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The Cuisine Diploma, a comprehensive and rigorous training programme, is made up of three levels: Basic, Intermediate and Superior. This cuisine chef programme is based on high-level teaching which is distinguished by teachings and demonstrations carried out by Chefs of recognized experience and the supervised individual practical work of learners, allowing the progressive learning of classic and contemporary French culinary techniques.

The programme is taught by the Le Cordon Bleu Paris Chefs, who have worked in some of the world's finest restaurants, including several Michelin starred restaurants. With the knowledge gained from a rigorous training, students who have completed the Diplôme de cuisine will have a wide range of career opportunities to choose from after their studies.

 


General objectives and intentions of the programme

This training is aimed at people who seek to:
  • Have a career in a professional kitchen (restaurant or hotel)
  • Master French culinary techniques
  • Understand the organization of the professional kitchen, the equipment and the modern techniques used
  • Embark on a career change in the cuisine industry

This programme opens up professional possibilities in the fields of professional cuisine, in particular to act as:



Key information

Prerequisites

  • All applicants must be aged 18 years or older
  • Applicants must possess a high school diploma:
    - baccalaureate or equivalent
    - CAP and professional experience (subject to the validation of application)
  • Having a B2 level in English or an A2 level in French Accepted language tests and score/level correspondence

Intakes: January, April, July, October

Teaching method:
Demonstrations, practical classes & theory classes, practical workshops.

Languages: The theoretical courses and demonstrations are taught in French and consecutively translated into English

Diploma awarded:
The Diplôme de Cuisine, institution diploma, is delivered by the Le Cordon Bleu Foundation, conditional on successful completion of all three levels.





Cuisine Diploma Details

  • Programme content
    • Basic Le Cordon Bleu Paris Cuisine Certificate

    This 6-week or 3-month level introduces you to the basic techniques of French cuisine, including:

      • Learning classic and traditional French gastronomy techniques
      • Organisation, hygiene and safety in cuisine
      • Mastering the use of knives, introduction to professional techniques (cutting, different cuts)
      • Carrying out preliminary preparation of foodstuffs: vegetables, fish and meat
      • Learning different cooking methods
      • Making stocks, sauces, jus, emulsions and soups
      • Making basic doughs and restaurant desserts
      • French cuisine terminology

    You will be entitled to:

      • Culinary theory classes: meat, dairy products
      • Sensorial analysis of a dish
      • Educational visit to a Parisian market, buying and tasting
      • Exploration of the Institute’s vegetable roof garden, 800 m² of urban agriculture biodiversity
    • Intermediate Le Cordon Bleu Paris Cuisine Certificate

    Prerequisite: Basic Cuisine Certificate

    At intermediate level lasting 6 weeks or 3 months, you will be introduced to French and European regional cuisines. You will apply the techniques introduced during the basic level

      • Organization, hygiene and safety in the kitchen
      • French and European regional cuisines
      • Making full use of assimilated techniques
      • Origin, quality and sustainability of seasonal products and products from diverse terroirs
      • Advanced cutting and professional techniques
      • Introduction to colour, taste and texture combinations
      • Contemporary cooking techniques
      • Reproducing an identical dish
      • Learning to analyse food and wine pairing with a sommelier
      • Culinary theory classes: vegetables, sea food and Italian ingredients
      • Beekeeping workshop
      • Seafood conference, taught by an industry professional
    • Superior Le Cordon Bleu Paris Cuisine Certificate

    Prerequisite: Intermediate Cuisine Certificate

    This last level, lasting 3 months, will allow you to be more creative, both in taste and in presentation. You will develop your knowledge of the evolution of international culinary techniques.

