Schoolcraft College in Livonia builds its Culinary Baking and Pastry Arts Certificate around just two large courses: a 20-credit Pastries course in fall and a 15-credit Baking course in winter. The 2026–27 catalog describes the 35-credit certificate as a 30-week program, and entry is through a restricted enrollment process rather than open registration.
Before applying to the program, students complete a two-credit introductory baking course and hold a current ServSafe Food Protection Manager Certificate. Schoolcraft also lists an Associate of General Studies that applies all 35 certificate credits toward a 61-credit degree. Details below come from the 2026–27 catalog and tuition schedule.
Quick Facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| School | Schoolcraft College |
| Location | 18600 Haggerty Road, Livonia, Michigan |
| Credentials | Culinary Baking and Pastry Arts Certificate; Associate of General Studies using Culinary Baking and Pastry Arts Certificate |
| Total credits | Certificate: 35, plus 4 credits of admission prerequisites. AGS: 61, plus the same prerequisites |
| Catalog sequence | Certificate: fall and winter semesters (30 weeks). AGS: two further semesters of general education |
| Admission type | Restricted enrollment; start may depend on space |
| Semester load | 15 or 20 credits once admitted |
Baking and Pastry Program Options
The catalog’s Culinary Baking and Pastry Arts area lists two career programs. Both rest on the same two core courses.
Culinary Baking and Pastry Arts Certificate
The Culinary Baking and Pastry Arts Certificate (program code 1YC.00247) totals 35 credits: CBPA 125 Pastries in fall and CBPA 144 Baking in winter. The catalog lists two admission prerequisites worth 4 more credits, CUL 102 Culinary Sanitation and CBPA 103 Introduction to Baking and Pastry Skills and Techniques. CUL 102 is not required for students who document current ServSafe certification.
Associate of General Studies using Culinary Baking and Pastry Arts Certificate
The Associate of General Studies option (AGS.00042) adds 26 general education credits to the certificate for a 61-credit degree. The sample schedule places English, humanities, mathematics, natural science, and social science courses in a second year of 16 and 10 credits. This is a general studies degree, not an applied science degree in baking, and the catalog suggests discussing other associate options with an advisor.
Curriculum and Baking Courses
The certificate concentrates its content in two block courses with heavy lab time:
- CUL 102 Culinary Sanitation (2 credits, prerequisite): food safety and preparation for the ServSafe Food Protection Manager exam
- CBPA 103 Introduction to Baking and Pastry Skills and Techniques (2 credits, prerequisite): equipment, ingredients, and fundamental baking processes
- CBPA 125 Pastries (20 credits; 5 lecture and 15 lab contact hours): pies and tarts, French pastry, tortes, plated and frozen desserts, chocolates, cake decoration, and centerpieces
- CBPA 144 Baking (15 credits; 3.75 lecture and 11.25 lab contact hours): hearth and artisan breads, laminated doughs, cookies, quick breads, breakfast pastries, high ratio cakes, and fermentation and flour science
Both core courses also cover recipe costing and scaling. Because each one fills a whole semester, the certificate cannot be spread across small part-time loads once a student is admitted.
Tuition and Additional Costs
Schoolcraft bills by credit hour. For Fall 2026 through Summer 2027, tuition is $143 per credit for residents of the college district, $206 for non-residents (Michigan students outside the district), and $270 for out-of-state students. The district covers the Clarenceville, Garden City, Livonia, Northville, and Plymouth-Canton school districts and parts of Novi.
Mandatory fees add $29 per credit (service $9, instructional equipment $11, infrastructure $9), a $44 registration fee each semester, and a $12 learning management fee per class. The estimates below use the catalog’s semester counts. The associate row includes the 4 prerequisite credits and assumes nine general education classes over five semesters in total.
| Program | Credits | Estimated in-district tuition and fees | Estimated out-of-district tuition and fees | Estimated out-of-state tuition and fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate core courses (2 semesters) | 35 | $6,132 | $8,337 | $10,577 |
| Certificate with both prerequisites (3 semesters) | 39 | $6,888 | $9,345 | $11,841 |
| Associate of General Studies with prerequisites (5 semesters) | 65 | $11,556 | $15,651 | $19,811 |
These figures leave out lab fees, uniforms, tools, textbooks, and learner supplies. The 39-credit row matches the tuition and fee lines in the college’s own 2026–27 program estimate. That estimate lists no excess contact hour fees for the baking courses, though general education courses in the associate plan may carry their own.
Schoolcraft’s application information page adds $1,355 in lab fees and about $970 in program supplies: four chef coats ($180), four pairs of chef pants ($140), non-slip shoes ($80), and a pastry kit ($569.98). With those items, the college’s published total is $9,212.98 for residents, $11,669.98 for non-residents, and $14,165.98 for out-of-state students. Current rates are on the tuition and fees page.
Admissions and Financial Aid
Entry takes several steps. Applicants apply to the college (there is no application fee), send transcripts, and meet with an academic advisor about math, reading, and writing placement. An advisor then issues a permit for CBPA 103, which the college says tends to fill quickly and is not open to dual-enrolled high school students.
Program admission requires CBPA 103 with a grade of 2.5 or better, taken within five years of applying, plus a ServSafe Food Protection Manager Certificate earned within the last five years and a 2.0 cumulative Schoolcraft GPA. Students finish by filing the restricted enrollment program change form with Academic Advising.
The catalog pages for these programs do not state whether the certificate qualifies for federal aid, so confirm eligibility with the financial aid office before relying on it.
Career Preparation and Transfer Considerations
Schoolcraft describes the certificate as preparation for work in bakeries, pastry shops, restaurants, and hotel bakeries and pastry kitchens. Program outcomes include sanitation, baking and pastry techniques, plate presentation, and food science concepts.
An attendance policy applies to culinary classes. Students who exceed the maximum absence time are withdrawn and must retake the course, which matters when one course is a full semester of credit. The catalog pages reviewed do not cite American Culinary Federation accreditation for this certificate.
Which Schoolcraft Pathway May Fit You?
| Pathway | May fit students who want |
|---|---|
| Culinary Baking and Pastry Arts Certificate | Full-time, immersive pastry and bread training over fall and winter, after completing the entry requirements |
| Associate of General Studies using the certificate | The same baking courses plus general education for an associate degree |
| CBPA 103 and CUL 102 first | A low-credit way to try the field and earn ServSafe before committing to a 20-credit semester |
Questions to Ask Before Applying
- How many seats open each fall, and is there a wait after I finish CBPA 103?
- What days and hours do CBPA 125 and CBPA 144 meet?
- Can the program be started in winter with the Baking course, or only in fall?
- Is the certificate eligible for federal or state financial aid?
- How are the $1,355 in lab fees split between courses, and where is the pastry kit purchased?
Program details and costs can change. Confirm current requirements with Schoolcraft College before applying.