The Associate of Occupational Studies degree in culinary arts and sciences and restaurant management is completed in fifteen months, including a 3-month externship at a national location of the student's choice. SCI is one of the very few schools that provides instruction in decorative showpieces and confections, such as chocolates, bread baskets, sugar casting, spun and blown sugar, salt dough, isomalt, cake decorations, and wedding cakes. Small classes allow chefs to supervise and build hands-on skills. Professional placement averages almost 100 percent per graduating class. Campus Life Seventy percent of the SCI student body is from outside Arizona.
Most students reside in apartments, many of which are located within walking distance of campus.
A free apartment locating service is provided. Public transportation is available. Student life is diverse and broadly based in interest. Activities include outdoor sports and adventure, fine and cultural arts, Native American history and events, world-class shopping, multicultural restaurants and events, college sports at Arizona State University, and an endless array of day trips by bus or car. Students enjoy camaraderie with free student banquets that are held Monday through Friday for lunch or dinner.