Offered by Northern Lights College in Dawson Creek, Canada, Professional Cook 1 Certificate - Institutional Entry is a foundation in Culinary Arts programme. The programme runs for 30 weeks, delivered on campus. Teaching is in English. Tuition for international students is CAD 12,978 per total (CAD 3,140 per total for local students).
At a glance
Degree:Foundation
Field:Culinary Arts
Duration: 30 weeks
Delivery: On Campus
Language: English
Local tuition: CAD 3,140 / total
International tuition: CAD 12,978 / total
Last reviewed September 2026 ·
Program details
Overview
The Professional Cook 1 Certificate (Institutional Entry) follows the SkilledTradesBC prescribed curriculum across 840 hours, approximately 30 weeks. Students perform all phases of kitchen work, including preparing and presenting vegetables, soups, sauces, meat, fish, and poultry, cold kitchen items, desserts, baking, and pastry, plus basic menu planning and costing and training in safety, sanitation, and food storage. The program runs as a September cohort at the Dawson Creek campus and is open to international students (IELTS 5.5 overall with no band below 5.0).
Requirements
Admission Requirements: Applicants must satisfy one of three pathways. Pathway A requires English (BC Language Arts 10, 11, or 12 at a minimum C+, ENGL 030 or higher at C+, or Academic IELTS 5.5 overall with no band below 5.0) and Math (BC Math 10 at C+, BC Math 11 at C, BC Math 12 at C, or MATH 030 or higher at C+). Pathway B is completion of ESTR 037, Essential Skills for Trades - Intermediate Level, with a minimum final grade of 67%. Pathway C is completion of the People Obtaining Workplace Employment Requirements (POWER) programme. Before the programme starts, applicants must provide proof of a Foodsafe Level 1 certificate valid through the full duration of study. The certificate runs a September intake at Dawson Creek on a cohort basis, comprising approximately 840 contact hours over 30 weeks.
Application Details
Start Date:September
Application Deadline:Northern Lights College uses one admissions calendar for domestic and international applicants alike, applying through EducationPlannerBC or in person. Applications open about eleven months before each intake: 1 October for the following Fall, 1 February for the following Winter, and 1 June for the following Spring. For the 2027 cycle the priority deadline is 30 September 2026 for Winter 2027 entry, 31 January 2027 for Spring 2027 entry, and 31 May 2027 for Fall 2027 entry (dual-credit applicants get until 24 October 2026 and 23 June 2027 respectively), with a tuition deposit due about a month after each priority date. NLC states international applicants already in Canada on a valid visa follow the same domestic deadlines; after the priority date, seats remain open, on a rolling basis, until each term's add/drop date. These are institution-wide dates; this programme publishes no deadline of its own.
