Culinary Food Science Transfer Plan
No more than 65 semester credit hours earned at a two-year college can be applied to a baccalaureate degree from Iowa State University. Iowa State accepts up to 16 semester hours of credit earned in career/technical courses if the sending community college accepts such courses toward its Associate in Art or Associate in Science Degrees.
These plans are suggestions only and may need to be adapted to meet individual needs and commitments.
Transfer plans are available for Iowa community colleges on the Iowa State Transfer Plan Portal.
View links to the course requirements, sample four-year plan, and course sequence flow chart on the culinary food science major page.
Use the Financial Aid Timeline to plan ahead for financial aid and scholarship opportunities.
What to Complete Before Transferring
All courses on this plan do not need to be completed prior to transfer. Focus on completing science sequence courses to move through the program at the quickest pace after transfer.
If you are a part-time student or cannot complete all of the suggested coursework on this plan, consider choosing the science coursework first since this begins the longest sequence of courses. (Begin the science sequence with General/College Chemistry equivalent(s) and Principles of Biology equivalents.)
Timing/Sequence
First Semester
| Iowa State course number, name | ISU credit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| CHEM 177/177L or CHEM 163/163L, General Chemistry I | 4 (lecture), 1 (lab) | Culinary Food Science students at Iowa State must take an equivalent to either CHEM 163/163L or CHEM 177/177L at Iowa State to fulfill the general chemistry requirement. |
| BIOL 212/212L, Principles of Biology II | 4 | |
| Select an interchangeable course from the list | 3 | |
| Select an interchangeable course from the list | 3 | |
| Library 160, Library Instruction | 1 | Some schools have an equivalent to this course, and some do not. If an equivalent doesn’t exist, this course can easily be fit into a schedule at Iowa State after transfer |
Total credits: About 14-15 (varies based on course credits of transfer institution)
Second Semester
| Iowa State course number, name | ISU credit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| CHEM 231/231L, Elementary Organic Chemistry or CHEM 331/331L, Organic Chemistry II | 3 (lecture), 1 (lab) | If your institution only offers the CHEM 331/L equivalent and you need CHEM 178/L as a pre-requisite, you should plan to take CHEM 178/L during the previous semester. |
| MICRO 201/201L | 2 (lecture), 1 (lab) | Microbiology courses that transfer as MICRO 2T** on the Course Equivalency Guides, are at least 3 credits, and include a laboratory, will fulfill the MICRO 201/201L requirement for Culinary Food Science majors |
| Select an interchangeable course from the list | 3 | |
| Select an interchangeable course from the list | 3 |
Total credits: about 13 (will vary based on credits of courses at transfer institution)
Third Semester
| Iowa State course number, name | ISU credit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| CHEM 231/231L, Elementary Organic Chemistry or CHEM 331/331L, Organic Chemistry II | 3 (lecture), 1 (lab) | If your institution only offers the CHEM 331/L equivalent and you need CHEM 178/L as a pre-requisite, you should plan to take CHEM 178/L during the previous semester. |
| MICRO 201/201L | 2 (lecture), 1 (lab) | Microbiology courses that transfer as MICRO 2T** on the Course Equivalency Guides, are at least 3 credits, and include a laboratory, will fulfill the MICRO 201/201L requirement for Culinary Food Science majors |
| Select an interchangeable course from the list | 3 | |
| Select an interchangeable course from the list | 3 |
Total credits: About 13 (will vary based on credits of courses at transfer institution)
Fourth Semester
Typically, at this point in the sequence of courses, it is important that students have transferred to Iowa State. You should visit with the FSHN transfer advisor to determine the best time to transfer based on your situation. If possible, early planning is recommended to determine the transfer semester that will result in the most timely completion of your degree requirements
Interchangeable Courses
| Iowa State course number, name | ISU credit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Math 140, 142, 160, 165 or 181– College Algebra (140) or higher | 3 | Take an equivalent to one course from this category |
| STAT 101, Principles of Statistics or STAT 104, Introduction to Statistics | 4,3 | Take an equivalent to one of these two courses |
| ENGL 150, Critical Thinking & Communication | 3 | |
| ENGL 250, Written, Oral, Visual, and Electronic Communication | 3 | Usually, an equivalent to ENGL 150 is the pre-requisite to an ENGL 250 equivalent |
| SP CM 212, Speech Communication | 3 | |
| FS HN 167, Intro. to Human Nutrition | 3 | |
| ECON 101, Principles of Economics | 3 | |
| Humanities course | 3-9 | Download a list of courses at Iowa State that can fulfill Humanities requirements. Additionally, classes listed on the Course Equivalency Guides as HUM 1T**, 2T**, 3T**, 4T** can also serve as humanities. 3-9 credits of humanities are needed. Consult with the Iowa State FSHN advisor regarding how many credits of humanities classes you should take prior to transfer. |
Articulation Agreements
Iowa State and several community colleges have developed articulation agreements for students who wish to begin Culinary Science coursework at another college and receive an Associate of Science degree. Students should contact an advisor to learn more.
