More schools all the time are offering culinary arts programs.  There are even many exclusive cooking schools out there — that is, schools that focus solely on teaching the culinary arts, such as this culinary school in Seattle.  But why do you even need to get your culinary arts degree?  Here are 3 good reasons to pursue a degree in the industry.

1. Many employers are beginning to expect it.  The Bureau of Labor Statistics recently published their 2008-09 Occupational Outlook Handbook, which notes that culinary employers are hiring degreed employees increasingly more often than they used to.  Since these programs have become so common, it is becoming expected for workers in the industry to have at least a two- or four-year degree in the field.
2. You can get a better job with a degree.  A degree in many cases can help you bypass the grunt work jobs.  Unless you really dream of asking, "And do you want fries with that?" as part of your job, you’ll find a degree gets you closer to where you want to go.
3. You can get a better promotion with a degree.  Even if you are already in the industry, that doesn’t mean that you don’t need your degree.  A culinary arts degree can help earn you a promotion with your current employer, or even score you a better job with another employer.

Even in industries such as the culinary arts, degrees are useful and even sometimes necessary.  Don’t skimp on education, for your career’s sake — a degree could mean the difference between mediocrity and success!