Bristol Community College trains bakers and pastry cooks through its Culinary Arts department on the Fall River campus. Students can choose a 27-credit Baking and Pastry Certificate or a 60-credit Associate in Applied Science in Culinary Arts with a Baking and Pastry concentration, and the certificate courses make up most of the degree’s first year.
Both programs include a required internship, and the degree adds cake design, chocolate and confections, plated desserts, and a capstone. Details on this page come from Bristol’s 2026–27 online catalog and the college’s 2026–27 cost pages.
Quick Facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| School | Bristol Community College |
| Location | Fall River, Massachusetts; Culinary Arts office at 777 Elsbree Street |
| Credentials | Culinary Arts – Baking and Pastry AAS (AAS_CUB); Baking and Pastry Certificate (CTACH_CB) |
| Credits | 60 credits; or 27 credits |
| Recommended sequence | Four semesters for the AAS; two semesters for the certificate |
| Academic school | School of Business, Industry and Career Programs |
| Financial aid | Certificate appears on Bristol’s financial aid eligible list; all 60-credit associate degrees are eligible |
Baking and Pastry Program Options
Bristol describes the degree on its Baking and Pastry Arts concentration page, which lists the Fall River campus as the program’s home. The college also offers a general Culinary Arts AAS and a Culinary Arts Certificate for students who want savory training.
Culinary Arts – Baking and Pastry AAS
The Culinary Arts – Baking and Pastry Associate in Applied Science requires 60 credits: 42 in major courses and 18 in general education. The general education block is tailored to food careers, with Culinary Math, Culinary Nutrition, Food in History, public speaking, college writing, and The Sociology of Human Relations.
Applicants must attend a New Student Information Session and complete the college placement exams or be exempt. The catalog also states that students must be available to work at required Culinary Arts functions and events.
Baking and Pastry Certificate
The Baking and Pastry Certificate is a 27-credit Certificate of Achievement aimed at entry-level work in kitchens and bakeries. Its recommended sequence places 15 credits in fall and 12 in spring. Every course in it also appears in the AAS, so graduates who continue need only the remaining degree courses, including Cooking Skills for Bakers.
Curriculum and Baking Courses
The 2026–27 degree map lists these culinary and baking courses. Certificate students complete the first eight plus Culinary Math and the internship:
- Introduction to the College/Culinary Experience (1 credit)
- Culinary Arts and Sustainability (3 credits)
- Food Safety Management (2 credits)
- Essentials of Baking and Pastry and Baking Technologies (3 credits each)
- Artisan Bread and French Pastries (3 credits each)
- Purchasing, Menu Planning and Cost Control (3 credits)
- Internship Experience I (3 credits)
- AAS only: Cooking Skills for Bakers (2), The Art of the Cake (3), Chocolate and Confectionery Techniques (3), Contemporary Plated Desserts (3), Advanced Pastry Arts (4), and Culinary Capstone Experience (3)
Essentials of Baking and Pastry requires ServSafe certification or concurrent enrollment in Food Safety Management. It meets for two lecture hours and four lab hours a week, carries an instructional support fee, and requires participation in culinary functions.
Tuition and Additional Costs
Bristol’s 2026–27 fee chart lists tuition of $24 per credit for Massachusetts residents and $230 per credit for out-of-state students. Both groups also pay a $230 per-credit college fee and a $37 student support fee each semester. Using the catalog’s recommended semester counts:
| Program | Credits | Estimated in-state tuition and fees | Estimated out-of-state tuition and fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Culinary Arts – Baking and Pastry AAS (4 semesters) | 60 | $15,388 | $27,748 |
| Baking and Pastry Certificate (2 semesters) | 27 | $6,932 | $12,494 |
These figures leave out course-level instructional support fees, which Bristol says start at $9. The course listings mark baking labs as carrying the fee but do not state the amount. Also excluded are health insurance for uninsured students taking nine or more credits ($4,806 for 2026–27 unless waived), books, and transportation. Bristol accepts residents of several nearby eastern Rhode Island communities at the in-state tuition rate.
The AAS catalog entry states that students pay for their own uniforms, kitchen and bakeshop tools, and texts. Bristol does not publish a kit price in the program pages. Its cost of attendance page budgets $2,000 a year in books and supplies for full-time students.
Admissions and Financial Aid
Both programs require a New Student Information Session before admission, and the AAS adds placement testing. Bristol’s tuition-free page says Massachusetts residents who have lived in the state for at least a year, hold a high school credential, complete the FAFSA or MASFA, and take at least six credits in an associate degree or aid-eligible certificate may have tuition and fees covered as a last-dollar grant.
The Culinary Arts Baking and Pastry Certificate appears on Bristol’s financial aid eligible certificates list, so certificate students can apply for federal and state aid as well. The college notes that the list is updated each fall.
Career Preparation and Transfer Considerations
According to the catalog, the AAS prepares graduates for entry-level and advanced pastry and bakery positions, in settings from local restaurants to large organizations. The certificate is framed around entry-level food service and bakery jobs, with a direct path into the degree.
Bristol cites a transfer articulation agreement with Johnson & Wales University for bachelor’s programs in Culinary Arts, Food and Beverage Industry Management, and Food and Beverage Industry Entrepreneurship. Students should confirm how the applied courses will transfer before they enroll.
Which Bristol Pathway May Fit You?
| Pathway | May fit students who want |
|---|---|
| Baking and Pastry Certificate | A two-semester, aid-eligible start in bread, French pastry, and bakeshop basics, with an internship |
| Culinary Arts – Baking and Pastry AAS | Cake, chocolate, and plated dessert training plus general education and a Johnson & Wales transfer option |
Questions to Ask Before Applying
- Can I start the baking sequence in spring, or only in fall?
- What is the instructional support fee for each CUL lab course?
- What do the required uniform, knife, and bakeshop tool kits cost?
- How are internship sites arranged, and how many hours are expected?
- How many culinary events am I expected to work each semester?
- Would I qualify for Bristol’s tuition-free program?
Program details and costs can change. Confirm current requirements with Bristol Community College before applying.