The Professional Cooking Certificate prepares students for entry‑level culinary careers by developing strong foundational skills in food preparation, kitchen operations, and professional standards. Training takes place in a live‑service environment connected to the Portage College cafeteria and culinary events, giving students real‑time experience with production cooking, teamwork, and customer service.
Students gain core skills in culinary foundations, stocks, soups, and sauces, vegetables and carbohydrates, proteins, fish and seafood, breakfast and dairy, garde manger, baking and pastries, nutrition, foodservice math, and industry safety certifications. The program concludes with a 120‑hour practicum in an industry kitchen.
What You Will Learn
Students develop competencies in:
- Fundamental knife skills, cooking methods, and kitchen tools
- Stocks, soups, sauces, and flavour development
- Vegetable, fruit, and carbohydrate cookery
- Meat, poultry, and seafood fabrication and cookery
- Baking, pastries, and dessert production
- Garde manger skills: salads, appetizers, cold kitchen production
- Breakfast production, dairy processing, and short‑order service
- Culinary math, costing, conversions, and menu planning
- Nutrition and dietary modifications
- Safety, sanitation, WHMIS, First Aid, and fire extinguisher training
- Professionalism, teamwork, and communication
- High‑volume and event‑based foodservice operations
This program is available to International Students. Our Designated Learning Institute (DLI) number is O111010246767.
Career Potential
Graduates of the Professional Cooking program are able to work in:
- Hotels, resorts, restaurants, and cafés
- Catering companies and banquet operations
- Hospitals, long‑term care, schools
- Camps, lodges, and industrial kitchens
- Bakeries, specialty food shops, private chef services
Positions may include:
- Line Cook / Prep Cook
- Garde Manger
- Breakfast Cook
- Baker’s Assistant
- Catering Cook
- Commis / Chef de Partie
- Sous Chef (with experience)
- Foodservice Administrator
- Culinary Entrepreneur or Food Creator
Cooks can advance through promotions with the same employer or move to more advanced positions with other employers. Career options include chef, line cook, restaurant cook, banquet manager, general manager and food editor. Yet another level of achievement includes Certified Chef de Cuisine (C.C.C.), a highly respected trade certification with many good prospects for travel within Canada and abroad.
Credentials
Certificate
Admission Requirements
- English Language Arts 10-2 at 60%
- Math 10-3 at 60%
Students who do not meet admission requirements can contact student services regarding opportunities for placement testing. Students will need to submit an application to the program to start the process.
Use this chart to check Provincial high school equivalencies accepted at Portage College. Note: This is just a guide.
Other
- For the purpose of the practicum, you may need a criminal record check
English Language Proficiency Information
Program Start/End Dates
August 31, 2026, to June 26, 2027
Application Deadline
August 15, 2026
Delivery
In-Person Learning
Location
Lac La Biche Campus
Domestic Student Fees
Application Fee $53.50
Fall Term
Fee payment deadline: August 15, 2026
| Tuition | $2,486.55 |
| Student Association | $116.70 |
| Dental Insurance Fee | $163.25 |
| Health Insurance Fee | $163.25 |
| Technology Fee | $82.71 |
| Recreation Fee | $54.57 |
| Document Fee | $60.00 |
| Total | $3,127.03 |
Winter Term
Fee payment deadline: December 15, 2026
| Tuition | $2,486.55 |
| Student Association | $116.70 |
| Technology Fee | $82.71 |
| Recreation Fee | $54.57 |
| Document Fee | $60.00 |
| Total | $2,800.53 |
Spring Term
Fee payment deadline: April 21, 2027
| Tuition | $390.00 |
| Student Association | $116.70 |
| Technology Fee | $82.71 |
| Recreation Fee | $54.57 |
| Document Fee | $60.00 |
| Total | $625.20 |
Total tuition & mandatory fees for year: $6,552.76
Part-time Fees
Tuition is calculated using “cost-per-credit” one credit is $130.00. Calculate the cost by multiplying the number of credits per course by $130.
Visit Portage Bookstore for textbooks and supplies Tuition Deposit: $100 (non-refundable)
Need help funding your education? Check out our funding options.
