Culinary Arts Schools and Programs in Spain

Culinary Arts Studies in Spain

Spain offers two main routes to train as a cook: official vocational training (FP) in the Hospitality and Tourism family, at intermediate (grado medio) and higher (grado superior) level, and university bachelor's degrees in gastronomy, which combine cooking with food science and management. Private schools add their own courses, from pastry specialisations to classes for amateur cooks.

The right choice depends on your goal: getting into a professional kitchen quickly, running one, or working in culinary innovation and the food industry.

Vocational training: the official cookery programmes

The Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sports lists two core cookery qualifications in the Hospitality and Tourism family on its TodoFP portal:

• Técnico en Cocina y Gastronomía (grado medio, 2,000 hours): culinary techniques, food preparation and preservation, culinary products, basic pastry, restaurant desserts, and food safety and hygiene
• Técnico Superior en Dirección de Cocina (grado superior, 2,000 hours): culinary production processes, kitchen production management, purchasing, food quality and safety, gastronomy and nutrition, restaurant administration and team management

According to TodoFP, both programmes include a work placement as an integrated part of the curriculum. Entry to the intermediate programme requires, among other options, the Spanish secondary school certificate (ESO) or an entrance test, for which candidates must be at least 17. The higher programme requires the Bachiller (upper secondary school certificate), a Técnico qualification or the higher-level entrance test. After the higher programme, graduates can go on to a university degree, with the possibility of having some modules credited.

University degrees in gastronomy

Spanish bachelor's degrees (grados) generally have 240 ECTS credits, under Royal Decree 822/2021. Two examples in gastronomy:

• Mondragon Unibertsitatea teaches the Grado en Gastronomía y Artes Culinarias at the Basque Culinary Center in Donostia / San Sebastián: 240 ECTS over four years, 100 places, taught in Spanish and English
• CETT-UB in Barcelona teaches the Grado en Ciencias Culinarias y Gastronómicas: 240 ECTS over four years, in Spanish and Catalan, with pathways in culinary R&D for the food industry, culinary innovation and creativity, and institutional catering management; part of the teaching takes place at the University of Barcelona's Torribera Food Campus

According to CETT, its degree was the first in culinary and gastronomic sciences in Catalonia.

Where to study cookery in Spain

Among the schools in this directory, Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia have the most, but there are also options in the Basque Country, central Catalonia, Castilla-La Mancha, Aragon, Andalusia and the Canary Islands. Some examples:

• Mediterráneo Culinary Center (Valencia) teaches the official higher programme in Dirección de Cocina, 2,000 hours, as dual FP with training in restaurants
• Escuela Superior de Hostelería Artxanda (Bilbao) offers the intermediate and higher cookery programmes as official qualifications, in Spanish or in Basque and Spanish, plus specialisation courses and amateur cooking classes
• Escuela de Hostelería Toledo teaches the intermediate programme in Cocina y Gastronomía and the higher programme in Dirección de Cocina, both 2,000 hours
• Joviat (Manresa) groups its culinary studies into intermediate and higher programmes, a postgraduate course and non-official qualifications

Before enrolling at a private school, check whether the course leads to an official FP qualification or is the school's own certificate. The names can be similar while the recognition is not.

Admission for international students

For a university degree, students who finished secondary school outside Spain usually go through UNEDasiss, the UNED service that assesses international students' academic records and runs the tests needed for entry to Spanish bachelor's degrees. You then apply for a place at each university. For FP, foreign non-university qualifications are recognised (homologación) through the ministry's online office; if you want to enter with a vocational qualification from your own country, it must be recognised first.

Students from outside the European Union who come for more than 90 days need a study visa from the Spanish consulate. Among other requirements, it asks for acceptance at an authorised centre for full-time study, financial means equal to 100% of Spain's IPREM income indicator and health insurance with no co-payments.

Careers

The intermediate programme leads to work as a cook or chef de partie in restaurants, hotels and catering businesses. According to TodoFP, the higher programme prepares students for roles such as head chef, sous-chef, kitchen production manager, food and beverage director or catering operations manager, and in a small establishment graduates can run the kitchen as owners. University degrees add careers in culinary research and development in the food industry and in catering management.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to study cookery in Spain?

The official FP programmes Técnico en Cocina y Gastronomía and Técnico Superior en Dirección de Cocina have 2,000 hours each. University degrees in gastronomy have 240 ECTS credits over four years.

Can I study a culinary degree in English in Spain?

Mondragon Unibertsitatea's Grado en Gastronomía y Artes Culinarias at the Basque Culinary Center is taught in Spanish and English, according to the university. CETT-UB's degree is taught in Spanish and Catalan.

What is the difference between the intermediate and higher cookery programmes?

The intermediate programme trains you to prepare dishes and work as a cook or chef de partie. The higher programme adds production, cost and team management and prepares you to run a kitchen.

Do I need a visa to study cookery in Spain?

Non-EU citizens need a study visa for study stays of more than 90 days. Shorter stays do not require a study visa, although a short-stay Schengen visa may be needed depending on nationality.