Domestic Apply
Use this process to apply to Portage College if you are a Canadian citizen, permanent resident (landed immigrant) or a protected person (refugee).
NOTICE: This program is not accepting applications for the 2025-2026 academic year. The program intends to be re-launched in 2026-27.
The Portage College Culinary Arts Diploma provides you with all the specialized knowledge and professional skills needed for the ever-changing and equally exciting food service industry.
Your instructors are certified Red Seal Chefs who are passionate about food. They are just as eager to teach you the fundamentals of regional and international foods as well as how to work in a fully functional commercial kitchen adhering to the strict standards of preparing, handling, and serving food.
Courses include Kitchen introduction, Baking and Pastries, Stocks, Soups & Sauces, and Kitchen Management - All in the professional commercial kitchens in the Hospitality Training Centre.
All our students receive National Food Safety Training, WHMIS training, and First Aid Training.
After the first year, students have the option to register as apprentices and write first and second-period apprenticeship cook exams. Students graduating from the program will be eligible to write the third period apprenticeship cook exams.
Domestic Funding Options
Browse through funding options available to students at Portage College to see what may be available to you.
Domestic Information Request
If you would like to receive more information about this program please use the Info Request Form linked here.
“I was looking forward to learning about international cuisine and how some of the dishes are created, cooked and presented. And because the class sizes were not too big, we were able to get the instruction and attention we needed to make our food even better.”
Andrea Gauthier
Culinary Arts Program Graduate
Career Potential
Graduates of the Culinary Arts Diploma program are able to work in areas such as, but are not limited to:
- Hotels
- Resorts
- Restaurants (from fast food to fine dining)
- Conference centres
- Hospitals
- Banquet halls and clubs
- Camp kitchens
- Nationwide specialty food outlets
Cooks can advance through promotions with the same employer or move to more advanced positions with other employers. Career options include chef, sous-chef, executive chef, banquet manager, food service administrator and coordinator, 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. There are numerous career opportunities for certified cooks, including marketing, media, education, product development, consulting and owning their own business.
Credentials
Year 1: N/A
Year 2: Diploma
Program Start/End Dates
Year 1: August 28, 2025 to May 1, 2026 (Fall and Winter Terms)
Application Deadline
Domestic: August 21, 2025 (Applications will be considered after if seats remain available)
Location
St. Paul campus
Domestic Student Fees
Application fee: $53.50
Fall Term
Fee payment deadline: August 15, 2025
| Tuition | $1,940.00 |
| Student Association | $116.70 |
| Dental Insurance Fee | $163.25 |
| Health Insurance Fee | $163.25 |
| Technology Fee | $82.71 |
| Recreation Fee | $54.57 |
| Total | $2,520.48 |
Winter Term
Fee payment deadline: December 15, 2025
| Tuition | $1,940.00 |
| Student Association | $116.70 |
| Technology Fee | $82.71 |
| Recreation Fee | $54.57 |
| Total | $2,193.98 |
Total tuition and mandatory fees: $4,714.46
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 $130.00. Other mandatory fees are listed below by semester.
Visit the Portage College Bookstore for textbooks and supplies.
Tuition Deposit: $100 (non-refundable for oversubscribed programs)
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.
International Student Fees
Application Fee $160.00
Tuition Deposit $5000.00 (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 $5000 deposit, as per the Portage College refund policy.
Fall Term
Fee payment deadline: August 15, 2025
| Tuition | $5,820.00 |
| 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 |
| Total | $7,002.73 |
Winter Term
Fee payment deadline: December 15, 2025
| Tuition | $5,820.00 |
| Student Association | $116.70 |
| Technology Fee | $82.71 |
| Recreation Fee | $54.57 |
| Total | $6,074.43 |
Total tuition & mandatory fees for the year: $13,077.16
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.
Other purchases may be necessary in order for students to complete their courses/program.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most Portage College programs will be delivered online. students will need regular access to a computer with a webcam and an internet connection. High speed broadband access is highly recommended for the optimal learning experience.
For technical requirements, visit our Moodle page.
Culinary Arts Diploma
We acknowledge that Portage College’s service region is on the traditional lands of First Nation Peoples, the owners of Treaty 6, 8 and 10, which are also homelands to the Métis people. We honour the history and culture of all people who first lived and gathered in these lands.