab also focuses on inexpensive buffet items that can fill a table with colors, textures and flavors that offer the guest quality foods within an affordable budget. Professional Catering students produce the menu, and plan the equipment needed to set up and serve the buffet. Items on the buffet often include smoked salmon, savory cheesecake, grilled vegetable antipasto presentation, wild mushroom risotto and artesian cheeses. Individual custards featuring coconut pana cotta, chocolate espresso, pot au créme and key lime chiffons are favorite dessert creations.

112 - 120 Credit Hours (18 months days)

This program is a fast-paced Associate of Science degree program designed to prepare a student for a challenging career in professional catering. All aspects of the industry are taught from food preparation to setting up a catering business. Students receive “hands-on” experience working both on and off campus with the University’s professional catering company, Juleps Catering, and may do an externship with other professional caterers. At the completion of the program, graduates are able to obtain employment in a variety of areas which include working in the catering industry as event planners, supervising catering staff, working for a professional catering company in management or hotel banquet and catering departments or opening their own business.

Classes are forming, so contact our Admissions department today or call 502-456-6505.