Chaffey College names its baking program Professional Baking and Patisserie, and the required courses reach beyond bread and cake basics. The 34-unit core includes a World Baking course on desserts from Africa, Asia, India, the Middle East, Latin America, and the Caribbean, along with a garde manger course in cold kitchen work. The college lists Culinary Arts and Baking among the programs at its Chino Campus.
Two credentials appear in the 2026–27 catalog: a Professional Baking and Patisserie Certificate of Achievement and a Professional Baking and Patisserie A.S. Both use the same ten required courses, and the catalog says students bake for the Chaffey College Bistro in a production kitchen.
Quick Facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| School | Chaffey College (Chaffey Community College District) |
| Location | Chino, California; the college lists Culinary Arts and Baking at its Chino Campus. The main campus is in Rancho Cucamonga. |
| Credentials | Professional Baking and Patisserie Certificate of Achievement; Professional Baking and Patisserie A.S. |
| Units | 34 units (certificate); 34 major units plus general education (A.S.) |
| Format | Campus-based lecture and kitchen lab courses |
| Length | Not stated in the catalog entries; the college links a program map for each award |
| Catalog | 2026–27, valid August 1, 2026 through July 31, 2027 |
Baking and Pastry Program Options
The college’s Culinary Arts and Baking page links a program map for each award, and full requirements are in the 2026–27 online catalog.
Professional Baking and Patisserie Certificate of Achievement
The certificate requires 34 units in ten courses: Sanitation, Safety, and Equipment Management; Principles of Food Preparation; Bistro, Restaurant, and Catering Operations; Introduction to Baking; Advanced Professional Baking; Artisan Breads; Cake Decorating and Pastry Art; World Baking; Garde Manger; and Introduction to Hospitality Management. The catalog describes it as preparation for work as a professional baker or pastry chef in hotels and restaurants. It is a Certificate of Achievement, the state-approved type recorded on the transcript.
Professional Baking and Patisserie Associate in Science
The A.S. degree uses the same 34-unit core as its major and adds the college’s general education and graduation requirements. The catalog says the degree is designed for a career in the baking sector of culinary arts or for transfer to a CSU to complete a four-year degree. The entry lists major units only, so ask a counselor for the total you would need.
Curriculum and Baking Courses
Five of the ten required courses are baking courses, and three of those are 4-unit labs. Per the catalog course descriptions:
- Introduction to Baking (4 units; 16–18 lecture and 144–162 lab hours): yeast and quick breads, cakes, cookies, pies, pastries, decorating, and icings
- Advanced Professional Baking (4 units): advanced formulas, adjusting ingredient percentages and yields, and restaurant-style plated desserts
- Artisan Breads (4 units): mixing, fermenting, shaping, and baking hand-crafted and international breads
- Cake Decorating and Pastry Art (3 units): icings, fillings, piping, borders, color, writing, and chocolate decor
- World Baking (3 units): flavor profiles and techniques for baked desserts from several world regions
- Kitchen and operations courses: sanitation and equipment, food preparation, garde manger, bistro and catering operations, and hospitality management
Advanced Professional Baking requires a C or better in Introduction to Baking, and Introduction to Baking is an advisory for Artisan Breads. Bistro, Restaurant, and Catering Operations requires Principles of Food Preparation, and Garde Manger requires the sanitation course. Those chains affect how quickly the 34 units can be finished.
Tuition and Additional Costs
Chaffey’s Tuition and Fees page and its Fall 2026 payment chart list an enrollment fee of $46 per unit for California residents. Non-residents pay $460 per unit, which is $409 in non-resident tuition, a $5 capital outlay charge, and the $46 enrollment fee. Required fees each fall or spring semester are a $21 health fee and a transportation fee of $9 for students in 6 or more units ($8 below that).
| Program | Credits | Estimated in-state tuition and fees | Estimated out-of-state tuition and fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional Baking and Patisserie Certificate of Achievement (two semesters assumed) | 34 | $1,624 | $15,700 |
| Professional Baking and Patisserie A.S. (four semesters assumed) | 60 | $2,880 | $27,720 |
Each estimate multiplies units by the per-unit rate and adds $30 in health and transportation fees for every semester. No term count is given in the catalog entries, so the figures assume two semesters for the certificate and four for the A.S., and the A.S. row assumes 60 units in total. Because of the prerequisite chains, many students will need more than two semesters for the certificate, which adds $30 per extra term. Figures are before financial aid and exclude the optional $8 college services fee, $8 technology fee, and $2 student representation fee, the $30 parking permit, books, uniforms, tools, and living costs.
Material fees vary by section and are shown under each class in the schedule; the payment chart says they are due at registration and cannot be waived. Chaffey does not publish a uniform or knife kit price for the baking program.
Admissions and Financial Aid
The catalog’s enrollment section describes the general process: apply through CCCApply, complete orientation and placement, and meet with academic and career counseling before registering. No program-specific application appears in the Professional Baking and Patisserie entries, and the program page directs prospective students to a counselor to schedule classes.
The college’s financial aid pages state that the California College Promise Grant waives enrollment fees and covers part of the parking permit cost, but not material fees. The health fee drops to $10.50 for one category of Promise Grant recipients. The catalog entries do not label either award’s federal aid eligibility, so confirm it with the Financial Aid Office.
Career Preparation and Transfer Considerations
According to the certificate description, students work in a production kitchen and bake for the Chaffey College Bistro, and the catalog cites ongoing demand for trained bakers and cake decorators. The program page says culinary alumni have transferred to schools such as the Culinary Institute of America and Cal Poly Pomona and have been hired by employers including Disney, Porto’s, Sodexo, and Hilton.
Transfer needs a careful look. The catalog marks Bistro, Restaurant, and Catering Operations and Garde Manger as transferable to CSU, while Introduction to Baking, Advanced Professional Baking, Artisan Breads, Cake Decorating and Pastry Art, and World Baking are marked not transferable.
Which Chaffey College Pathway May Fit You?
| Pathway | May fit students who want |
|---|---|
| Professional Baking and Patisserie Certificate of Achievement | Five baking courses plus food preparation, garde manger, and bistro operations, without general education |
| Professional Baking and Patisserie A.S. | The same 34-unit core with general education for an associate degree |
Questions to Ask Before Applying
- How many semesters does the program map show for each award, and which baking courses run each term?
- Do all ten required courses meet at the Chino Campus, and in which kitchen?
- What material fees, uniforms, and tools are required?
- How many total units will the A.S. take with general education?
- Is the program accredited by the American Culinary Federation? The catalog entries do not name a programmatic accreditor.
Program details and costs can change. Confirm current requirements with Chaffey College before applying.