Monterey Peninsula College breaks its baking curriculum into short modules. Six Bakeshop courses of one unit each and two half-unit chocolate courses form the core of the Baking and Pastry Arts Certificate of Achievement, which totals just 10.5 to 14 units.
The 2026–27 catalog also lists a noncredit Certificate of Completion with the same title. It mirrors the credit certificate course for course, measured in hours instead of units. Both are taught through the Hospitality and Culinary Arts program on the Monterey campus.
Quick Facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| School | Monterey Peninsula College |
| Location | Monterey, California; Monterey campus at 980 Fremont Street |
| Credentials | Baking and Pastry Arts, Certificate of Achievement; Baking and Pastry Arts, Noncredit Certificate of Completion |
| Units or hours | 10.5–14 units (credit); 348.5–408 hours (noncredit) |
| Format | Lecture and lab modules; the catalog notes that portions of instruction may be offered online |
| Length | Two semesters, fall and spring, in the catalog’s suggested sequence |
| Program area | Hospitality and Culinary Arts |
Baking and Pastry Program Options
The catalog’s Hospitality and Culinary Arts section lists both baking awards beside certificates in sustainable culinary arts, food and beverage management, wine, and culinary entrepreneurship. The stated outcome for both is the same: prepare baked goods and dessert items that are marketable to the public and safe to consume.
Baking and Pastry Arts, Certificate of Achievement
The credit Baking and Pastry Arts Certificate of Achievement has a 9-unit required core: the eight baking and chocolate modules plus a 2-unit Professional and Essential Skills course. Students add one food safety course, either the 3-unit Sanitation, Safety, Equipment or the half-unit Food Safety Certification, and 1 to 2 units of Catering or Career-Focused Work Experience. Those choices produce the 10.5 to 14-unit range.
Baking and Pastry Arts, Noncredit Certificate of Completion
The Noncredit Certificate of Completion uses zero-unit versions of the same courses and totals 348.5 to 408 hours. Each Bakeshop module is 36.5 hours and each chocolate module is 18 hours. Noncredit courses earn no college units, so this route suits students who want the training and a certificate but do not need transcripted credit toward a degree.
Curriculum and Baking Courses
Each credit Bakeshop module combines 8.5 lecture hours with 28 lab hours, according to the catalog’s Hospitality course descriptions:
- Bakeshop: Yeasted and Non-Yeasted Breads (1 unit): baking processes and ingredients, batters and doughs, yeast breads and rolls
- Bakeshop: Basic Baking Techniques (1 unit): mixing methods and ingredient functions for specialty cakes, cookies, and pastries
- Bakeshop: Pies and Tarts (1 unit): pastry shop pies and tarts, with dessert presentation
- Bakeshop: Cakes, Tortes and Decorating Techniques (1 unit): butter cakes, genoise, chiffon, mousse cakes, cheesecakes, icing, piping, and glazes
- Bakeshop: French Pastries and Restaurant-Style Desserts (1 unit): petits fours, creme brulee, tiramisu, frozen souffle, sauces, and garnishes
- Bakeshop: Regional French Desserts (1 unit): brioche, Paris-Brest, fruit tarts, mousses, and charlottes
- Chocolate I and Chocolate II (0.5 unit each): tempering couverture, then chocolates, confections, and showpiece techniques
The suggested sequence places breads, basic techniques, pies and tarts, Chocolate I, and the food safety course in fall. Cakes, French pastries, regional French desserts, Chocolate II, Professional and Essential Skills, and the catering or work experience units follow in spring. None of the baking modules lists a prerequisite, though several recommend prior baking experience. Every course description also says that portions of instruction may be offered online and that the course may be offered fully online, so check the class schedule to see how lab sections actually meet.
Tuition and Additional Costs
The 2026–27 catalog’s fees page lists an enrollment fee of $46 per unit. Non-residents also pay $392 per unit in tuition, or $438 per unit in all. Each semester carries a $20 health fee, a $10 student center use fee for students taking at least one class on the Monterey campus, and a $2 student representative fee.
| Program | Credits | Estimated in-state tuition and fees | Estimated out-of-state tuition and fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baking and Pastry Arts, Certificate of Achievement (two semesters) | 10.5–14 | $547–$708 | $4,663–$6,196 |
| Baking and Pastry Arts, Noncredit Certificate of Completion | 0 units; 348.5–408 hours | Not published | Not published |
The credit estimates multiply the low and high unit totals by the per-unit rate and add $32 in fees for each of the two semesters in the suggested sequence. They are before financial aid and leave out the $10 student body fee, parking, books, uniforms, tools, and any instructional materials fees. The catalog says some courses charge materials fees for items students keep, and amounts are not listed with the program.
For the noncredit certificate, the enrollment fee is charged per unit and these courses carry zero units. The catalog does not publish a separate price for them. Ask Admissions and Records which per-semester fees apply to a noncredit-only student.
Admissions and Financial Aid
The catalog’s admission requirements say anyone 18 or older who can profit from instruction, or anyone with a high school diploma or equivalent, is eligible to attend. New and returning students complete an application for admission before registering. The college’s how to apply page notes that applying is free.
According to the catalog’s financial aid section, the California College Promise Grant applies only to enrollment fees and is not a cash award, so the health, student center, and representative fees remain. MPC does not state on the pages reviewed whether a certificate of this size qualifies for federal aid. Confirm that with Student Financial Services.
Career Preparation and Transfer Considerations
The catalog says the certificate is designed to qualify completers to work in the baking and pastry industry, and it groups the award with MPC’s Ready to Work career education programs. The 2-unit Professional and Essential Skills course and the option of Career-Focused Work Experience add workplace preparation to the kitchen modules.
The credit Bakeshop and chocolate modules are listed as transferable to the California State University system, and the catalog shows the same courses on its Sustainable Food and Beverage Management certificate and A.S. pages. That gives credit students a continuation path at the college. Noncredit hours do not transfer.
Which Monterey Peninsula College Pathway May Fit You?
| Pathway | May fit students who want |
|---|---|
| Certificate of Achievement (credit) | Transcripted units in short baking modules that can also count toward MPC’s food and beverage management awards |
| Noncredit Certificate of Completion | The same baking, chocolate, food safety, and workplace skills content without earning college units |
Questions to Ask Before Applying
- Which Bakeshop modules meet in person this term, and are any sections offered partly or fully online?
- Are the one-unit modules scheduled back to back within a semester, and on which days?
- What does a noncredit-only student pay per semester?
- Which courses charge materials fees, and what uniform or tools are required?
- Is the Certificate of Achievement eligible for federal financial aid at 10.5 to 14 units?
Program details and costs can change. Confirm current requirements with Monterey Peninsula College before applying.