The Department of Gastronomy and Culinary Arts, established within the School of Tourism at Antalya Bilim University, was approved to admit students in accordance with the decision of the Higher Education Executive Board dated 18.05.2017 and commenced education in the fall semester of the 2017–2018 academic year. The language of instruction is English, and the undergraduate program consists of four years and eight semesters. Students who successfully fulfill all program requirements are awarded a Bachelor’s Degree in Gastronomy and Culinary Arts.
Our department has an experienced and qualified academic staff committed to offering contemporary, high-quality education programs aligned with sectoral needs. The academic staff of the department includes one associate professor, three assistant professors, and two research assistants. Educational activities are supported not only by the department’s own faculty members, but also by instructors from the Department of Tourism Management, the School of Foreign Languages, the Cookery Program, and part-time instructors assigned on a course-hour basis.
Within the program, students acquire fundamental theoretical knowledge in the field of gastronomy and culinary arts during the first year of their undergraduate education and subsequently have the opportunity to transform this theoretical knowledge into practice. The theoretical and practical courses offered in the department are conducted at Antalya Bilim University’s Main Campus located in Döşemealtı, Antalya. Our students gain sectoral experience through a total of 120 days of compulsory internship, consisting of eight weeks in the summer term of the second year and eight weeks in the summer term of the third year.
Students are admitted to the department through the national university entrance examination organized annually by ÖSYM, based on their score in the verbal field. In addition, student admission is also possible through the ÖSYM central placement system, inter-institutional transfers from domestic and international higher education institutions based on academic achievement, and inter- or intra-institutional transfers based on central placement scores. Students admitted to the program may request the recognition and transfer of courses they have successfully completed in previous associate or bachelor’s degree programs to the curriculum of our department. These procedures are evaluated by the relevant boards and commissions in consideration of course contents and ECTS workload.
In order to qualify for graduation, students must successfully complete all courses in the curriculum in accordance with the relevant university regulations, achieve a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00 out of 4.00, and complete at least 240 ECTS credits in total. Excluding the English preparatory class, students are required to complete the program within a maximum of seven years.
Provided that they meet the required conditions, our students have the opportunity to pursue a double major or a minor in accordance with university regulations and the relevant provisions of the Council of Higher Education. In addition, our students may study at partner universities abroad under the Erasmus Study Mobility program and may also complete internships abroad at enterprises they arrange independently under the Erasmus Internship Mobility program.
Graduates of the Department of Gastronomy and Culinary Arts may pursue career opportunities in a wide range of sectors and institutions, including restaurants and cafés, hotel kitchens, catering companies, public institutions, educational institutions, media and publishing, and food safety and inspection. In addition, our graduates may establish their own businesses through entrepreneurial initiatives and, thanks to their foreign language proficiency, may also find employment opportunities abroad and on cruise ships. Furthermore, in the spring semester of the fourth year, our students participate in the Shadow Manager Program, through which they work full-time three days a week alongside a manager in the sector. In this way, they gain the opportunity to observe decision-making processes, actively participate in management, and prepare more effectively for professional business life.
Graduates who obtain a bachelor’s degree from the program may apply for master’s and doctoral programs primarily in Gastronomy and Culinary Arts, as well as in related fields such as Tourism Management.
