Cucina Italiana (Italian Cuisine)

Are you passionate about Italian cuisine and gastronomy? By enrolling in the Cucina Italiana program, you will be able to obtain your DVS in Cuisine while immersing yourself in the culinary traditions of Italy. 

Overview

This accelerated training course will allow you to learn all the basic techniques of professional cooking in addition to specializing in Italian cuisine. Thanks to passionate instructors and a unique immersion stay in Italy, you will have everything you need to become a pro in Italian cooking. 

Program key elements

• A unique training course focussing on the classics of Italian gastronomy 
• Italian language and culture courses
• 3-month stay in Italy
• Action learning in the ITHQ’s restaurants
• Experienced and passionate instructors

Master the basics of the world’s most popular cuisine!

What you will learn
Simplicity, freshness, tradition

• Classic recipes of Italian gastronomy
• Showcasing products from Italy and Québec
• Sensorial qualities of the foods
• Basic cuts and cooking techniques
• Kitchen organization and storage of goods
• Mise en place and presentation of dishes
• Teamwork within the brigade
• Varied menu service
• Hygiene and food safety standards
• Occupational health and safety standards

Partners

Scuola Internazionale di Cucina Italiana ALMA

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Scuola Internazionale di Cucina Italiana ALMA

The world’s leading training centre for Italian cuisine, ALMA – International School of Italian Cuisine is housed in the magnificent Ducal Palace of Colorno, 10 km from Parma, a city recognized by UNESCO for its gastronomic creativity.

Since 2004, ALMA has been training chefs, pastry chefs, sommeliers and restaurant managers from all over the world, providing them with top-level training programs taught by preeminent instructors. The school also benefits from more than 700 training partners, including some of the most renowned Italian restaurants.

The collaboration between the ITHQ and ALMA goes back a long way. In fact, between 2005 and 2014, more than 100 ITHQ students completed an internship placement at ALMA.

In 2023, thanks to the support of the Fondation Magnani-Montaruli, the 2 leading schools have decided to renew their partnership in order to offer a unique gastronomic and cultural immersion experience to students in the Cucina Italiana program.

Fondation Magnani-Montaruli

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Fondation Magnani-Montaruli

The Cucina Italiana programme students’ immersion stay in Italy is made possible thanks to the support of the Fondation Magnani-Montaruli.

Founded as a tribute to 2 pioneers of Italian cuisine and wine in Québec, the Fondation Magnani-Montaruli aims to promote the transmission of Italian culinary and winemaking traditions to the next generation of Québec chefs and sommeliers.

Since 1999, it has awarded more than $500,000 in scholarships to ITHQ students, enabling more than a hundred of them to undertake advanced training in Italy.

Program structure and courses

Duration and schedule

• Program starting every year in the fall 
• Spread over 14 months full-time (3 continuing sessions)
• Includes a total of 1 884 hours, including 1 464 hours of coursework and 420 hours of internship (ministerial program totalling 1 470 hours)
• Daytime courses and practical applications in the evening

Hands-on experience

Compulsory internship:

• A 3-month end-of-studies stay (420 h) in Italy, offered in collaboration with ALMA – International School of Italian Cuisine (subject to obtaining the required visa).
• This stay includes 2 weeks of seminars, practical workshops and visits to producers, as well as 10 weeks of unpaid internship in a restaurant service establishment.
• The cost of the plane ticket is the responsibility of the student. Accommodation and food will be provided. 

Practical applications:

• Production of dishes for the ITHQ restaurants customers
• Participation in various gastronomic activities

Diploma

• Diploma of Vocational Studies (DVS) in Cuisine from the Ministère de l’Éducation
• ITHQ Signature certificate in Cucina Italiana
• Food Handler certification in hygiene and food safety from the Ministère de l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l’Alimentation du Québec.

Admission

Admission application periods

Admission requirements

To be eligible for this program, you must:

• Have a Secondary School Diploma (SSD) or equivalent education, OR
• Be at least 16 years of age and have successfully completed your Secondary 4 French (or English, if you studied in English), Second Language (English or French, as the case may be) and Mathematics courses, or equivalent education.
• Demonstrate proficiency in oral and written French: refer to the Required language proficiency page for more details.

Required documents

Admission application procedure

• Applicants must ensure that they meet the program’s admission requirements before submitting their application.      
• Incomplete or late applications will not be accepted.       
• For your admission file to be considered complete, it must contain a copy of all the official documents required by the ITHQ in accordance with your status, as listed above.
• These documents must be legible and saved in PDF format. Documents in a language other than French or English must also be accompanied by a certified translation into French or English.            
• Some documents required by the ITHQ may not be requested automatically on the admission platform. It is therefore your responsibility to ensure that all the documents on the list in accordance with your status have been uploaded to your file before submitting your application.  

Costs and financial aid

Program fees

Use the program fee calculator to find out about the costs of this program.

Financial aid and scholarships

Looking for financial support for your study project? Find out about the different options available to you.  

Learn more

Future prospects

At the heart of a brigade

Working as a cook requires the mastery of culinary techniques as well as a developed sense of aesthetics and organization. This training will allow you to develop all the necessary skills to access the kitchens of the best restaurants, which are constantly looking for new talent.