Keystone logo
ALMA - The School of Italian Culinary Arts

ALMA - The School of Italian Culinary Arts

ALMA - The School of Italian Culinary Arts

Introduction

The World's Leading Center For Training in Italian Cuisine

ALMA - The International School of Italian Cuisine is hosted in the magnificent Ducal Palace of Colorno, located in a beautiful Italian-style garden. The school is 10 km from Parma, the heart of the Italian Food Valley, and awarded by UNESCO as the Creative City of Gastronomy, where also EFSA - the European Food Safety Authority is located.
This outstanding historical location is equipped with the latest teaching and cooking facilities. It covers over 7.000 MQ with a conference room and an agora room with kitchens, 7 training classrooms, 4 demo classrooms, 2 pastry labs, and 1 sommelier room fully equipped with an A/V system, a 17th-century wine cellar, 1 sensory analysis lab, 1 R&D kitchen, 1 library with 13.000 culinary books, newspapers and DVD collections, a central kitchen, 1 restaurant seating 180 guests and 1 Fine Dining Restaurant seating 40 guests.
Since 2004, ALMA has educated in this location chefs, pastry chefs, sommeliers, and F&B managers from all over the world with training programs performed at the highest level by the most awarded teachers.
ALMA’s dean was Maestro Gualtiero Marchesi, the most authoritative Italian chef and cooking teacher all over the world. Moreover, the school collaborates with more than 700 among the most renowned Italian restaurants to place internships for ALMA students, also relying on the high-qualified teaching staff.

One of the reasons for this success is the ALMA Alumni’s high employment rate. Out of statistics, 90% of them find a job within 6 months after their diploma and ALMA helps them accessing employment thanks to ALMAlink, a dedicated portal ALMAlink allowing restaurants, hotels, and companies of the catering industry to get into contact with ALMA graduates.

ALMA Teaching Offer

Language: Italian

  • Advanced Course in Italian Cuisine
  • Advanced Course in Pastry
  • Advanced Course in Baking
  • Cuisine Techniques Course
  • Pastry Techniques Course
  • Assistant Restaurant&Bar Manager
  • Master Sommelier ALMA-AIS
  • F&B Manager Course

Language: English

  • Long Program: International Program of Italian Cuisine
  • Long Program: International Program of Modern Pastry
  • Short Program: A Taste of Italy
  • Joint Programs with Partner Schools

ALMA International Network

ALMA has a strong international vocation and this is the reason why it has developed a strong network of the top Culinary Schools all over the world. In collaboration with its partner schools, ALMA organizes special Italian cooking courses and trains foreign chefs to become ambassadors of Italian cuisine and Italian products in their home country.

Africa

  • Prue Leith Chef Academy - Centurion, Pretoria (South Africa)

America

  • Mausi Sebes - Buenos Aires (Argentina)
  • Senac - Centro Universitário - São Paulo (Brazil)
  • Senac - Departamento Nacional – Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)
  • George Brown College Chef School – Toronto (Canada)
  • ITHQ - Institut de Tourisme et d’Hôtellerie du Quebec – Montréal (Canada)
  • Cessa Universidad - Mexico City (Mexico)

Asia

  • VTC - Vocational Training Council - Hong Kong (China)
  • Tourism College of Zhejiang - Hangzhou (China)
  • AIMS Institute – Bangalore (India)
  • KDU University College - Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)
  • Il Cuoco - Italian Culinary Institute – Seoul (South Korea)
  • Hungkuang University, Taichung (Taiwan)
  • Ecole d’Art Culinaire de Miyagi – Sendai (Japan)

Europe

  • KULIN d.o.o. – Sisak (Croatia)
  • Galileo Global Education Germany GmbH – Munich (Germany)
  • MSA – Culinary Arts Academy – Istanbul (Turkey)
  • ALMA, The International School of Italian Cuisine - Parma (Italy)
  • BIC Vocationale Ljubljana College – Ljubljana (Slovenia)
  • Westminster Kingsway College – London (UK)

ALMA Partners

Some of the school’s main partners are Parma Chamber of Commerce, the majority shareholder, together with Provincia di Parma, which set the premises with Colorno Castle. Other partners are: Unione Industriali and Ascom Parma, Cariparma Crédit Agricole, FIPE, several Consortiums for the Protection of Typical Foods and Wines (Parmigiano-Reggiano, Lambrusco di Modena, Olio Toscano, Prosciutto di Parma, Vini Reggiani, Salumi Tipici Piacentini, Vini DOC Colli Piacentini, Vini Colli di Parma, Produttori di Aceto Balsamico, Vini Colli Bolognesi), APACOOP, ASSICA, Confcooperative Emilia-Romagna, Istituto Nazionale Espresso Italiano, Federalimentare, Assolatte and Federdoc.

ALMA also signed protocol agreements with the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR), and with the Italian National Institute for Foreign Trade (ICE). It also has entered into agreements and collaborations with SDA Bocconi in Milan and Parma University. ALMA is accredited by Emilia Romagna Region education system and is ISO 9001-2008 certified.