    Here are the skills that students enrolled at the higher level will need to validate at the end of their cuisine programme:

      • Making classic dishes with an original and contemporary twist
      • Organisation, hygiene and safety HACCP
      • Using and gaining knowledge of noble ingredients
      • Perfecting culinary techniques
      • Time management in cuisine
      • Plate presentation
      • Mastering perfect cooking temperatures for meat and fish
      • Experimenting with cooking techniques: sous vide, low temperature
      • Developing a creative and aesthetic style
      • Encounters with renowned chefs, featured chef demonstration
      • Culinary theory classes: nutrition, recipe data sheet and costing
      • Demonstration by a professional butcher
      • Taking part in cocktail parties and other events at Le Cordon Bleu institute
      • Chef in the spotlight: visit of a Chef from a prestigious establishment
      • Educational visit to Rungis international Market, Europe’s largest
      • Chef in the spotlight: visit by a Chef from a prestigious establishment. Cyril Lignac, Juan Arbelaez from the Nubé restaurant at the Hôtel Marignan or even Philippe Labbé from La Tour d’Argent, find the interventions of these great chefs and benefit from the experience of the next guests.

    Evaluation methods: The evaluation will be carried out according to the educational objectives determined for each unit and according to the transversal educational objectives of the program. Various evaluation methods may be used, including:

      • Theoretical exams: Course exams in which students respond orally or in writing to questions such as multiple choice questions, true/false questions, short answers, essay formats or a combination of these possibilities
      • Continuous Practical Assessment – Continuous assessment of work completed by students in practical sessions, such as food preparation. Grades will be aggregated throughout the duration of the training
      • Practical exams: Exams during which a series of tasks must be carried out under supervision. A standardized grading scale is used
      • Self-assessment: Students will carry out a self-assessment to monitor the progress of their practical work and analyze this work constructively from one week to the next
      • Presentation: Presentation of practical work based on the educational objectives of each course
      • Portfolio: A portfolio is a catalog of achievements made by the student during the program and presented in a coherent format (portfolios can contain traces of their practical work, in particular the dishes produced, as well as written or visual elements)
  • Duration & Tuition Fees

    Format:

    • Standard: 9 months
    • Intensive: 6 months (6 to 12 class hours per day, 5 or 6 days a week)

    Tuition fees: €34,000  (standard or intensive). These fees include the application fee (€1,500), learning material, equipment including the Sabatier knife kit uniform and all activities.

  • Diploma with Internship Pathway

    Students who wish to enrich their learning can register to the Diplôme de Cuisine with Internship Pathway.

    This professionalizing formula maximizes the chances of finding a job at the end of the programme in the catering sector. Le Cordon Bleu Paris enjoys a great reputation in the world of catering. The Paris institute has established partnerships that have proven their worth with establishments renowned for welcoming learners for internships. At the end of their training at Le Cordon Bleu Paris, students can be recruited for positions in larger establishments.

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  • Diploma with Internship Pathway and Culinary Management

    Le Cordon Bleu offers the Diplôme de Cuisine with Internship Pathway and Culinary Management which prepares students for the creation of a business, gives them the opportunity to integrate the environment of a professional kitchen and to carry out an internship in a company to put into practice the skills acquired during the training.

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  • Diploma with Culinary Management

    Students interested in creating a culinary business after their Diploma can complete their training by integrating the Diplôme de Cuisine with Culinary Management.

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  • Statistics

    Graduation rate: 96,67% (out of a total of 93 students over the 4 terms of 2023)

     

Term Dates & Prices

Select a date
2025
Jan 6, 2025 - Jun 20, 2025 ( Intensive )
34,000.00€
Jan 6, 2025 - Sep 19, 2025 ( Standard )
34,000.00€
Mar 31, 2025 - Dec 19, 2025 ( Standard )
34,000.00€
Mar 31, 2025 - Sep 19, 2025 ( Intensive )
34,000.00€
Jun 30, 2025 - Dec 19, 2025 ( Intensive )
34,000.00€
Jun 30, 2025 - Mar 27, 2026 ( Standard )
34,000.00€
Sep 29, 2025 - Jun 26, 2026 ( Standard )
34,000.00€
Sep 29, 2025 - Mar 27, 2026 ( Intensive )
34,000.00€
2026
Jan 5, 2026 - Jun 26, 2026 ( Intensive )
34,000.00€
Jan 5, 2026 - Sep 25, 2026 ( Standard )
34,000.00€
Apr 6, 2026 - Dec 18, 2026 ( Standard )
34,000.00€
Apr 6, 2026 - Sep 25, 2026 ( Intensive )
34,000.00€
Jul 6, 2026 - Dec 18, 2026 ( Intensive )
34,000.00€

