Baking courses at San Bernardino Valley College are unusually large. Introduction to Baking, Desserts and Pastries, Cake Decorating, and Advanced Desserts and Pastry/Chocolate/Sugar are each 6 units with 324 lab contact hours, according to the 2026–27 catalog. A student who completes all four spends nearly 1,300 hours in the bakeshop.
The catalog lists three baking credentials: a 45-unit Baking Certificate of Achievement, a 36-unit Baking Business Certificate of Achievement, and a Professional Baking and Management Associate of Arts degree with a 51-unit major. The Culinary Arts program also operates The Den Coffee Shop in the campus library, which sells pastries.
Quick Facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| School | San Bernardino Valley College (San Bernardino Community College District) |
| Location | San Bernardino, California (701 South Mount Vernon Avenue) |
| Credentials | Baking Certificate of Achievement; Baking Business Certificate of Achievement; Professional Baking and Management A.A. |
| Units | 45, 36, or 51 major units plus general education |
| Format | Campus-based; the four core baking courses are all lab hours |
| Length | Not published; the baking prerequisite chain takes at least three terms |
| Catalog | 2026–27 edition |
Baking and Pastry Program Options
All three awards are linked from the college’s Culinary Arts page. Both certificates are Certificates of Achievement, and the catalog labels each one a Gainful Employment Program.
Baking Certificate of Achievement
The Baking certificate requires 45 units in ten courses. Four 6-unit baking labs sit beside a 3-unit lecture course in baking skills, ingredients, and technology, plus Small Business and Catering Management (6 units), Principles of Design and Presentation, Sanitation and Safety, Procurement, Purchasing and Selection, and Introduction to Hospitality and Customer Service. Human Resource Management and Hospitality Cost Control are recommended but not required.
Baking Business Certificate of Achievement
At 36 units, the Baking Business certificate is aimed at people who plan to own or manage a baking business. It keeps Introduction to Baking and Desserts and Pastries, drops the cake decorating and advanced pastry labs, and requires Human Resource Management and Hospitality Cost Control along with the catering, purchasing, sanitation, and hospitality courses.
Professional Baking and Management Associate of Arts
The A.A. degree has a 51-unit major that combines every required course from both certificates. Students also complete either the SBVC general education and graduation requirements or the Cal-GETC pattern. The catalog entry does not state a total unit count for the degree.
Curriculum and Baking Courses
Catalog course descriptions outline the baking sequence:
- Introduction to Baking (6 units): commercial techniques for quick breads, cookies, pies, artisan breads, and basic cakes
- Desserts and Pastries (6 units): cakes and decorating, artisan breads, and complex pastry
- Cake Decorating (6 units): royal icing, butter icing, fondant, mirror glaze, fillings, and ganache
- Advanced Desserts and Pastry/Chocolate/Sugar (6 units): sugar work, chocolate work, and complex pastry
- Introduction to Baking Skills, Ingredients, and Technology (3 units, 54 lecture hours): scaling, reading recipes, baking science, and equipment
- Business and operations: small business and catering management, purchasing, sanitation and safety with HACCP and ServSafe topics, design and presentation, and customer service
The labs must be taken in order. Introduction to Baking is the prerequisite for Desserts and Pastries, which is the prerequisite for both Cake Decorating and the advanced course. Courses are marked associate degree applicable, and the college notes that credit for prior learning may be available for some Culinary Arts courses.
Tuition and Additional Costs
The 2026–27 catalog’s Enrollment Fees and Refunds page lists an enrollment fee of $46 per unit. Non-residents also pay $414 per unit in non-resident tuition and a $200 per unit capital outlay fee, or $660 per unit in all; the catalog notes an exemption for students enrolled in 6 or fewer units. Other required fees are a $26 health and accident fee each fall and spring, a transportation fee of $9 for 6 or more units ($8 otherwise), a $2 student representation fee, and a campus center fee of $1 per unit up to $10 a year.
| Program | Credits | Estimated in-state tuition and fees | Estimated out-of-state tuition and fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baking Certificate of Achievement (three semesters assumed) | 45 | $2,201 | $29,831 |
| Baking Business Certificate of Achievement (three semesters assumed) | 36 | $1,787 | $23,891 |
| Professional Baking and Management A.A. (four semesters and 60 units assumed) | 60 | $2,928 | $39,768 |
Each estimate multiplies units by the per-unit rate, adds $37 in health, transportation, and representation fees per semester, and adds $20 in campus center fees for two academic years. SBVC publishes no term-by-term plan in the catalog entries, so the figures assume three semesters for each certificate and four for the degree. The A.A. row uses the 60-unit minimum for an associate degree; a 51-unit major plus general education may exceed that, at $46 per additional unit for residents. Figures are before financial aid and exclude parking, books, uniforms, tools, and living costs.
The college’s own enrollment fees web page showed $400 per unit for non-resident tuition when checked, which differs from the catalog’s $414. Non-residents should confirm the current rate. No uniform, tool, or material fee amounts are published for the baking courses.
Admissions and Financial Aid
SBVC lists seven steps to enrollment. New students create an OpenCCC account and apply, apply for financial aid, and attend new student orientation before registering. No separate application for the baking awards appears in the catalog.
The college’s financial aid pages refer to the California College Promise Grant as a fee waiver and advise interested students to submit the FAFSA or the California Dream Act Application. Because both certificates are labeled Gainful Employment Programs, ask the Financial Aid Office to confirm federal aid eligibility for the one you choose.
Career Preparation and Transfer Considerations
The Baking certificate is described as preparation to become a baker or pastry cook, with outcomes that include producing international and classic pastries and designing display and wedding cakes. The Baking Business certificate targets ownership and management, with outcomes such as planning a dessert bar and costing an event for 100 people. On campus, The Sunroom restaurant and The Den Coffee Shop serve as working labs for Culinary Arts students.
The college says students who complete the Culinary Arts curriculum are eligible for American Culinary Federation membership, which is different from programmatic accreditation. For transfer, the Culinary Arts page tells students to consult a counselor about lower-division requirements; the department also offers a Hospitality Management A.S.-T.
Which San Bernardino Valley College Pathway May Fit You?
| Pathway | May fit students who want |
|---|---|
| Baking Certificate of Achievement | All four 6-unit baking labs, including cake decorating and chocolate and sugar work |
| Baking Business Certificate of Achievement | Two baking labs with human resources, cost control, catering, and purchasing for running a bakery |
| Professional Baking and Management A.A. | Every course from both certificates plus general education for an associate degree |
Questions to Ask Before Applying
- How are the 324 lab hours scheduled each week, and are evening sections offered?
- Which terms are Cake Decorating and the advanced pastry course offered?
- How many total units does the A.A. require once general education is added?
- What uniforms, tools, and material fees are required for the baking labs?
- Do baking students work shifts in The Den Coffee Shop or The Sunroom?
Program details and costs can change. Confirm current requirements with San Bernardino Valley College before applying.