In 2011 it signed a cooperation agreement with EXPO 2015 for a series of education and promotion activities during the EXPO under the subject of “Feeding the Planet – Energy for life”, which will also involve its international network.

Certifications and awards

A prestigious qualification for the world of work.

ALMA affirms its authority and reliability as a higher education center in the hotel and catering sector through the awards it has earned and the certifications achieved for its courses:

  • Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministero della Pubblica Istruzione Università e Ricerca (MIUR – Ministry of Education): The ALMA School is an international point of reference as a Higher Education Centre for training Italian Cookery professionals;
  • ALMA is certified by the Emilia Romagna under code 5290 for training programs
  • ALMA works with the Istituto italiano per Il commercio Estero (ICE) (Italian Chamber of Commerce for Overseas Trade) to promote Italy’s food and agricultural heritage around the world;
  • ALMA works with the University of Parma to promote the region;
  • Memorandum of Understanding with EXPO 2015 “Feeding the planet – Energy for life”: recognized as “EXPO Ambassador”, ALMA ran the educational program EXPO 2015 to raise awareness among students and teachers on these topics, contents and implementation of the Expo;
  • ALMA is certified UNI EN ISO 9001:2015 by SGS Italia spa for design and performing of training courses for restaurant and hospitality business operator. Design and management of team-building programs, conventions for companies and commercial organizations, and cultural and enogastronomic events.

187022_LOGO-ISO-CERTIFICAZIONE.png
  • ALMA participates in the steering committees of the Week of Italian Cuisine in the World and Parma City of Gastronomy.
  • ALMA received the prestigious Tourism Award in the Italian Cuisine category in 2016, awarded by the Italian Chamber of Commerce in China; the award was collected on our behalf by Chef, Carlo Cracco
  • ALMA has received the CRIBIS Prime Company Recognition as Company with the Maximum Commercial Reliability

187024_CRIBIS_Prime_Company-450x159.jpg

Scholarships and Funding

Scholarships and study support options may be available depending on courses and batches of intakes. Several scholarship options are available, please visit the school website for more information.

Why study at ALMA - The School of Italian Culinary Arts

An amazing location: the Reggia di Colorno, a beautiful palace in the province of Parma, in the heart of the Food Valley

  • Headquarters: a facility of 5,000 mq with the most innovative technologies
  • The Scientific Committee: great professionals, leading figures in hospitality sector, points of reference for graduates
  • ALMA Library: the biggest cultural hub in Europe dedicated to enogastronomy with over 12.000 volumes and a complete collection of food and beverage specialty newspapers and magazines
  • ALMA Link: a privileged recruitment platform for graduates to make direct contact with the world of work

Awards & Accreditations

M.o.U. with the Italian Ministry of Education for being a Higher Education training centre of Italian Cookery professionals

Accredited

Emilia Romagna Region under code 5290 for training programmes

Certified

ISO 9001:2008 by SGS Italia for the provision of training programmes designed for hotel and hospitality operators

Certified

Best Higher Education School in Hospitality – 2018 by Food and Travel Italia Magazine

Awarded

Tourism Award in the Italian Cuisine category in 2016 by the Italian Chamber of Commerce in China

Awarded

CRIBIS Prime Company Recognition as Company with the Maximum Commercial Reliability

Accredited

Campus Life & Facilities

ALMA offers a series of extra services and facilities to all students, among the others:

  • ALMA Cafe: a cafe dedicated to our students to enjoy your coffee and lunch breaks
  • ALMA Store: a store inside the ALMA campus, available for students who wish to integrate their uniform or are looking for tools and equipment.
  • Web Platform: all our students have free access to teaching materials online.
  • Student Enrolment Department and Student Office: all students have points of references within the school staff, from the enrolment process and until graduation and further.

ALMA’s headquarters are in Colorno, is a small village and offers a range of services such as sporting facilities, bars, restaurants, shops and supermarkets. It is well connected to Parma, Italy’s Food Capital, only 10 km away, which offers even more cultural attractions and opportunities for entertainment.

5 good reasons to study here:

  • Food - Parma the capital of the Italian Food Valley, City of Gastronomy by UNESCO and the seat of the EFSA (European Food and Safety Authority).
  • Strategic Position: from Parma, you can easily travel to cities such as Milan, Turin, Venice, Bologna, Florence, Rome and many more...
  • Affordable Town: Parma and its surroundings are cheaper than most other major cities and therefore making the choice of a studying abroad experience more affordable.
  • Wonderful Country: Italy is an amazing country with so much to see and experience. Counting more than 50 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Italy beats every other country in the world!
  • Quality of Life: experience the Italian unique life style and high quality of life. Be assured that you’ll feel at home!

ALMA - The School of Italian Culinary Arts is in the Top 10 Countries to Study Abroad

educations.com Top 10 Europe rankings 2023 badge
educations.com Top 10 Europe rankings 2022 badge

Locations

  • Parma

    ALMA - La Scuola Internazionale di Cucina Italiana Piazza Garibaldi, 26 Colorno, 43052, Parma

  • Colorno

    Reggia di Colorno, Piazza Garibaldi 26, 43052, Colorno

Questions