CIA ONLINE MASTER’S IN
CULINARY THERAPEUTICS

Restaurant chef and waiter helping customers with menu food questions.

Culinary Therapeutics: Applied Culinary Arts in Health and Wellness

Introducing the master’s in Culinary Therapeutics from the Culinary Institute of America—the first of its kind master’s program that applies culinary arts to promoting health and wellness. Culinary therapeutics is an emerging field of study—with numerous career possibilities—as healthcare shifts toward preventive and personalized care. It combines culinary arts with evidence-based integrative healthcare, making it a promising and impactful field for those with culinary experience who are passionate about using food to promote healthy lifestyles.

Get More Information

Ready to get started? Apply now.

Quick Facts

Next Start Date: Fall 2025

Program Duration: Two years

Total Credits: 30

Program Overview

CIA’s master’s in Culinary Therapeutics integrates food science education, culinary skills, nutritional understanding, mindfulness, and applied culinary practices to prepare its graduates to make positive, real-world impacts on the health of individuals and communities. Taught by an interdisciplinary faculty, CIA offers an array of courses on nutritional science, food-based contributions to promoting wellness, therapeutic menu development, and food intervention strategies around health challenges, all of which educate students in the emerging field of culinary therapeutics.

Upon completion of the program, graduates will be able to:

Utilize their knowledge of nutritional science to critically evaluate dietary and metabolic recommendations from medical professionals and develop healthy and delicious foods and menus that optimize health and wellness.
Apply motivational theories to inspire dietary behavioral changes associated with improved physical and mental wellbeing.
Formulate food-based solutions to wellness issues raised by the larger healthcare system—using their programmatic knowledge, research, and culinary experience.
Educate and mentor individuals through a variety of formats and technologies—discussions, culinary skills demonstrations, writing, and listening.

Note: This program does not lead to licensure in any profession nor allow students to do any activities that are restricted to licensed professions.

Get More Information

Ready to get started? Apply now.

Who Should Apply

CIA’s master’s in Culinary Therapeutics program is designed to educate health-supportive culinary professionals who can use culinary strategies to address health and wellness for individuals with chronic illness, aging adults, athletes in pursuit of peak performance, or those seeking to improve their health and wellness through lifestyle approaches. Any culinary professional looking to advance their career in the health and wellness arena can benefit, including:

Performance food service providers—athletes, sports teams, competitive performers (e.g. dance professionals)
Healthcare-based food service professionals—hospitals, long-term care facilities, rehabilitation centers, senior living centers
Nutritionists/dietitians with existing culinary background
Private chefs
Corporate R&D chefs
Educational institution food professionals—K-12, colleges and universities
Health coach

Curriculum Overview

The two-year, 30-credit Culinary Therapeutics master’s degree program includes:

27 credits in online courses covering subjects such as nutrition and optimal diet theory and application, health and wellness systems integration, therapeutic meal planning, as well as a capstone project developed with the help of faculty advisors and mentors.
3 credits consisting of three short residencies at CIA’s domestic campuses held before the start of the first semester, after the completion of the second semester, and as the final semester concludes.

Curriculum chart for the CIA master's degree in culinary therapeutics.

Download the full curriculum chart (PDF)

Why Culinary Therapeutics is the Future?

Growing Demand for Preventive Healthcare: Surging healthcare costs coupled with increased awareness about lifestyle-related diseases is driving more people to seek preventive health solutions. Culinary Therapeutics provides a proactive approach to using food to promote healthier living for personal wellness.
Chronic Disease Epidemic: Given that many diseases and metabolic conditions are significantly impacted by dietary patterns, Culinary Therapeutics professionals can partner with medical professionals to help manage—even mitigate—these conditions.
Integration with Holistic and Traditional Medicine: Culinary professionals are increasingly included in healthcare settings to work alongside doctors, dietitians, and other health professionals to address mind, body, and spirit.
Demand for Health and Wellness: As people become more aware of how food affects their well-being, demand for food professionals trained in Culinary Therapeutics will increase. This will open up new opportunities in wellness centers, resorts and spas, healthcare facilities, and food service organizations.

Learn In-person with Residencies

The asynchronous online learning format of the Culinary Therapeutics master’s degree program is supported by three in-person residencies.

Your cohort will gather for hands-on learning and immersive experiences in the Hudson Valley and the Napa Valley including:

Hands on kitchen work with culinary skills verification
Taste, palate, and sensory development
Visits and learning opportunities in healthcare settings and wellness centers

Student at his Culinary Institute of America graduation.

CIA Advantage

The Culinary Institute of America has been educating successful food, beverage, and hospitality industry professionals for decades, helping to launch and advance thousands of careers. As a graduate of CIA, you’ll have lifelong access to career resources—including job listings, and Career Fair and networking events. Additionally, you’ll instantly become a member of a 50,000-strong influential professional network of CIA alumni, paving the way for unparalleled career opportunity. Your network will consist of CIA grads who are shaping today’s food industry.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between Culinary Therapeutics and Culinary Medicine?

Culinary Therapeutics and Culinary Medicine are related fields, but they focus on different aspects of food and health. Culinary Therapeutics helps chefs to use food preparation and cooking techniques to promote health and well-being. It integrates culinary skills with knowledge of nutrition, aiming to enhance the therapeutic properties of food. It’s often used in clinical settings to support patients’ recovery and overall wellness through personalized meal planning and cooking. Meanwhile, Culinary Medicine is an interdisciplinary field that combines culinary arts, nutrition science, and medical education. Culinary Medicine focuses on teaching healthcare providers how to use food as a tool for preventing and managing chronic diseases. Culinary Medicine often involves hands-on cooking classes and emphasizes the importance of understanding the nutritional value of ingredients.

Do I need to be a chef or food industry veteran?

You must have some culinary or foodservice experience, but this can be from different types of experience. You should have one of the following:

Associate degree in culinary arts or related discipline
Culinary certificate of at least two semesters or the equivalent
Two years of back-of-house experience in a foodservice environment, or the equivalent

Will I earn a nutritionist or other license as part of this program?

No. This program does not lead to licensure in any profession nor allow students to do any activities that are restricted to licensed professions.

What are requirements for admission?

You must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited U.S. institution or hold an international equivalent to a bachelor’s degree. If your first language is not English, you must complete an English proficiency examination. You must have some culinary or foodservice experience.

Do I need to take the GMAT or GRE for admission?

No—CIA does not require GMAT or GRE submittals for master’s degree program applicants.

Will I need to move to a CIA campus location to complete my studies?

No—the online master’s degree program has been designed for distance delivery. Other than the required short residencies (four to six days), students should be able to complete the program from any location with an internet connection.

Is it possible to work a full-time job while enrolled in the online master’s degree program?

While the academic rigor of the online master’s degree program does require commitment, we believe the workload and pacing will allow most students to achieve a reasonable work/life/study balance. Students will generally be enrolled in two, 3-credit hour courses per 15-week semester. Study time is flexible; students can spread class work across multiple short study sessions or fewer blocks of longer duration to meet their schedule needs. Assignments and associated timelines will vary by course and will be clearly outlined in the syllabus provided at the start of each course.

Can CIA’s online master’s degree program be taken over a longer time period than the prescribed two years?

CIA’s online master’s in Culinary Therapeutics has been intentionally designed to be delivered in an environment where students bond and develop into a learning community over the two years. While extraordinary circumstances will be treated on a case-by-case basis, students are expected to make every effort to stay on pace and progress with their original cohort.