Mt. San Antonio College builds its baking credentials inside a full culinary program, so even the shortest certificate includes a professional cooking course and production shifts tied to Cafe 91, the college’s student-run restaurant. The baking labs themselves are compact: Baking and Pastry I, Baking and Pastry II, Artisan Bread, and Specialty Cakes total 9 units.
The 2026–27 catalog lists three awards: Baking and Pastry Level I (21 units), Baking and Pastry Advanced (40 to 42 units), and an Associate of Science in Baking and Pastry. Classes meet on the Walnut campus at 1100 N. Grand Avenue, where the Culinary Arts program is based in Building 78.
Quick Facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| School | Mt. San Antonio College (Mt. SAC) |
| Location | Walnut, California; 1100 N. Grand Avenue, Building 78 |
| Credentials | Baking and Pastry Level I Certificate; Baking and Pastry Advanced Certificate; Baking and Pastry A.S. |
| Units | 21; 40 to 42; and a 40 to 42 unit major plus general education (A.S.) |
| Format | Campus-based lecture and kitchen lab |
| Length | A.S.: two years including two winter sessions and a summer, per the suggested sequence |
| Certification | A Food Safety Manager Certification is required to enter the kitchen labs |
Baking and Pastry Program Options
All three awards are listed on the college’s Culinary Arts degrees and certificates page. Because each is 16 units or more, each is a Certificate of Achievement or degree that is noted on the transcript under the catalog’s definitions.
Baking and Pastry Level I Certificate
Level I requires eight courses and 21 units: Professional Cooking I, Baking and Pastry I, Baking and Pastry II, Commercial Food Production, Restaurant Operations, Artisan Bread, Specialty Cakes, and Food Safety and Sanitation.
Baking and Pastry Advanced Certificate
The Advanced certificate keeps those eight courses and adds Professional Cooking Foundations, Professional Cooking II, Dining Room Service Management, Hospitality Supervision, Hospitality Cost Control, and Introduction to Food and Beverage Management. Students also choose at least 2 units of electives, such as Culinary Work Experience or Food Service Entrepreneurship, for 40 to 42 units.
Baking and Pastry Associate of Science
The A.S. degree has the same 40 to 42 unit major as the Advanced certificate, plus general education. The college’s suggested course sequence for the degree totals 72.5 units across four semesters, two winter sessions, and one summer.
Curriculum and Baking Courses
The baking-specific courses are short on lecture and long on lab. According to the catalog:
- Baking and Pastry I (2 units): mixing methods, ingredient functions, and basic formulas for classic baked goods and pastries; 9 lecture and 81 lab hours
- Baking and Pastry II (2.5 units): fine pastry, cakes, chocolate work, and classic and modern desserts in the European tradition; 108 lab hours
- Artisan Bread (2.5 units): mixing, fermentation, shaping, baking, and baker’s math
- Specialty Cakes (2 units): cake mixing methods, creams and fillings, assembly, and decoration
- Commercial Food Production and Restaurant Operations (7 units): high-volume production, including baked goods, and rotations through Cafe 91
- Advanced certificate and A.S.: two more cooking courses, dining room service, supervision, cost control, and food and beverage management
Students must hold a valid Food Safety Manager Certification, which the Food Safety and Sanitation course leads to, before the kitchen labs, and the course descriptions require a professional uniform with non-slip footwear. Baking and Pastry II requires Baking and Pastry I, and Specialty Cakes requires Baking and Pastry II. Restaurant Operations lists Professional Cooking II as a prerequisite and Dining Room Service Management as a corequisite; neither is on the Level I course list, so ask how that applies to Level I students.
Tuition and Additional Costs
The 2026–27 catalog sets the enrollment fee at $46 per unit. Out-of-state students also pay $395 per unit in tuition, or $441 per unit. Fall and spring semesters carry a $23 health fee, a $2 student representation fee, and a transportation fee of $8 for part-time or $9 for full-time students. Winter and summer sessions carry a $20 health fee.
| Program | Credits | Estimated in-state tuition and fees | Estimated out-of-state tuition and fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baking and Pastry Level I Certificate (four terms) | 21 | $1,072 | $9,367 |
| Baking and Pastry Advanced Certificate (six terms) | 40 | $2,012 | $17,812 |
| Baking and Pastry A.S. (seven terms) | 72.5 | $3,531 | $32,169 |
Each estimate multiplies units by the per-unit rate and adds the fees for each term. Term counts follow the suggested sequence for the A.S., which marks Level I as complete after the first summer; the certificate estimates count only the terms holding their own courses, at part-time fee levels. Mt. SAC publishes no separate sequence for the 21-unit Level I list, and Restaurant Operations sits in the second fall of the degree sequence, so Level I may take a fifth term. Figures are before aid and exclude the $15 student activities fee, which can be waived, plus parking, books, uniforms, tools, and living costs.
The catalog says books and supplies may average $300 to $600 a semester depending on the program and points students to the Schedule of Classes for course materials fees. The Culinary Arts costs page still quotes an older non-resident rate, so rely on the catalog figures above.
Admissions and Financial Aid
The catalog says people who are 18, or who hold a high school diploma or its equivalent, are eligible for admission. The college’s steps for new students are to submit the online application, set up the student portal, complete the Assessment Questionnaire for English and math placement, finish the online orientation, and meet with a counselor for a first-semester plan. The college posts key dates for each term.
Students who qualify for the California College Promise Grant do not pay the enrollment fee, according to the catalog, and their health fee drops to $17 a semester. The catalog cautions that Skills Certificates under 16 units may fall below financial aid thresholds; all three baking awards are above that size, but confirm eligibility with the Financial Aid Office.
Career Preparation and Transfer Considerations
The Level I certificate is described as preparation for bakeries, restaurants, hotels, and catering companies, with training in production baking, candy making, specialty cakes, plated desserts, and artisan bread. The Advanced certificate and the A.S. add management coursework aimed at supervisory roles. In Commercial Food Production, students also staff Cafe 91’s grab-and-go counter in barista, service, and point-of-sale roles.
The A.S. is presented as a route to employment that also gives a foundation for transfer in hospitality or culinary management. Professional Cooking I and Dining Room Service Management are marked CSU-transferable, while most baking labs are degree-applicable only. An optional Culinary Work Experience course requires 54 hours of supervised work per unit.
Which Mt. SAC Pathway May Fit You?
| Pathway | May fit students who want |
|---|---|
| Baking and Pastry Level I | The four baking labs with one cooking course, food safety, and production experience in Cafe 91 |
| Baking and Pastry Advanced | Level I plus more cooking, dining room service, supervision, cost control, and beverage management |
| Baking and Pastry A.S. | The Advanced coursework with general education for an associate degree and possible transfer |
Questions to Ask Before Applying
- In which terms are Specialty Cakes, Baking and Pastry II, and Artisan Bread offered? The suggested sequence places them in winter and summer.
- Do Level I students need Professional Cooking II and Dining Room Service Management before Restaurant Operations?
- How many units will my A.S. plan require beyond the 40 to 42 unit major?
- What do the required uniform, knives, and baking tools cost, and are there materials fees for the labs?
- Is the program accredited by the American Culinary Federation? The catalog pages do not name a programmatic accreditor.
Program details and costs can change. Confirm current requirements with Mt. San Antonio College before applying.