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Overview

The Institute for the Culinary Arts at MCC offers two specialized degree paths: Sustainable Culinary Management and Sustainable Baking Management. Through a mapped-out curriculum, students build their skills progressively with hands-on experience in professional kitchens and baking labs.

Students develop foundational and advanced techniques in culinary arts, baking, sustainability practices, kitchen operations, hospitality, and leadership. The program emphasizes craft, culture, service, sustainability, and business to prepare students for the food service industry.

Virtual Tour  Take a virtual tour of the MCC Institute for the Culinary Arts.

Degrees & Certificates Offered

Associate in Applied Science:

Certificates of Achievement:

Career Certificate:

Accreditation

MCC Culinary Arts associates programs are accredited by the American Culinary Federation with exemplary status.

American Culinary Federation - Standard of Excellence for Chefs logoAmerican Culinary Federation - Exemplary Program award

JOB & SALARY OUTLOOK

Open Kitchen – Community Courses

The Institute for the Culinary Arts is proud to offer a variety of continuing education programs including workshops, pairing studios, chef-led travel experiences, youth camps and team-building programs.

Visit the Continuing Education Culinary Courses page to view and register for upcoming workshops.

Workshops

  • Faculty and industry professionals offer classes in basic culinary skills, advanced culinary techniques and culinary specialties. These classes are designed for nonprofessionals but teach the same time-tested techniques that professionals learn.
  • Typical class size is 16 students. All classes must meet minimum enrollment levels by seven days prior to session date or they will be canceled.

Travel Experiences

  • ​Travel with our faculty to culinary hot spots around the globe and engage in immersive, hands-on experiences in destinations ranging from Kansas City to Ireland.

Youth Camps

  • Chef-led, technique-driven, hands-on camps for young people.
  • Cooks from ages 8-18 can learn fundamental cookery, baking skills and even operate a live restaurant in single or multiple-day workshops.

Team-Building Workshops 

  • Hands-on workshops for teams of all types.
  • Develop skills, relationships and impactful professional experiences, through cookery-centered sessions focusing on communications, mindfulness, collaboration, goal-setting and self-evaluation.

For questions about our continuing education programs, please reach out to the team at chhce@mccneb.edu.

Applied Leadership Academy

Overview

Strengthening Leaders. Together.

The Applied Leadership Academy is built for restaurant and foodservice professionals seeking the hands-on, collaborative experiences necessary to improve team performance and enhance well-being.

The ALA meets once a month to learn about a leadership topic, and then engages with that topic in a measured, results-focused structure to improve themselves and their operation.

ALA Information Request Form

American Sage Spotlights

The American Sages Project celebrates stalwarts of American Regional Cuisine by integrating their work into our curriculum.

Local Flavor

Local Flavor was a cooking series that MCC that ran from 2016-2020. The show is hosted by Chef-instructor Oystein Solberg. With an array of local ingredients from the MCC Horticulture gardens and eastern Nebraska/western Iowa growers and producers, Chef Oystein taught professional-level cooking instruction into Omaha homes and kitchens with other various guests. The Institute for the Culinary Arts is proud to share with you, Local Flavor.

Chef Oystein Solberg

Chef Oystein Solberg

Chef Solberg was a culinary faculty member for many years at the Institute for the Culinary Arts. At the start of his career, he attended culinary school in Norway and continued to work in many restaurants there. With several years behind the stoves of various Norwegian kitchens, he ended up at the Norwegian Embassy in France. He met a girl from Omaha and followed her to the United States where he eventually found himself at the stoves at the culinary school at Metropolitan Community College. Oystein Solberg went on from the college in 2024 but still gets to teach the community with the work he did through Local Flavor.

The Open Kitchen Studio

MUD Demonstration Kitchen

Local Flavor was filmed in what was once the Metropolitan Utilities District Culinary Theatre. This state-of-the-art kitchen has now been remodeled and is used for credit and noncredit classes as well as workshops and professional development for the industry and renamed the Open Kitchen Studio. Please see our community education class list for a chance to work in this space!

Watch Local Flavor

Faculty

Dean's Office

Dean of Culinary, Horticulture, and Business: Brian O'Malley, 531-622-2615
Associate: Ingrid Armstead, 531-622-2355

Faculty

Instructor: Lauren Balak, 531-622-2556
Instructor: Doug Chrisman, 531-622-2578
Instructor: Cathy Curtis, 531-622-2512
Instructor: James Davis, 531-622-2513
Instructor: Chase Grove, 531-622-2467
Instructor: Ben Keeler, 531-622-2509
Instructor: Amanda Sheeler, 531-622-2561

Advising Team

Amy Holtmeier, 531-622-2378
Stefanie Mercer, 531-622-2686 or Text 402-401- 4439

Outreach, Tours, and Jobs

If you are looking for more program information, set up a tour, or inquire about student jobs, email:
Outreach Chef: Emma Helwig, 531-622-2589

Schedule

Find CULI quarter class schedule

Additional Info

Events
For events held at the Institute for the Culinary Arts, please contact Derek Peterson, 531-622-2551
For college wide events, please contact Eric Yarwood, 531-622-2326