FAQs
My community college offers a Culinary Arts associates program. Should I complete the program and then transfer to Iowa State’s Culinary Food Science program?
That depends on your goals. A culinary arts program is not typically equivalent to the first two years of the culinary food science program at Iowa State. The reason for this is that typically culinary arts programs prepare students with in-depth culinary skill development with little or no emphasis on science preparation. Typically, culinary arts programs are preparing students to become chefs at restaurants.
The culinary food science degree program, on the other hand, focuses on in-depth science and food science preparation with basic culinary skill development. The culinary food science degree program is not preparing students to become head chefs at restaurants, but rather to work in areas such as food research and development, corporate restaurant product development, quality research management, sensory science, culinary research technology, food quality control, and food marketing and sales. The science preparation is the focus of this program. Science courses are sequential because they build on one another, so to complete the culinary food science program in four years, students must start their science sequences during their first two years of school (see the transfer plan above). Culinary arts programs typically do not provide the training to do this unless special planning is taken.
If your goal is to become a chef (along with having culinary science training), then a culinary arts degree is necessary and should be completed along with, prior to, or after the culinary food science degree. It will typically take about 6 years (full time) to receive both degrees. Otherwise, it is more advantageous to follow this transfer plan.
I am (or was) a student in a Culinary Arts program. Will any of the courses from the Culinary Arts program apply to my degree?
Maybe. Some of these courses have been previously evaluated on the course equivalency guides. Otherwise, these types of courses are evaluated on a case-by-case basis. The most common types of courses from Culinary Arts programs that can apply to the Culinary Food Science program include food preparation courses, nutrition courses, and culinary internships (depending on the location and type of experience). If you have completed courses in a Culinary Arts degree, you should check the course equivalency guides and/or enter your coursework into the TRANSIT system. If the courses are not showing as equivalents at your institution on the documents, you should contact the Culinary Food Science transfer academic advisor. See the response to the questions below for more details.
How do I know which chemistry sequence to take: CHEM 163/L or CHEM 177/L &CHEM 178?
Consultation with an advisor at your current institution and at Iowa State is important to determine which chemistry sequence is appropriate for your skills, abilities, and goals. However, some general advice follows. At Iowa State, CHEM 163/L is a one-semester look at college chemistry principles that prepares students for Elementary Organic Chemistry (CHEM 231/L at Iowa State). CHEM 177/L is one part of a two-part sequence that is typically a more in-depth look at general chemistry concepts for students with stronger math and chemistry backgrounds. The in-depth two-part sequence typically better prepares students for Elementary Organic Chemistry.
Some schools only offer the equivalent to the CHEM 177/L & 178/L sequence (see the course equivalency guides to check a community college). If you have the choice between CHEM 163/L and CHEM 177/L, then you should visit with an advisor at your current institution to find out which you are most prepared for.
Also, many schools do not offer an Elementary Organic Chemistry course such as Iowa State’s CHEM 231/L, only a higher-level Organic Chemistry course (equivalent to Iowa State’s CHEM 331/L). If this is the case and you plan to stay at your community college through organic chemistry, then you typically need to take the CHEM 177/L to 178/L sequences to be most prepared for the higher level Organic Chemistry course (equivalent to CHEM 331/L).
What if I have finished the Chemistry sequence on this plan (gotten to or finished CHEM 231/231L or 331/331L)?
It’s time to visit with the FSHN transfer academic advisor. It is likely time for you to transfer to Iowa State so that you can stay on track with your coursework. In a few circumstances, it might be appropriate to take an equivalent to BBMB 301 (Survey of Biochemistry) if offered at your current institution, but it is very important to discuss if this is the best option with the FSHN advisor at this point or if you should transfer.
Do I need any electives for this major? What counts as an elective?
Students in this program must have completed 122.5 credits to graduate. Students usually need to take between 0 and 6 credits, minimum, of electives to get to 122.5 credit hours. You may need a few more or less as a transfer student depending on the number of credits that the courses are at your transfer institution. Any course that is accepted by Iowa State as a transfer course that isn’t already fulfilling a degree requirement can be considered an elective.
What if I have finished all (or most of the interchangeable courses on this list) and am now just working on the science coursework so I don’t have a full-time course load? Is there anything else that might transfer?
Maybe. If you haven’t already, it’s appropriate to be visiting with the FSHN advisor at this point. It might also be appropriate to discuss with the advisor if there is a minor that you could start working toward that would complement your degree selection.