Horry-Georgetown Technical College offers a standalone Baking and Pastry Arts Associate in Applied Science rather than a pastry track inside a culinary degree. The 70-credit program is taught at the International Culinary Institute of Myrtle Beach on HGTC’s Grand Strand Campus, and the college states that it is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of the American Culinary Federation Education Foundation.
Twelve of the degree’s courses carry the BKP prefix, running from baking fundamentals through chocolate and sugar work to a capstone in which students produce and sell baked goods to the public. HGTC has no baking certificate, so the AAS is its only pastry credential. Details below come from the 2026–27 HGTC Catalog and Student Handbook and the college’s 2026–27 tuition, fee, and program cost schedules.
Quick Facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| School | Horry-Georgetown Technical College, International Culinary Institute of Myrtle Beach |
| Location | Grand Strand Campus, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina |
| Credential | Baking and Pastry Arts, Associate in Applied Science |
| Total credits | 70 |
| Sample schedule | Five semesters, starting in fall and including one summer |
| Admission type | General college admission |
| Program accreditation | ACFEF Accrediting Commission, as stated by HGTC |
| Graduation standard | 2.0 GPA; C or better in prerequisite courses |
Baking and Pastry Program Options
The International Culinary Institute lists five programs: two associate degrees in baking and culinary arts, a hospitality degree, and two cooking certificates. Only one is a baking credential.
Baking and Pastry Arts AAS
The Baking and Pastry Arts AAS requires 70 credits: 15 in general education, 21 in the required core, and 34 in other major courses. HGTC’s sample schedule spreads them over five semesters of 16, 15, 12, 15, and 12 credits, beginning in fall and continuing through the first summer. The college’s program FAQ says most students finish in two years, with about 20–25 hours of class time a week.
Most BKP and CUL courses are offered only once a year, so HGTC stresses following the recommended sequence. Students must also complete a ServSafe Manager course, a ServSafe sanitation certificate, or BKP 101 Introduction to Baking before moving into the second semester.
Culinary Certificates as a Shorter Start
HGTC’s Professional Cooking certificate (28 credits) and Kitchen and Food Preparation Techniques certificate are culinary credentials, not baking ones. Professional Cooking shares six courses with the baking degree, including Introduction to Baking and Pastry and the internship. Ask an advisor how those credits would apply.
Curriculum and Baking Courses
Baking courses in the 2026–27 catalog are three credits each:
- Introduction to Baking, Introduction to Baking and Pastry, and Bakeshop Production
- Artisan Breads: sponges, wild yeast, bigas, and poolish for rustic and international breads
- Hot and Cold Desserts: bombes, parfaits, ice cream and sorbets, hand-stretched strudel, crepes, and soufflés
- Cake Decorating and Finishing Techniques, followed by Advanced Cakes
- Candies and Confectionaries and Chocolate and Sugar: tempering, pastillage, marzipan, and pulled and blown sugar
- Advanced Bakeshop and Plated Desserts
- Baking and Pastry Capstone: producing, managing, and selling baked goods in a retail bakery setting
- Culinary and business courses: Nutritional Cooking, Culinary Management, Storeroom and Purchasing, Food and Beverage Control, Menu Planning, a one-credit success course, and a three-credit internship
Prerequisites shape the second year. Plated Desserts and the capstone both require Hot and Cold Desserts, Chocolate and Sugar, Candies and Confectionaries, and Advanced Cakes, which is why they sit in the final semester. The internship is a class at a site the student chooses with program approval, and the FAQ notes that some placements are unpaid.
Tuition and Additional Costs
HGTC’s 2026–27 tuition schedule charges $181 per credit for Horry and Georgetown County residents, $223 for other South Carolina residents, and $363 for out-of-state students. Tuition is capped at the 15-credit amount: $2,715, $3,345, or $5,445 a semester. Required fees each semester are a $25 enrollment fee, a $35 parking and security fee, a $50 technology fee, and a student activity fee of $2 per credit up to $24. Together they come to $134 at 12 or more credits.
Using the sample schedule’s five semesters, three fall at the capped rate and two are billed at 12 credits:
| Program | Credits | Estimated in-county tuition and fees | Estimated out-of-county tuition and fees | Estimated out-of-state tuition and fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baking and Pastry Arts AAS (5 semesters) | 70 | $13,159 | $16,057 | $25,717 |
The in-county figure matches the tuition and standard fees line on HGTC’s own 2026–27 program cost sheet. The table leaves out course lab fees, books, tools, uniforms, and living costs, and it is before financial aid. A lighter schedule over more semesters would cost more.
Lab fees are charged by course. The college’s 2026–27 fees by course list shows $75 for eleven of the BKP courses and for Nutritional Cooking, and $35 each for Culinary Management and Storeroom and Purchasing. That comes to $970 across the degree. The cost sheet also estimates $893 for textbooks and $664 for tools and supplies. A program information sheet prices the baking and pastry tool and knife set at $419.98 and advises buying two uniforms.
Admissions and Financial Aid
Baking and Pastry Arts uses general college admission, with no separate program application. HGTC’s enrollment steps are to apply and provide proof of lawful presence, send a high school, GED, or college transcript, start the FAFSA, meet with an academic advisor after acceptance, arrange payment, and complete new student orientation.
HGTC advises starting the financial aid process at the same time as the application. The catalog notes that undeclared students are not eligible for federal or state aid, including Lottery Tuition Assistance, so declare the major when applying.
Career Preparation and Transfer Considerations
According to HGTC, graduates are prepared for independent bakeries and pastry shops, high-volume bakeries, hotels, and restaurants. The Culinary Institute also runs the Fowler Dining Room and the ICI Bakery, which the college describes as training in a real, public-facing operation.
The AAS is built for employment, but the catalog gives a route for students thinking about a bachelor’s degree: take ENG 101 and ENG 102 instead of ENG 155 and ENG 160, MAT 110 instead of MAT 155, and PSY 201 instead of PSY 103. HGTC does not list a specific transfer agreement for the baking degree, so check with the receiving school.
Which HGTC Pathway May Fit You?
| Pathway | May fit students who want |
|---|---|
| Baking and Pastry Arts AAS, sample schedule | A full pastry degree with breads, cakes, chocolate, sugar, and a retail bakery capstone, started in fall and taken full time |
| AAS with transfer-level general education | The same pastry training with English, math, and psychology courses chosen for a later bachelor’s degree |
| AAS at a slower pace | Room to work during school, accepting once-a-year course offerings and a higher total cost |
Questions to Ask Before Applying
- Can I begin in spring, or do the once-a-year courses require a fall start?
- What are the current bookstore prices for uniforms and the baking and pastry tool set?
- How are internship sites approved, and how many hours does CUL 277 require?
- Does an application fee apply to new students?
- How is aid handled for the 12-credit summer semester?
Program details and costs can change. Confirm current requirements with Horry-Georgetown Technical College before applying.