Fee Explanations
Students’ Association Fees
These fees are authorized by student referendum and the Board of Governors. They are collected by the College on behalf of the Students’ Association in accordance with the Post Secondary Learning Act.
Health & Dental Fees
You may opt-out of the Dental and Health Insurance plan if you provide proof of comparable coverage for an extended health and/or dental care benefits plan.
Any questions regarding SA Fees including the Health and Dental Insurance fees should be directed to the SA Office 780-623-5609.
Athletics & Recreation Fees
These fees are collected to provide recreation and leisure opportunities that promote students’ physical, social, and emotional well-being, whether online or through in person facilities. Check out your +region in the link, to see what is offered at your campus or online.
Technology Fee
This is a mandatory fee assessed to students enrolling in any credit course (except for apprenticeship programs) at Portage College. The fee supports the on-going maintenance and upgrades to administrative systems that support the entire College infrastructure.
As such, it is considered a “mandatory non-instructional fee” and, therefore, is subject to Alberta Advanced Education Public Post-Secondary Institutions’ Tuition Fees Regulations. Visa students are charged the same rate as Canadian residents for this fee.
Document Fee
The Document Fee will include official transcripts, unofficial transcripts, certificates, diplomas, Confirmation of Enrollments, ID cards, all documents/letters from the Registrar’s office, etc.
International Student Fees
Application Fee $160.00
Tuition Deposit $1,300 (non-refundable)
If you choose to pay the full tuition and mandatory fees, you may still be eligible for a refund of payments above the $1,300 deposit, as per the Portage College refund policy.
Fall Term
Fee payment deadline: August 15, 2026
| Tuition | $7,459.65 |
| Student Association | $116.70 |
| Dental Insurance Fee | $163.25 |
| Health Insurance Fee | $163.25 |
| Guard Me Insurance | $602.25 |
| Technology Fee | $82.71 |
| Recreation Fee | $54.57 |
| Document Fee | $60.00 |
| Total | $8,702.38 |
Winter Term
Fee payment deadline: December 15, 2026
| Tuition | $7,459.65 |
| Student Association | $116.70 |
| Technology Fee | $82.71 |
| Recreation Fee | $54.57 |
| Document Fee | $60.00 |
| Total | $7,773.63 |
Spring Term
Fee payment deadline: April 21, 2027
| Tuition | $1,170.00 |
| Student Association | $116.70 |
| Technology Fee | $248.13 |
| Recreation Fee | $54.57 |
| Document Fee | $60.00 |
| Total | $1,570.62 |
Total tuition & mandatory fees for year: $18,046.63
Visit Portage Bookstore for textbooks and supplies
Fee Explanations
Students’ Association Fees
These fees are authorized by student referendum and the Board of Governors. They are collected by the College on behalf of the Students’ Association in accordance with the Post Secondary Learning Act.
Health & Dental Fees
You may opt-out of the Dental and Health Insurance plan if you provide proof of comparable coverage for an extended health and/or dental care benefits plan.
Any questions regarding SA Fees including the Health and Dental Insurance fees should be directed to the SA Office 780-623-5609.
Athletics & Recreation Fees
These fees are collected to provide recreation and leisure opportunities that promote students’ physical, social, and emotional well-being, whether online or through in person facilities. Check out your +region in the link, to see what is offered at your campus or online.
Technology Fee
This is a mandatory fee assessed to students enrolling in any credit course (except for apprenticeship programs) at Portage College. The fee supports the on-going maintenance and upgrades to administrative systems that support the entire College infrastructure.
As such, it is considered a “mandatory non-instructional fee” and, therefore, is subject to Alberta Advanced Education Public Post-Secondary Institutions’ Tuition Fees Regulations. Visa students are charged the same rate as Canadian residents for this fee.
Document Fee
The Document Fee will include official transcripts, unofficial transcripts, certificates, diplomas, Confirmation of Enrollments, ID cards, all documents/letters from the Registrar’s office, etc.
Jada Anderson - Success Story
For twenty years Jada wanted to go back to school but always thought she was too old. After surviving an injury, she applied to the Professional Cooking Certificate program and continued onto the Culinary Arts Diploma. As a graduate, she receives the Red Spirit Knife.