Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte runs a dedicated Baking and Pastry Arts department on its Central Campus, with labs held mainly in the Van Every Building. The 2026–27 catalog lists three baking credentials: a 69-credit Associate in Applied Science, a 45-credit Cake Diploma, and a 14-credit Certificate Specialization in Artisan Breads.
The program is built around small cohorts. Enrollment is limited to 14 seats per group, courses run in a set sequence, and most courses finish in about four weeks. Students should expect daytime classes, usually Monday through Thursday from roughly 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., with some starting as early as 7 a.m.
Quick Facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| School | Central Piedmont Community College |
| Location | Charlotte, North Carolina; Central Campus (Van Every Building labs) |
| Credentials | Baking and Pastry Arts AAS (A55130); Baking and Pastry Arts Diploma, Cake (D55130-D2); Certificate Specialization in Artisan Breads (C55130-C5) |
| Credits | 69; 45; or 14 credits |
| Typical length | Five terms in the AAS course sequence |
| Class size | 14 seats per enrollment group |
| Format | On campus, daytime labs |
Baking and Pastry Program Options
All three credentials appear on one Baking and Pastry Arts catalog page, and they share the same opening courses. Central Piedmont no longer lists a baking specialization under its Culinary Arts certificate, so these are the college’s only baking-titled options.
Baking and Pastry Arts AAS
The associate degree requires 69 credits: 15 in general education and 54 in major courses. The suggested sequence spreads the work over five terms, starting with sanitation, culinary fundamentals, and Baking I. Later terms cover plated desserts, chocolates and confections, cake design, and a five-credit Dessert and Bread Production course. The degree also includes two credits of work-based learning.
Baking and Pastry Arts Diploma: Cake
The 45-credit Cake Diploma drops most general education, keeping only Writing and Inquiry and Mathematical Measurement and Literacy. Its core focuses on cakes and entremets, cake design and decorating, petit fours, cold desserts, and artisan bread, along with marketing and hospitality human resource management. It does not include the chocolate, plated dessert, or work-based learning courses found in the degree.
Certificate Specialization in Artisan Breads
The 14-credit certificate is the shortest option. It covers Sanitation and Safety, Culinary Fundamentals, Baking I with its lab, and Artisan and Specialty Bread. Because these match the first courses of the AAS, the suggested sequence notes that degree students may have completed the certificate by the end of their second term.
Curriculum and Baking Courses
Every major requirement course is taught by baking and pastry program instructors. Courses in the 2026–27 catalog include:
- Baking I and Baking I Lab
- Artisan and Specialty Bread
- Cold Desserts and Components; Plated Dessert Development
- Petit Fours and Pastries, with lab
- Modern Cakes and Entremets; Cake Design and Decorating, with lab
- Chocolates and Confections
- Dessert and Bread Production
- Pastry and Baking Marketing, with lab
Students should read the allergen notes before applying. Wheat, gluten, dairy, eggs, soy, peanuts, and tree nuts are present in nearly all courses, students are required to taste what they produce, and Culinary Fundamentals includes handling beef, pork, and chicken. Pork gelatin is used in most lab work.
Tuition and Additional Costs
For 2026–27, Central Piedmont charges $76 per credit for North Carolina residents and $268 per credit for out-of-state students, capped at 16 credits a semester. Each term also carries a $48 technology fee, a student activity fee of $26 or $35, and a campus access, parking, and security (CAPS) fee of $80 or $107, with the higher amounts applying at nine or more credits. The estimates below follow the published five-term AAS sequence (the 17-credit fourth term is billed at the cap) and its two-term path to the certificate. No sequence is published for the diploma, so three terms are assumed:
| Program | Credits | Estimated in-state tuition and fees | Estimated out-of-state tuition and fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baking and Pastry Arts AAS (5 terms) | 69 | $6,118 | $19,174 |
| Baking and Pastry Arts Diploma: Cake (3 terms assumed) | 45 | $3,990 | $12,630 |
| Certificate Specialization in Artisan Breads (2 terms) | 14 | $1,408 | $4,096 |
These figures leave out the IncludED course materials charge of $27 per credit, which is added automatically unless a student opts out by the 10% point of the term. They also exclude lab fees, books, uniforms, tools, and living costs.
Lab-based courses matter here. The college’s fees for college-credit courses include a lab fee of $27 per lab hour, up to $216 a semester, plus small accident and liability insurance charges for certain high-risk courses. The catalog states that all CUL and BPA labs require student accident medical insurance. Students must also buy embroidered uniforms and a program tool kit through the campus store, allowing at least four weeks for uniform orders, and bring an analog calculator and a digital scale, according to the program page.
Admissions and Financial Aid
Entry takes several steps beyond the college application. Applicants submit high school and any college transcripts, finish required developmental coursework, attend a mandatory Baking and Pastry Arts information session, and then meet with a program faculty member. Courses are unlocked only after the program chair grants permission, and the department keeps a waitlist because applications exceed available seats. Admission criteria can include test scores, an interview or information session, completed general education, a minimum 2.0 GPA, and experience in the field.
Cohort start dates depend on space, so applicants should ask about the next opening early. Students using financial aid are told to contact the financial aid office about paying for required uniforms and tools, and anyone relying on aid for the 14-credit certificate should confirm that it qualifies.
Career Preparation and Transfer Considerations
According to the catalog, graduates should qualify for entry-level jobs such as baker, pastry cook, cake decorator, pastry or bakery assistant, and assistant pastry chef.
The AAS is a career degree. Students planning a bachelor’s degree should have the receiving school review the transcript before counting on transfer credit.
Which Central Piedmont Pathway May Fit You?
| Pathway | May fit students who want |
|---|---|
| Certificate Specialization in Artisan Breads | A short, bread-focused start that lines up with the first two AAS terms |
| Baking and Pastry Arts Diploma: Cake | Concentrated cake, pastry, and bread training with minimal general education |
| Baking and Pastry Arts AAS | The full sequence, including chocolate, plated desserts, and work-based learning |
Questions to Ask Before Applying
- When is the next information session, and how long is the current waitlist?
- Which term would my cohort start, and can I complete general education courses while I wait?
- How much should I expect to pay in lab fees each semester?
- What do the uniform set and program tool kit cost at the campus store?
- Can my food allergy or dietary restriction be accommodated in the labs?
- Is the certificate or diploma eligible for federal financial aid?
Program details and costs can change. Confirm current requirements with Central Piedmont Community College before applying.