Testimonials

  • testimonial-rebecca_lockwood
    I am totally obsessed about food. I chose Le Cordon Bleu because it is the best cooking school in the world. In addition to this, Paris is probably the best place to study. The French consider cooking as culture, a real manifestation of art, and they are the only ones who really value it. Life is an adventure and in this profession I feel I can go everywhere doing what I love.
    Rebecca Lockwood, Cuisine Diploma 2002
  • testimonial_elisa-fernandez
    I won Masterchef Brazil in 2015 and got as a prize to come study at Le Cordon Bleu Paris. During my diploma, my favorite memories were the demonstrations classes with Chefs Caussimon and Vaca! There are so passionate by their work and that totally inspired me. I also loved to do the internship with the “mise en place” for chef Frederic Lesourd’s classes. I absolutely loved it and improved so much as cook.
    Elisa Fernandez, Cuisine Diploma 2015
  • testimonial_mi-ra
    I decided to study cuisine as it was my passion. I loved the demonstrations, which are, in my opinion, extremely rewarding. I now live in Deauville where I opened my own restaurant “L’essentiel”, which has one Michelin star since 2018.
    Mi-Ra Thuillant, Cuisine Diploma 2004
  • testimonial2
    For me, a dish is made up of flavours and memories. I want to create dishes which are uplifting and which bring people together. I want to constantly learn more about cuisine and gain additional practical skills so that I can open my own restaurant one day.
    Yanan Ren, Cuisine Diploma 2015-2016
  • 380x280-Sepehr-Sarlak
    Le Cordon Bleu stood out as the pinnacle of world-class culinary schools. Its renowned reputation and commitment to culinary excellence made it an obvious choice for me. Additionally, the school's exceptional support throughout the entire process—from assisting with the visa application, which involved a meticulous 5 to 6-month process, to welcoming me as a freshman—underscored their dedication to nurturing aspiring chefs like myself.
    Sepehr Sarlak - Cuisine Diploma 2018
  • reda-ben-hamida
    I have many memories, but those firmly imprinted in my mind are when I worked as a volunteer in the production kitchen. Another important one, after I graduated, is when I was asked to be a guest chef at the ambassadors’ evening. Mr. Jean-Marc Ayrault, Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Development, and Mr. André J. Cointreau, President of Le Cordon Bleu, were both present.
    Reda Ben Hammida, Diplôme de Cuisine 2016
  • tobias-overgoor
    Going to Le Cordon Bleu Paris institute, followed by an internship at Ledoyen, was the best decision I have ever made. The knowledge and contacts I have gained have proven to be unique and irreplaceable. They are the “unique ingredients” for my work in gastronomy and entrepreneurship.
    Tobias Overgood, Diplôme de Cuisine 2007
  • Joao duarte testimonial
    I came to study cuisine lessons here as it had always been my dream to study French cuisine and in Paris! I also had friends who had already studied at Le Cordon Bleu institute, but in London. When I arrived at Le Cordon Bleu, I had the pleasure of being trained by Chefs who taught me how to appreciate and respect products in their natural state.
    Joao Duarte, Diplôme de Cuisine 2006
  • Elana Karp testimonial2
    During school we learned so many amazing recipes and techniques, we couldn’t wait to practice them when we got back to our apartments. A few times we actually cooked dishes we had learned in class, packed them up like a picnic and had a pop-up dinner with our Parisian friends in various places around Paris. It was so delicious and so much fun—it was a great way to use what we learned in school.
    Elana Karp, Cuisine Diploma 2011
  • le-cordon-bleu-paris-ecole-art-culinaire-ancien-etudiant-paula-passos
    From my first day at the school, I felt I was part of Le Cordon Bleu family. From the Chefs to the washer uppers and the office staff, everyone is very welcoming. It’s not always easy to do everything we’re supposed to, but we are definitely a team working together to prepare delicious food!
    Paula Passos, Grand Diplôme Alumna

 

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Last page update in May 2024
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