Lanier Technical College teaches its Baking and Pastry Specialist Certificate on the Hall Campus at 2535 Lanier Tech Drive in Gainesville. The 25-credit program follows a three-semester plan, and the college accepts new students every semester based on course and space availability.
In its 2026–27 catalog, Lanier still uses the CUUL course sequence, which pairs Baking Principles and Advanced Baking Principles with a menu development course and a cooking requirement. Every certificate course also appears in the college’s 52-credit Culinary Arts Diploma, giving students a direct path to a longer credential on the same campus.
Quick Facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| School | Lanier Technical College |
| Campus | Hall Campus, Gainesville, Georgia |
| Credential | Baking and Pastry Specialist Certificate (BA51) |
| Length | Three semesters |
| Credits | 25 credits |
| Entry terms | Every semester, based on course and space availability |
| Format | Campus-based |
| Program area | Culinary Arts, Personal and Public Service Technologies |
| Program director | Brian Loo, Culinary Arts Program Director |
Baking and Pastry Program Options
The certificate appears in Lanier’s 2026–27 catalog and on the college’s Culinary Arts program page, which lists Hall as the only campus for culinary study. According to the catalog, the program builds advanced skills for bakery and pastry shop work, commercial baking, and pastry chef positions.
Baking and Pastry Specialist Certificate
Lanier’s graduation plan spreads the 25 credits over three semesters. The first semester covers math, safety and sanitation, and cooking for 11 credits. The second adds Baking Principles and Menu Development for eight credits, and the third is devoted to the six-credit Advanced Baking Principles course.
Continuing Into the Culinary Arts Diploma or Degree
The Culinary Arts Diploma requires 52 credits over four semesters and lists every certificate course in its curriculum. It adds garde manger, restaurant operations, contemporary cuisine, leadership, and basic skills courses.
Lanier also offers a 65-credit Culinary Arts Degree, an AAS planned over six semesters with 15 credits of general education. Its math requirement is a college-level course, so Foundations of Mathematics may not carry over the same way it does in the diploma. Because Lanier does not allow students to enroll in two programs at once, certificate students who want to continue would file a change of program, ideally before the posted semester application deadline.
Curriculum and Baking Courses
The 2026–27 certificate requires these courses:
- Foundations of Mathematics (MATH 1012), 3 credits
- Culinary Safety and Sanitation (CUUL 1110), 2 credits
- Principles of Cooking (CUUL 1120), 6 credits, or the paired Foundations of Cooking Principles and Techniques courses (CUUL 1122 and CUUL 1124), 3 credits each
- Baking Principles (CUUL 1220), 5 credits
- Menu Development (CUUL 1370), 3 credits
- Advanced Baking Principles (CUUL 2250), 6 credits
Lanier’s version has no separate Baking Principles II course. The diploma plan in the catalog lists the cooking requirement as a prerequisite for Baking Principles and Menu Development, which is why cooking comes first in the plan.
Tuition and Additional Costs
Lanier’s tuition is $107 per credit for Georgia residents and $214 per credit for out-of-state students, the 2026–27 statewide rates. Mandatory fees total $385 per semester, including a $25 program fee alongside activity, registration, facilities, security, technology, wellness, instructional, and insurance fees. The catalog’s fee table is labeled effective Fall 2023 but remains the one published in the 2026–27 catalog.
| Program | Credits | Estimated in-state tuition and fees | Estimated out-of-state tuition and fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baking and Pastry Specialist Certificate (3 semesters) | 25 | $3,830 | $6,505 |
| Culinary Arts Diploma (4 semesters) | 52 | $7,104 | $12,668 |
These figures multiply the published credits by the per-credit rate and add $385 for each semester in the catalog plan. The estimates exclude the $25 application fee, books, uniforms, knives, tools, housing, and transportation.
The catalog does not publish a supply, uniform, or knife-kit estimate for the certificate. Students should ask the Culinary Arts program for a current list and check the Lanier tuition and fees page before registering.
Admissions and Financial Aid
Applicants must be at least 16 and hold a high school diploma or GED, with ACCUPLACER, SAT, or ACT scores on file. Lanier’s How to Apply page asks for an online application with a $25 nonrefundable fee, official transcripts, and test scores.
The catalog states that the certificate is eligible for the Pell Grant and may qualify for institutional and state aid. Students applying for Pell must submit official high school transcripts. Lanier’s tuition-free programs page explains that the HOPE Grant, available to eligible Georgia residents, does not require full-time enrollment in certificate or diploma programs but does require a 2.0 postsecondary GPA at set checkpoints. Ask financial aid whether the certificate is on the current HOPE Career Grant list.
Career Preparation and Transfer Considerations
The certificate prepares graduates for entry-level baking jobs in bakeries, pastry shops, and commercial baking operations.
Program questions can go to Brian Loo, whom the college lists as Culinary Arts Program Director. The certificate is an applied technical credential, so students planning to move to another college should ask the receiving school how it will evaluate CUUL coursework.
Which Lanier Tech Pathway May Fit You?
| Pathway | May fit students who want |
|---|---|
| Baking and Pastry Specialist Certificate | A three-semester baking credential with the option to start in any semester |
| Certificate, then Culinary Arts Diploma | Full culinary training in 52 credits, with every certificate course already counted in the plan |
| Certificate, then Culinary Arts Degree | An AAS with general education and occupational electives, planned over six semesters |
Questions to Ask Before Applying
- If I start in summer, will the three-semester sequence still run in order?
- What uniforms, knives, tools, and books should I budget for?
- When should I file a change of program to move from the certificate into the diploma?
- Will Foundations of Mathematics count toward the Culinary Arts Degree?
- Is the certificate on this year’s HOPE Career Grant list?
- Are there health screenings or physical requirements for kitchen labs?
Program details and costs can change. Confirm current requirements with Lanier Technical College before applying.