Valencia College teaches baking and pastry at its Downtown Campus in Orlando, home of the Walt Disney World Center for Culinary Arts and Hospitality. The 2026–27 catalog lists a 60-credit Baking and Pastry Management A.S. degree and three technical certificates of 35, 18, and 12 credits. Every certificate course is embedded in the degree.
Less common is what comes after the degree: three limited-access Advanced Technical Certificates in Bread Baking, Cake Artistry, and Chocolate and Confectionery Arts for students who already hold an eligible A.S. Details below come from the 2026–27 Valencia College Catalog, which notes that its fees are anticipated until the Board of Trustees approves them.
Quick Facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| School | Valencia College |
| Location | Downtown Campus, Orlando, Florida |
| Credentials | Baking and Pastry Management, A.S.; Baking and Pastry Arts, Technical Certificate; Baking and Pastry Specialist, Technical Certificate; Pastry Chef’s Apprentice, Technical Certificate |
| Credits | 60; 35; 18; or 12 |
| Length | A.S. in as little as two years; the catalog says most certificates can be completed in one year or less |
| Format | Campus-based kitchen labs |
| After the A.S. | Three limited-access Advanced Technical Certificates of 12 or 18 credits |
Baking and Pastry Program Options
All four credentials appear on one Baking and Pastry Management catalog page. The catalog notes that specialized courses may not run every session.
Baking and Pastry Management, A.S.
The Associate in Science requires 60 credits: ten baking and pastry labs, food and beverage cost control, sanitation management, two hospitality management courses, 15 credits of general education, and a 3-credit internship or elective. Valencia’s program page describes completion in as little as two years.
Baking and Pastry Arts, Technical Certificate
At 35 credits, this is the longest certificate. It covers seven of the degree’s pastry labs plus cost control, sanitation, two management courses, and a 2-credit internship or elective, with no general education.
Baking and Pastry Specialist, Technical Certificate
The 18-credit Specialist certificate has six courses: four baking labs, Restaurant and Foodservice Management, and Food Service Sanitation Management.
Pastry Chef’s Apprentice, Technical Certificate
This 12-credit certificate is the shortest entry point: two baking courses plus management and sanitation. The title is a certificate name, not a registered apprenticeship.
Advanced Technical Certificates for A.S. Graduates
Valencia’s Advanced Technical Certificates are extensions of an associate degree. The three baking options are marked limited-access, and each requires an A.S. in Baking and Pastry Management or Culinary Management, active student status, and a separate program application with a $15 fee. Bread Baking is 18 credits across six artisan bread courses. Cake Artistry is 12 credits over two terms. Chocolate and Confectionery Arts is described as a three-semester program of six 3-credit courses. Because they are not open to first-time students, they are left out of the cost table below.
Curriculum and Baking Courses
Each baking course below carries 3 credits:
- Baking Ingredients and Technology and Specialty Breads (all four credentials)
- Cookies, Tarts and Friandises and Pastry Techniques (A.S. and the 35- and 18-credit certificates)
- Basic and Classical Cakes and Pastries, Individual and Production Pastries, and Contemporary Cakes and Desserts (A.S. and the 35-credit certificate)
- Restaurant and Production Desserts, Chocolates and Confections, and Confectionary Art and Principles of Design (A.S. only)
- Food Service Sanitation Management and Restaurant and Foodservice Management (all four credentials)
- Food and Beverage Cost Control and Hospitality Human Resources Management (A.S. and the 35-credit certificate)
Internship in Baking and Pastry Management is optional in the degree and the 35-credit certificate, since a culinary or hospitality elective may replace it. When taken, it requires a minimum of 240 clock hours of work.
Tuition and Additional Costs
The catalog’s 2026–27 fee schedule for associate-level courses totals $103.06 per credit for Florida residents: $82.66 tuition, $3.83 technology fee, $3.83 financial aid fee, $7.07 student activity fee, and $5.67 capital improvement fee. Non-Florida residents pay $390.96 per credit, including a $247.87 out-of-state fee. Valencia publishes no flat per-term fee, so each estimate is credits multiplied by the per-credit total.
| Program | Credits | Estimated in-state tuition and fees | Estimated out-of-state tuition and fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baking and Pastry Management, A.S. | 60 | $6,184 | $23,458 |
| Baking and Pastry Arts, Technical Certificate | 35 | $3,607 | $13,684 |
| Baking and Pastry Specialist, Technical Certificate | 18 | $1,855 | $7,037 |
| Pastry Chef’s Apprentice, Technical Certificate | 12 | $1,237 | $4,692 |
These totals leave out the one-time $35 application fee, course special fees, books, uniforms, and tools. The catalog’s course descriptions list a $174 special fee on six of the degree’s pastry labs, which adds $1,044 across the A.S. The other four baking courses show no fee in the catalog text, so confirm those at registration.
For the advanced certificates, the same resident rate works out to about $1,237 for 12 credits or $1,855 for 18 credits before special fees, which the catalog lists at $120 to $300 for several of those courses. Uniform and tool costs are not published on the pages reviewed.
Admissions and Financial Aid
Valencia is an open-access college, and the A.S. and technical certificates have no separate program application. Applicants submit the online Application for Admission with the application fee. Degree-seeking students must show high school completion or an equivalent and satisfy entry testing requirements. The catalog’s admissions section notes that college admission does not imply admission to limited-access programs, which is why the advanced certificates need their own application.
On financial aid, the catalog states that the 35-credit Baking and Pastry Arts certificate is eligible. It carries no such note for the 18-credit or 12-credit certificates. Ask the Financial Aid office before relying on a Pell Grant for a short certificate.
Career Preparation and Transfer Considerations
The School of Hospitality Management and Culinary Arts describes a partnership with Walt Disney World Resort that lets students compete for internships, including a paid Disney Professional Internship. The catalog and program pages reviewed do not state American Culinary Federation accreditation for the baking programs.
Graduates of certain Orange Technical College and Osceola Technical College programs may receive credit toward the degree. For continued study, Valencia points A.S. graduates to its Bachelor of Applied Science in Business and Organizational Leadership. Students transferring elsewhere are responsible for securing the receiving school’s approval.
Which Valencia Pathway May Fit You?
| Pathway | May fit students who want |
|---|---|
| Pastry Chef’s Apprentice, Technical Certificate | A four-course start in baking fundamentals, breads, sanitation, and foodservice management |
| Baking and Pastry Specialist, Technical Certificate | The same foundation plus cookies, tarts, and pastry techniques |
| Baking and Pastry Arts, Technical Certificate | Seven pastry labs and management courses without general education |
| Baking and Pastry Management, A.S. | All ten pastry labs, including chocolate and confectionery design, with a degree |
| Advanced Technical Certificates | Specialized bread, cake, or chocolate study after finishing an eligible A.S. |
Questions to Ask Before Applying
- Have the 2026–27 fees been approved as listed in the catalog?
- Which pastry labs carry a special fee this term, and how much?
- What uniform and tools are required, and what do they cost?
- Are the 18-credit and 12-credit certificates eligible for federal aid on their own?
- How are internship sites arranged, and when do the advanced certificates admit students?
Program details and costs can change. Confirm current requirements with Valencia College before applying.