Getting certified through the various culinary programmes offered by the island’s leading training institutions can often leave a prospective student bewildered.

Where to apply, how to apply and what is required prior to applying are all worth considering; Thursday Food looks at the matriculation requirements for two of the island’s largest culinary programmes, University of the West Indies/University of Technology Hospitality and Tourism Management, and HEART Runaway Bay Hotel & Training Institute courses.

How do I apply to HEART Runaway Bay?

Applicants need to submit a completed HEART Trust application form with one passport-sized photograph to the nearest HEART office or training institution (application forms are available at all HEART Trust/NTA training institutions and offices).

Applicants are required to sit an entrance test — set at the grade nine/third form level — in Math and English (applicants who hold at least one CXC or GCE; two SSCs or four JSCs are exempt from entrance test).

Applicants to Runaway Bay HEART Hotel & Training Institute may also apply online at: Ims.heart-nta.org where all the programmes are listed.

Note: Completed application forms are processed by the Regional Programme Services (RPS) department and an office is located in each region across the island.

For Higher Level Programmes, Level 3 and above, applicants are required to satisfy the Level 2 requirement with requisite industry exposure.

How do I apply to UWI/UTech joint Hospitality and Tourism Management programme?

Before registering and beginning modules in the Hospitality and Tourism Management Bsc Degree, candidates must have satisfied general matriculation requirements of the university.

Prospective students must:

Hold five CXC subjects including Math and English with passes I, II or III; or the GCE O Level equivalent with grades A, B or C (preference will be given to applicants with a foreign language).

Pass an admissions interview.

Can I enter the UWI/UTech programme without CXC/GCE scores?

There are three methods of entry to the course:

Normal Entry – an applicant who satisfies the university’s normal matriculation requirements and is successful at the interview. This applicant will enter the course of study at Year 1.

Mature Entry – An applicant over the age of 25 years, who has not satisfied the university’s matriculation requirement, may be accepted into Year 1 of the course using the prior learning assessment (PLA) route. The student will work with the PLA coordinator and an assigned supervisor to develop a portfolio to demonstrate knowledge equivalent to the university’s matriculation standards and/or gain PLA credit for work in the area of specialisation.

Advanced placements – applicants eligible for advanced placement are those applicants to the university from other approved educational institutions who may be granted module exemptions for undergraduate and postgraduate courses of study. Students who are accepted through the advanced placement method will advance into Year 3 of the course. In some cases, however, the applicants will be required to take necessary bridging courses to satisfy requirements for the degree.

At the interview, applicants will be required to indicate their areas of specialisation and/or minors. Students who were granted advanced placement from other institutions will enter the course at Year 3 and would have already declared their major at their previous institutions. They would be required to do one internship period only because they would have already completed two internship periods totalling 10 weeks.

Note: All students entering via advanced placement must complete 85 per cent of their upper-level modules at UTech in order to gain a UTech degree.