Henry Ford College in Dearborn offers one baking-titled credential, the 30-credit Baking and Pastry Certificate of Achievement (BAKING.CA). Every course in it also counts toward the college’s Culinary Arts associate degree, and the college presents the certificate as the first step in a ladder that can continue to a Bachelor of Science in Culinary Arts on the same campus.
The 2026–27 catalog sets the certificate at three semesters and marks it as eligible for financial aid. Students bake for the student-run Fifty-One-O-One restaurant and campus catering as part of their coursework. Tuition figures below use the Fall 2026 rates and the Fall 2026 and Winter 2027 course fee schedules.
Quick Facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| School | Henry Ford College |
| Location | 5101 Evergreen Rd., Dearborn, Michigan |
| Credential | Baking and Pastry Certificate of Achievement (BAKING.CA) |
| Total credits | 30 |
| Catalog length | 3 semesters, full time |
| Financial aid | Catalog lists the program as eligible |
| Continuation path | Culinary Arts AAS (71 credits), then Culinary Arts BS |
Baking and Pastry Program Options
The college’s Baking and Pastry program page groups three credentials together, but only the certificate carries baking in its title. The associate and bachelor’s degrees are Culinary Arts programs that the certificate feeds into.
Baking and Pastry Certificate of Achievement
The Baking and Pastry Certificate requires eight Hospitality (HOSP) courses totaling 30 credits. The catalog’s full-time plan runs 10 credits in the first fall, 11 in winter, and 9 in the second fall. The four first-semester courses are taken together.
Continuing Into the Culinary Arts AAS
All eight certificate courses appear in the Culinary Arts Associate in Applied Science, a 71-credit degree the catalog plans over five semesters. The program page describes the degree as 41 credits beyond the certificate, with an internship and preparation for ACF Certified Culinarian and Certified Pastry Culinarian credentials. A further 33 credits lead to the Bachelor of Science.
Curriculum and Baking Courses
About half of the certificate is baking and pastry lab work, and the rest is sanitation and kitchen production. The 2026–27 catalog requires:
- HOSP 105 Applied Food Service Sanitation (2 credits), which includes the ServSafe Food Protection Manager exam
- HOSP 220 Introduction to Baking and Cooking (2 credits)
- HOSP 224 Culinary Skills and Nutritional Cooking (3 credits)
- HOSP 226 Fundamentals of Baking (3 credits): quick breads, cookies, yeast products, layered dough, pies, and basic cakes
- HOSP 245 Hotel and Restaurant Desserts (3 credits): banquet desserts, chocolate decorating, sugar casting, and petit fours
- HOSP 255 Professional Cake Decorating (3 credits): buttercream, rolled fondant, gumpaste flowers, and wedding cakes
- HOSP 331 Modern and European Pastry (6 credits): wedding and fondant cakes, European pastries, and specialty desserts
- HOSP 340 A’la Carte and Buffet Cookery (8 credits): station rotations in the student-run restaurant, including dessert presentation
The largest single course, HOSP 340, is a savory and restaurant production course, so this certificate is broader than a pure pastry program. The catalog course page for HOSP 331 lists HOSP 240 as a prerequisite, and that course is not among the certificate requirements. Ask the department how that prerequisite is handled.
Tuition and Additional Costs
As of Fall 2026, Henry Ford College charges $122 per credit hour in-district (the Dearborn Public Schools district), $213.50 out-of-district, and $309 out-of-state for 100 and 200 level courses. Per-credit fees add $24 (service $18, technology investment $4, student activity $2), and each semester carries a $50 registration fee and a $60 infrastructure fee.
Lab courses that meet longer than their credit hours also carry an excess contact hour fee. On the Fall 2026 and Winter 2027 fee schedules, five certificate courses have one: HOSP 224 and 226 ($183 in-district, $320.25 otherwise), HOSP 255 and 331 ($122 or $213.50), and HOSP 340 ($244 or $427). Those total $854 in-district and $1,494.50 for everyone else, and they are included below.
| 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 Certificate of Achievement (3 semesters) | 30 | $5,564 | $8,950 | $11,815 |
The estimate covers tuition, per-credit fees, per-semester fees, and excess contact hour fees over the three catalog semesters. It does not include course fees, books, uniforms, or tools. The college also lists a separate 300 and 400 level tuition rate ($200 in-district). The fee schedules show no excess tuition charge for HOSP 331 or HOSP 340, so this estimate uses the standard rate for all 30 credits. Confirm that with the cashier’s office.
Course fees on the same schedules total $510 for the eight courses, ranging from $25 for sanitation to $125 for Modern and European Pastry. The catalog course page shows $190 for that course, so check the amount for your term. Fundamentals of Baking requires a chef jacket, hat, and apron by the second full week of classes. See the college’s tuition and payment page and its course fee schedule for current figures.
Admissions and Financial Aid
Henry Ford College has no application fee. New students apply, submit official transcripts, complete course placement, attend orientation, meet with an advisor, and then register and pay. The college says students may start in fall, winter, or summer, although the catalog plan for this certificate begins in fall. The first-semester HOSP courses require completion of, or placement beyond, developmental English (ENG 081 or 082).
The catalog marks the certificate as eligible for financial aid, so filing the FAFSA is worthwhile. The college also advertises a tuition freeze guarantee for students who graduate within four years.
Career Preparation and Transfer Considerations
The program page names pastry cook, pastry chef, and executive pastry chef as target roles. Students prepare breads, plated desserts, chocolates, and confections for the campus restaurant, a wellness cafe, and special events, and the college describes a climate-controlled kitchen for cake, pastry, and chocolate work.
On accreditation, the certificate’s catalog entry states that the Associate in Applied Science in Culinary Arts is accredited by the American Culinary Federation Education Foundation Accrediting Commission. It does not name the certificate itself, so students who need an ACFEF-accredited credential should plan on the degree.
Which Henry Ford College Pathway May Fit You?
| Pathway | May fit students who want |
|---|---|
| Baking and Pastry Certificate | Cake, dessert, and pastry labs plus restaurant kitchen experience in three semesters |
| Certificate, then Culinary Arts AAS | An ACFEF-accredited degree with an internship, built on the same 30 credits |
| Certificate, AAS, then Culinary Arts BS | A four-year degree without changing colleges |
Questions to Ask Before Applying
- Are HOSP 331 and HOSP 340 billed at the standard rate or the 300 and 400 level rate?
- Do I need HOSP 240 before Modern and European Pastry?
- Which semesters are HOSP 245, 255, and 331 offered, and can I start in winter?
- What uniform and tool purchases are required, and what do they cost?
Program details and costs can change. Confirm current requirements with Henry Ford College before applying.