Le Cordon Bleu Institute of Culinary Arts in Pittsburgh (LCB Pittsburgh) located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

 was founded in 1986. The institute offers a variety of specialized culinary degrees.

History

LCB Pittsburgh was originally instituted as a branch campus of The Sawyer School. The Pennsylvania Institute of Culinary Arts obtained the campus in 1990 and subsequently earned an independent accreditation by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology

Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology

The Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges is an organization in the United States that provides accreditation to non-university postsecondary colleges. Based in Arlington, Virginia, it is recognized by the United States Department of Education as a private, non-profit, independent...

. In early 2002, Pennsylvania Culinary Institute became a partner with the Le Cordon Bleu Schools

Le Cordon Bleu

Le Cordon Bleu is the world's largest hospitality education institution, with 35 schools on five continents serving 20,000 students annually. Its primary education focus is on hospitality management and the culinary arts...

 in North America in order to offer Le Cordon Bleu culinary programs.

Programs

LCB Pittsburgh has four culinary areas of study:

• Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts
• Le Cordon Bleu Pâtisserie & Baking
• Le Cordon Bleu Hospitality and Restaurant Management
• Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Techniques

LCB Pittsburgh awards Associate of Specialized Technology

Associate's degree

An associate degree is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by community colleges, junior colleges, technical colleges, and bachelor's degree-granting colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study usually lasting two years...

 degrees in the first three programs and a diploma in Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Techniques.

Admissions

The admission process begins with a personal interview with an admissions representative. The interview measures an applicant's knowledge, motivation, experience and confidence level in relation to a career in the foodservice and hospitality industry.

Campus

LCB Pittsburgh has industry-current kitchens for student training. The facilities include a skill development kitchen; a stock, soup and sauce kitchen; a meat and poultry kitchen; a seafood/charcuterie kitchen; a pastry kitchen; a garde manger

Garde manger

Garde manger , meaning "keep to eat" refers to a cool, well-ventilated area where cold dishes are prepared and other foods are stored under refrigeration...

/classical/international cuisine kitchen; and multipurpose kitchens. The pâtisserie

Pâtisserie

A pâtisserie is the type of French or Belgian bakery that specializes in pastries and sweets. In both countries it is a legally controlled title that may only be used by bakeries that employ a licensed maître pâtissier ....

 and baking kitchens include an American-style bakery kitchen, artisan bread kitchen, European-style pastry kitchen, cold and frozen dessert specialty kitchen, and a chocolate, candy and artistic sculpturing kitchen.

Closing

On January 18, 2011, LCB Pittsburgh announced that it would no longer be accepting students, as the school is to be closing. The closing was the result of a combination of events, including the end of the school's lease and political pressure by the Obama administration and Senate Democrats on Career Education Corporation

Career Education Corporation

Career Education Corporation , founded in 1994, is a postsecondary education provider with campus-based and online curricula. On July 1, 2003, Career Education Corporation merged with competitor Whitman Education Group, Inc., gaining control over the latter's Sanford-Brown Colleges, Ultrasound...

 as a for-profit school

For-Profit School

For-profit education refers to educational institutions operated by private, profit-seeking businesses....

. (The Department of Education's proposed "gainful employment" rule would deny federal funding to schools with graduates facing high proportions of debt related to their expected salaries.) Current students will be allowed to finish their programs before the school closes its doors at the end of 2012.

External links

• Le Cordon Bleu Institute of Culinary Arts in Pittsburgh