Long Beach City College ends its baking program with a pair of capstone courses built around a student-run bakery. In Advanced Bakery Operations and Advanced Bakery Practicum, students plan and produce breads, pastries, cakes, and savory items in quantity and sell them at the college Bakery, a take-out counter in Building V on the Liberal Arts Campus at 4901 E. Carson Street.
The 2026–27 catalog lists three credit awards in Baking and Pastry Arts: a 23-unit Certificate of Achievement, a 30.5-unit Advanced Certificate of Achievement, and an Associate in Science degree. It also lists a short noncredit Certificate of Completion in Basic Baking Skills.
Quick Facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| School | Long Beach City College |
| Location | Long Beach, California; Liberal Arts Campus, 4901 E. Carson Street, Building V |
| Credentials | Baking and Pastry Arts Certificate of Achievement; Advanced Baking and Pastry Arts Certificate of Achievement; Baking and Pastry Arts A.S.; Basic Baking Skills Certificate of Completion (noncredit) |
| Units | 23, 30.5, or a minimum of 60 units; 54 hours for the noncredit certificate |
| Format | Campus-based lecture and kitchen lab |
| Length | About one and a half to two years, per the program page |
| Prior experience | None required, per the program page |
Baking and Pastry Program Options
The college’s Baking and Pastry Arts page links to each award. Requirements below come from the 2026–27 catalog.
Baking and Pastry Arts Certificate of Achievement
The Certificate of Achievement requires seven courses and 23 units: Baking Skills and Principles, Pastry Skills and Principles, Advanced Bakery Operations, Advanced Bakery Practicum, Intro to Hospitality, a food service sanitation course, and Culinary Skills for Baking Students.
Advanced Baking and Pastry Arts Certificate of Achievement
The advanced certificate adds four 1.5-unit specialty courses to those seven (Specialty Cakes and French Pastries, Cake Decorating, Artisan Breads, and Viennese Pastries) plus one 1.5-unit elective chosen from Chocolate, Sugar, and Confections; Plated Desserts; or Holiday Desserts. The total is 30.5 units.
Baking and Pastry Arts Associate in Science
The A.S. degree uses the same 30.5-unit major as the advanced certificate. Students add the LBCC general education pattern or Cal-GETC, and electives if needed, to reach at least 60 degree-applicable units.
Basic Baking Skills Certificate of Completion (noncredit)
This noncredit certificate consists of three ungraded 18-hour courses: Breakfast Pastries, Cake Essentials, and Bread Essentials. The courses carry zero units and do not count toward the credit awards.
Curriculum and Baking Courses
Courses in the credit program use the BAKE prefix. The catalog describes them as follows:
- Baking Skills and Principles (4 units): lean and rich yeast doughs, cookies, quick breads, sweet and laminated doughs, batters, and creams; 36 lecture and 126 lab hours
- Pastry Skills and Principles (4 units): cakes, tarts, mousses, chocolate, ice cream, buttercreams, meringues, and sponges
- Advanced Bakery Operations and Advanced Bakery Practicum (4 units each): the capstone pair, with 72 lecture hours on quantity production and 216 lab hours in the student-run Bakery
- Culinary Skills for Baking Students (2 units): knife cuts, basic sauces, and core cooking methods
- Advanced certificate and A.S.: specialty cakes and entremets, cake decorating with fondant and gum paste, artisan breads from pre-ferments and sourdough starters, and Viennese pastries
Pastry Skills requires Baking Skills, and the two capstone courses require both and must be taken together, so the core sequence takes at least three terms. The sanitation course, which includes a nationally accredited Food Protection Manager exam, is a corequisite for the first lab. Most lab courses note that proof of TB clearance is required on the first day of class.
Tuition and Additional Costs
LBCC’s student fees page lists an enrollment fee of $46 per unit for California residents. Non-residents pay that fee plus $356 per unit in tuition and a $30 per unit capital outlay fee, or $432 per unit. Each fall and spring term also carries a $24 student health services fee and a $2 student representation fee.
| Program | Credits | Estimated in-state tuition and fees | Estimated out-of-state tuition and fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baking and Pastry Arts Certificate of Achievement (three semesters) | 23 | $1,136 | $10,014 |
| Advanced Baking and Pastry Arts Certificate of Achievement (three semesters assumed) | 30.5 | $1,481 | $13,254 |
| Baking and Pastry Arts A.S. (four semesters assumed) | 60 | $2,864 | $26,024 |
Each estimate multiplies units by the per-unit rate and adds $26 in fees per semester. LBCC publishes no term-by-term plan for these awards. Three semesters reflects the prerequisite chain, and the A.S. estimate assumes four semesters at the 60-unit minimum. Figures are before financial aid and exclude the optional $20 College Services Card, parking ($30 a semester), books, uniforms, tools, and living costs. The noncredit certificate is not in the table; the catalog lists its courses at zero units, and the college promotes several noncredit programs as tuition-free.
Materials fees are a separate cost and, per the program page, cover the ingredients used in class. The catalog lists $85 each for Baking Skills and Pastry Skills and $45 for Culinary Skills for Baking Students, or $215 across the 23-unit certificate. The four added specialty courses bring the total to $385, and the elective adds $45 or $50. The program page’s own estimates are about $1,365 for the certificate and $4,988 for the A.S.
Admissions and Financial Aid
No prior baking experience is needed, according to the program page. LBCC’s Get Started page directs new students to the online application and to enrollment steps that differ for first-time, returning, transfer, and noncredit students. The program page suggests a 30-minute appointment with an academic counselor to build an educational plan. The college posts registration deadlines for each term.
LBCC’s financial aid pages state that the California College Promise Grant waives enrollment fees for eligible California residents. The catalog does not label individual awards as aid-eligible, so ask the Financial Aid Office about the certificates.
Career Preparation and Transfer Considerations
The program is designed for employment in retail, hotel, and resort bakery and pastry kitchens. The capstone practicum gives students production and sales experience at the student-run Bakery, which the college says sells items such as croissants, tarts, brioche, and cookies to the public. Culinary Arts students operate the neighboring Bistro.
Intro to Hospitality and the sanitation course carry C-ID numbers and are marked transferable to the California State University system. The A.S. page notes that major units may double-count toward general education within limits set by a counselor.
Which LBCC Pathway May Fit You?
| Pathway | May fit students who want |
|---|---|
| Basic Baking Skills (noncredit) | A 54-hour, ungraded introduction to breakfast pastries, cakes, and breads |
| Certificate of Achievement | The core baking and pastry labs plus the student-run bakery capstone |
| Advanced Certificate of Achievement | The core plus specialty cakes, cake decorating, artisan breads, Viennese pastries, and one elective |
| Associate in Science | The advanced certificate coursework with general education for a degree |
Questions to Ask Before Applying
- In which terms are the 1.5-unit specialty courses scheduled, and can the advanced certificate be finished in three semesters?
- Does the Basic Baking Skills certificate carry any materials charge?
- Which non-resident rate applies this year? Another LBCC fee page lists different non-resident and health fee figures.
- What uniform and tool purchases are required for the Building V kitchens?
- Is the program accredited by the American Culinary Federation? The program page does not name a programmatic accreditor.
Program details and costs can change. Confirm current requirements with Long Beach City College before applying.