College of DuPage trains baking and pastry students in its Culinary and Hospitality Center on the Glen Ellyn campus, about 25 miles west of downtown Chicago. The college offers two baking credentials: a Baking and Pastry Arts A.A.S. that requires 64–68 credits and a 28-credit Baking and Pastry Arts Certificate.
Lab classes run in a commercial bake shop with 16 stations and a limit of 16 students per class, and the facility includes a dedicated chocolate room. Advanced students produce desserts for the college’s Wheat Café, Waterleaf restaurant, and Culinary Market. COD states that its program is one of a few in the nation holding American Culinary Federation certification in both Culinary Arts and Baking and Pastry Arts. Program details below come from the 2026–27 catalog.
Quick Facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| School | College of DuPage |
| Location | Glen Ellyn, Illinois; Culinary and Hospitality Center |
| Credentials | Baking and Pastry Arts A.A.S. (CULIN.AAS.BAKE); Baking and Pastry Arts Certificate (CULIN.CER.BAKE) |
| Credits | 64–68 for the A.A.S.; 28 for the certificate |
| Typical length | 4 semesters for the A.A.S.; 2–4 semesters for the certificate |
| Class size | Up to 16 students per baking lab |
| ACF | College states ACF certification in Culinary Arts and Baking and Pastry Arts |
Baking and Pastry Program Options
Both credentials are listed in the Culinary Arts area of the COD catalog, alongside Culinary Arts and Culinology and Food Science programs. Every course in the certificate also appears in the degree, so certificate students can continue without starting over.
Baking and Pastry Arts A.A.S.
The Baking and Pastry Arts A.A.S. combines 41 credits of required culinary and hospitality courses, 5 credits of program electives, and 18–22 credits of general education. Electives include Artistic Chocolate and Sugar, Artisan Bread and Viennoiserie, Cake Decorating Techniques, Food and Wine Passport, and an internship.
The suggested sequence spans four semesters plus a summer term with an internship and a speech course. Beyond production labs, the degree adds hospitality supervision, purchasing, and a capstone in advanced baking and pastry restaurant production.
Baking and Pastry Arts Certificate
The Baking and Pastry Arts Certificate requires 28 credits across 12 courses, with no general education. It covers sanitation, measurements and conversions, baking science, baking and pastry fundamentals, cake work, specialty baking for restricted diets, and Intermediate Baking and Pastry. COD describes it as a way to enter the workforce quickly.
Curriculum and Baking Courses
Required baking and pastry coursework in the 2026–27 catalog includes:
- Baking Science and Techniques, and Baking Fundamentals
- Pastry Fundamentals, including choux, custards, souffles, and tart doughs
- Cake Formula and Decorating Foundations
- Specialty Baking, focused on gluten-free, low-sugar, and restricted diets
- Intermediate Baking and Pastry
- Foodtrepreneurship, covering food business concepts and site selection
- Advanced Baking and Pastry Restaurant Production (A.A.S. only)
Sanitation is a 1-credit course that prepares students for Illinois Department of Public Health manager certification. Several labs carry prerequisites, so the order of courses matters. The certificate page lists Cake Formula and Decorating Foundations at 2 credits, while the course description shows 3, so students should confirm the certificate total with an advisor.
Tuition and Additional Costs
Effective Fall 2026, COD charges $160 per credit hour in-district, $368 out-of-district, and $440 out-of-state. Each rate includes $19 per credit in fees, and the college does not list a separate flat fee per semester, so the estimates below do not depend on the number of terms:
| Program | Credits | Estimated in-district tuition and fees | Estimated out-of-district tuition and fees | Estimated out-of-state tuition and fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baking and Pastry Arts A.A.S. (64-credit minimum) | 64 | $10,240 | $23,552 | $28,160 |
| Baking and Pastry Arts Certificate | 28 | $4,480 | $10,304 | $12,320 |
An A.A.S. plan that reaches 68 credits would cost $10,880 in-district. The totals leave out lab and material fees, textbooks (about $75 per class, according to the program page), non-slip work shoes, transportation, and living costs.
Pastry students must buy checked pants, an embroidered chef coat, a skull cap, a bib apron, and two side towels through COD. The program page explains that uniforms and supplies are built into the lab fee for each lab class and ordered on the first day. Current rates are on the tuition and fees page.
Admissions and Financial Aid
Admission is open to high school graduates, GED or HSE holders, and anyone at least 18. The steps to enrollment are to apply, determine reading, writing, and math placement, meet with an advisor at a New Student Enrollment Session, and then register and pay. An official high school transcript is needed to waive prerequisites and for financial aid verification.
COD’s eligible programs list includes both the Baking and Pastry Arts degree and certificate for Title IV aid, such as Pell Grants, and for the Illinois MAP Grant. Students who live outside District 502 but work at least 35 hours a week within it may qualify for the in-district rate.
Career Preparation and Transfer Considerations
The college reports that graduates work as chefs, head cooks, and bakers. The degree’s supervision, purchasing, and Foodtrepreneurship courses support students who plan to manage a bakery or open their own business.
For transfer, COD has a 3+1 articulation agreement with Roosevelt University that leads from the A.A.S. in Baking and Pastry to a B.S. in Hospitality and Tourism Management. Students considering other universities should use COD’s transfer guides and confirm how each course will count.
Which COD Pathway May Fit You?
| Pathway | May fit students who want |
|---|---|
| Baking and Pastry Arts Certificate | A 28-credit core of baking, pastry, and cake labs without general education |
| Baking and Pastry Arts A.A.S. | The full sequence plus advanced production, electives, an internship option, and a Roosevelt University transfer route |
Questions to Ask Before Applying
- How much is the lab fee for each baking course, and what does it include?
- Is the certificate 28 or 29 credits once Cake Formula and Decorating Foundations is counted?
- Which baking labs are offered in the evening or on weekends?
- How many general education credits will my A.A.S. plan need, 18 or 22?
- How are internships arranged, and are they paid?
- Which courses would transfer to Roosevelt University under the 3+1 agreement?
Program details and costs can change. Confirm current requirements with College of DuPage before applying.