University College Birmingham - Undergraduate Open Day Event
21 Mar 2026, 10:00
Birmingham

OVERVIEW
If you aspire to work in high quality establishments – such as restaurants and pubs featured in the Michelin Guide, or those awarded AA rosettes – our Professional Chef foundation degree is a great way to gain valuable knowledge and hands-on training that will help you craft your culinary career.
Ideal for chefs qualified to Level 3 or those with relevant industry experience, this practical Professional Chef course focuses on culinary skills and will enable you to work with a wide variety of high quality food commodities, as well as developing your food service skills. Working in our industry standard training kitchens under the guidance of our expert chef lecturers, you will also learn about the use of seasonal produce and sustainability, as well as developing transferable skills which will allow you to move between different kitchen styles.
Our renowned Birmingham College of Food has outstanding links with the industry, meaning you will have access to a wide range of guest lectures, visits and other activities. You will further enhance your employability through a work placement in a top industry kitchen, while you will also be able to forge the contacts that could help shape your future career.
WHY CHOOSE THIS COURSE?
Work placement – Gain valuable real-world experience on placements, with past students having worked at Michelin-starred restaurants and top establishments in locations around the globe
Enrichment – Engage with the industry through a variety of activities including guest lectures and demonstrations, masterclasses and visits, as well as further employment opportunities
Expert tuition – Learn from some of the best chefs and food professionals in the industry while studying in our state-of-the-art kitchen facilities on campus
FACILITIES
University College Birmingham is renowned for its outstanding food industry training facilities. As a student on our Culinary Arts Management course, you will have access to our professional standard kitchens which are used regularly for prestigious competitions, as well as our Food Science and Innovation Suite which features the latest food testing and diagnostic technology, state-of-the-art development kitchen facilities and a bespoke sensory evaluation room.
In addition, we have an AA Rosette Highly Commended restaurant on campus – Restaurant at Birmingham College of Food – which is open to the public and will arm you with hands-on skills, from serving fast food to silver service.
PLACEMENTS
You will undertake short work experience placements in the second year of your course, offering a potential stepping stone into a career and providing a valuable boost to your CV.
Employers we have worked with include Carters of Moseley, Clayton Hotel (formally Hotel La Tour), Opheem, Sky by the Water and The Edgbaston Boutique Hotel.
CAREERS AND PROGRESSION
Examples of careers you could pursue following this course:
Head chef
Sous chef
Pastry chef
Catering manager
Food technologist
Product/process development scientist
You could also progress onto the final year of a full BA (Hons) degree, such as our Culinary Arts Management degree course at University College Birmingham.
Discover what it's like to study Professional Chef at University College Birmingham: insights on the course, making friends, personal statement tips, uni prep, and recommended books, podcasts, and videos.
This section shows the range of grades students (with UK A-Levels or Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diplomas) who received offers were previously accepted with (learn more). It is designed to support your research but does not guarantee whether you will or won't get a place. Admissions teams consider various factors, including interviews, subject requirements, and entrance tests. Check all course entry requirements for eligibility.
We are unable to show previous accepted grades for this course. This could be because the course is new, it's a postgraduate course, there isn't enough historical data, or the provider has opted out of sharing their entry grades data for this course - learn more.
Operated by the Office for Students
Employment after 15 months (Most common jobs)
Go onto work and study
The number of student respondents and response rates can be important in interpreting the data – it is important to note your experience may be different from theirs. This data will be based on the subject area rather than the specific course. Read more about this data on the Discover Uni website.
Choose a specific option to see funding information.
Course optionsSummer Row
Birmingham
B3 1JB
Email:admissions@ucb.ac.uk
Phone:0121 604 1040
Email:international@ucb.ac.uk
Phone:0121 232 4447