The New Orleans Culinary and Hospitality Institute, known as NOCHI, is a nonprofit school in downtown New Orleans that runs a full-time Baking and Pastry Arts Certificate. The program is measured in clock hours, not college credits: 643.5 hours of instruction delivered in about six months, with new cohorts starting every January and July.
NOCHI caps classes at 16 students and ends the program with a pop-up café that baking and culinary students design and run together for the public. Details below come from NOCHI’s website and its Fall 2026 student handbook.
Quick Facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| School | New Orleans Culinary and Hospitality Institute (NOCHI) |
| Location | New Orleans, Louisiana; 725 Howard Avenue |
| Credential | Baking and Pastry Arts Certificate |
| Length | 643.5 clock hours; four five-week quarters over about six months |
| Schedule | Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. |
| Entry | January and July cohorts |
| Class size | No more than 16 students |
| Status | 501(c)(3) nonprofit; licensed by the Louisiana Board of Regents |
Baking and Pastry Program Options
NOCHI offers two certificate programs, Culinary Arts and Baking and Pastry Arts. Only the second is a baking credential. The school also sells enthusiast and private classes, which are recreational and separate from the certificate.
Baking and Pastry Arts Certificate
The Baking and Pastry Arts Certificate is a single fixed sequence. Everyone in a cohort takes the same courses in the same order, about 105 class days in all. The handbook’s outline shows 129 lecture hours and 514.5 lab hours, so roughly four of every five hours are spent in the bakeshop.
Because the certificate is a clock-hour program, it does not award semester credits. The handbook also states that NOCHI does not accept transfer credit from other institutions. On accreditation, NOCHI’s website says the school is accredited by the Commission of the Council on Occupational Education, while the Fall 2026 handbook still describes it as an approved candidate for initial accreditation. Applicants should ask the school which statement is current.
Curriculum and Baking Courses
The handbook divides the program into four quarters of 156.25 to 174.75 hours each:
- First quarter: Food and Kitchen Safety, Baking and Pastry Fundamentals I and II (45 hours each), and Basic and Classic Cakes
- Second quarter: Hearth Breads and Rolls, Modern Approaches to Baking, and Culinary Fundamentals for Baking and Pastry (55 hours)
- Third quarter: Confectionary Arts, Individual Production Pastry, Contemporary Cakes, and Chocolates and Confections (29 hours each), plus Restaurant Planning and Career Development
- Fourth quarter: Introduction to A La Carte, Restaurant Operations (63.25 hours), Banqueting and Catering, and the Baking and Pastry Final Assessment
- Across the first three quarters: Bakeshop Ingredients, Equipment and Technology, and Math Across the Curriculum
Modern Approaches to Baking covers whole and alternative grains along with gluten-free, vegan, and lower-sugar products. The final assessment combines a three-day externship with a practical exam and a cumulative written exam. In Banqueting and Catering, students plan and carry out a dessert buffet. The pop-up café operates over a four-week period, with students setting the concept, menu, and budget.
Tuition and Additional Costs
NOCHI charges a program price, not a per-credit rate, and the price is the same for residents of any state. The financing page and the Fall 2026 handbook list identical charges. The website labels them as in effect since January 2023.
| Charge | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition | $16,000 |
| Application fee (non-refundable) | $50 |
| Registration fee | $100 |
| Tool kit | $400 |
| Uniform (shoes not included) | $215 |
| Textbooks, Baking and Pastry Arts | $110 |
| ServSafe certification | $36 |
| Total school charges | $16,911 |
The total does not include kitchen shoes, housing, meals, or transportation. NOCHI does not provide student housing. Students who have not paid in full before classes start are placed on an automatic repayment plan, and the handbook divides the balance by quarter. Each quarter’s balance has to be cleared before a student moves on to the next one.
The handbook’s refund policy returns everything except the $100 registration fee to students who cancel before classes begin. Refunds after the start date shrink on a set schedule, so applicants should read that section before signing an enrollment agreement.
Admissions and Financial Aid
Admission is selective in the sense that NOCHI reviews each file as a whole. The admissions page asks for proof of high school graduation or an equivalent, an official transcript, a written application with essay responses, two professional references, one letter of recommendation, immunization records, and an interview. Three months of hospitality work experience is recommended but not required. The school says it responds within 90 days of receiving a complete application, and full cohorts create a waitlist. NOCHI posts deadlines for each cohort.
NOCHI participates in federal Title IV aid, and the handbook lists Pell Grants among the options for students who qualify. Other sources named by the school include Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act funding through parish workforce boards, GI Bill and military tuition assistance benefits, and extended payment plans. Several donor-funded scholarships are open to baking students, including the need-based NOCHI Scholarship Fund and the Oscar J. Tolmas Scholarship Fund.
Career Preparation and Transfer Considerations
Career preparation is built into the schedule. A Career Development course has students assemble a portfolio with a resume, cover letters, and photos of their work, and the handbook’s calendar includes field trips, showcases, and a career fair. Each student is assigned an academic and career advisor. NOCHI says it helps with resumes, interviews, and employer contacts but does not guarantee job placement.
Students who may want a college degree later should plan carefully. Clock-hour training generally does not convert to credit at a community college or university unless that school agrees to evaluate it, so ask any future college about its policy first.
Who May Find This Certificate a Good Fit?
| Student goal | How the program may fit |
|---|---|
| Finish training in about six months | Four five-week quarters, with cohorts starting in January and July |
| Spend most of the time baking | About 80% of the 643.5 hours are lab hours, with no general education |
| Study full time on weekdays | Classes run Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. |
| Practice running a food business | The capstone is a student-run pop-up café open to the public |
| Earn transferable college credit | Likely a weaker fit, since the certificate is clock-hour based |
Questions to Ask Before Applying
- What is NOCHI’s current accreditation status with the Council on Occupational Education?
- Are the January 2023 charges still the price for the cohort I want to join?
- How much Pell Grant or loan funding could apply to a six-month clock-hour program?
- Where do the three-day externships take place, and who arranges them?
- What happens if I miss class days, given the fixed sequence and attendance rules?
Program details and costs can change. Confirm current requirements with the New Orleans Culinary and Hospitality Institute before applying.