Alamance Community College in Graham offers one baking-specific credential: the Culinary Arts: Baking Certificate (C55150B). At 13 credits, it is one of the shortest for-credit baking options in North Carolina, built from four courses that ACC also uses in its longer Culinary Arts diploma and associate degree.
The 2026–27 catalog lists the certificate at the Carrington-Scott Campus in Graham, where the Culinary Arts program uses an on-site commercial kitchen and dining facilities. Its published plan places 10 credits in the fall and a single 3-credit course, Baking II, in the spring, so the certificate is part-time in its second semester.
Quick Facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| School | Alamance Community College |
| Location | Carrington-Scott Campus, 1247 Jimmie Kerr Road, Graham, North Carolina |
| Credential | Culinary Arts: Baking Certificate (C55150B) |
| Total credits | 13 credits |
| Typical length | Two semesters (fall and spring) in the published plan |
| Program area | Culinary Arts, Applied Engineering, Agriculture, and Skilled Trades |
| Catalog year | 2026–27 |
Baking and Pastry Program Options
ACC groups the baking certificate with its other culinary credentials on the Culinary Arts program page. Those include a Culinary Arts AAS, a Culinary Arts diploma, and short certificates in cold foods, fundamentals, line cooking, and a culinary specialist track. The baking certificate is the only one whose title centers on baking.
Culinary Arts: Baking Certificate
The Culinary Arts: Baking Certificate requires four courses. In the fall, students take Sanitation and Safety, Culinary Skills I, and Baking I for 10 credits. Baking II follows in the spring. ACC requires a grade of C or higher in each CUL course to graduate.
Because Culinary Skills I is a five-credit cooking course, the certificate is not purely a pastry program. Students get a grounding in knife cuts, stocks, sauces, and cooking methods before moving into the second baking course.
Continuing Into the Culinary Arts Diploma or AAS
All four certificate courses appear in the first two semesters of the 39-credit Culinary Arts Diploma and the 68-credit Culinary Arts AAS. The catalog states that the Culinary Arts curriculum is accredited by the American Culinary Federation and that AAS graduates are eligible for the ACF’s first certification level, Certified Culinarian. Those longer programs are general culinary credentials rather than baking degrees.
Curriculum and Baking Courses
The certificate’s 13 credits come from these courses:
- CUL 110 Sanitation and Safety (2 credits): preparation for a nationally recognized food safety exam
- CUL 140 Culinary Skills I (5 credits): basic cookery, recipe conversion, knife cuts, stocks, sauces, and soups
- CUL 160 Baking I (3 credits): yeast and chemically leavened products, laminated doughs, pies and tarts, custards, cakes, cookies, and icings
- CUL 260 Baking II (3 credits): classical and frozen desserts, cake and torte production, decorating, and plated desserts
Both baking courses combine one class hour with four lab hours each week. The program plan lists Baking I in the fall, although the Baking I course description lists spring as its semester offered, so students should confirm the current schedule with the department before registering.
Tuition and Additional Costs
The 2026–27 catalog lists tuition of $76 per credit for North Carolina residents and $268 per credit for out-of-state students, capped at 16 credits per semester. ACC’s tuition and fees page adds a technology fee of $2.25 per credit (capped at $27), a $1 accident insurance fee, and tiered student and CAPS fees: $11.50 and $6 under 6 credits, $23.50 and $12 for 6–11 credits, and $35 and $18 at 12 credits or more. Applying those charges to the published 10-credit fall and 3-credit spring:
| Program | Credits | Estimated in-state tuition and fees | Estimated out-of-state tuition and fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Culinary Arts: Baking Certificate (2 semesters) | 13 | $1,072 | $3,568 |
The estimate covers tuition and mandatory fees only. It leaves out textbooks, supplies, transportation, and living costs. ACC charges $80 per digital textbook title through its BibliU model for applicable courses unless a student opts out for all courses, and the college charges no application fee.
The Culinary Arts program listing gives approximate costs for required items that the college does not provide: a uniform at $95, non-skid shoes at $50, a knife set at $150, and a pastry kit at $35. Together those come to about $330. The list appears on the AAS page, so certificate students should confirm which items apply to them.
Admissions and Financial Aid
ACC has an open-door admission policy. According to the catalog’s certificate admissions section, applicants submit an application and an official high school transcript, high school equivalency scores, or a college transcript that documents high school graduation. The college encourages students to finish admission steps at least 30 days before registration. Residency for tuition purposes is determined through North Carolina’s Residency Determination Service.
Students apply for aid through the FAFSA using ACC’s school code, 005463. The college offers Pell Grants, SEOG, work-study, the Next NC Scholarship, and ACC Foundation scholarships, but it does not participate in federal loan programs. Aid depends on enrollment in an eligible program, and the college does not state whether this 13-credit certificate qualifies, so ask the financial aid office before relying on grant funding.
Career Preparation and Transfer Considerations
The certificate provides entry-level preparation in sanitation, basic cooking, and baking production. ACC’s culinary program lists prep cook, line cook, and station chef as entry roles, with pastry chef among the positions graduates may reach with experience.
For students who want more than a short credential, the certificate courses stack directly into the Culinary Arts diploma and AAS. The AAS carries articulation agreements with Johnson and Wales University (a 2+2 in culinary arts) and NC State University (a 1+3 in food science), which gives ACC a clearer bachelor’s route than many short baking programs.
Who May Find This Certificate a Good Fit?
| Student goal | How the program may fit |
|---|---|
| Try baking coursework at low cost | The 13-credit plan is estimated at about $1,072 in tuition and fees for residents |
| Keep a job while in school | The spring semester includes only one 3-credit course |
| Learn cooking as well as baking | Culinary Skills I adds five credits of core kitchen training |
| Keep a path to a degree open | All four courses count in the Culinary Arts diploma and AAS |
Questions to Ask Before Applying
- Is Baking I offered in the fall this year, or only in the spring as the course description states?
- Can I start the certificate in spring, or only in fall?
- Which uniform, shoe, knife, and pastry kit items are required for certificate students?
- Is the Culinary Arts: Baking Certificate eligible for Pell Grant or Next NC Scholarship funding?
- Are day and evening sections of the baking labs both available?
Program details and costs can change. Confirm current requirements with Alamance Community College before applying.