Delaware Technical Community College is the only college in Delaware with a credit credential titled for baking and pastry. Its Baking and Pastry Skills Certificate is a 17-credit program taught at two of the four campuses: the Terry Campus in Dover and the Stanton Campus near Newark.
Delaware Tech describes the certificate as a one-year program with courses offered part time, built from six classes that also sit inside its Culinary Arts associate degree. Details below come from the 2026–27 Catalog/Student Handbook, the program map effective Fall 2025, and the 2026–27 tuition and fees page.
Quick Facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| School | Delaware Technical Community College |
| Locations | Terry Campus, 100 Campus Drive, Dover; Stanton Campus, 400 Stanton-Christiana Road, Newark |
| Credential | Baking and Pastry Skills Certificate (CULCERBPC) |
| Total credits | 17 (the catalog minimum; prerequisites can add up to 5) |
| Catalog sequence | Two semesters: 8 credits, then 9 credits |
| Schedule | Courses offered on a part-time basis |
| Continuation path | Culinary Arts AAS (60 credits), Dover and Stanton |
Baking and Pastry Program Options
The 2026–27 catalog lists one baking credential. A longer Baking and Pastry Skills Studies diploma appeared in catalogs through 2024–25 and is no longer on the diploma list, so students who want more now continue into the culinary degree.
Baking and Pastry Skills Certificate
The Baking and Pastry Skills Certificate requires at least 17 credits and is aimed at entry-level pastry cook jobs and at working cooks moving toward supervision. The program page lists a culinary department contact at each campus.
Check the prerequisites before enrolling. The course descriptions attach prerequisites that are not among the six certificate courses: Baking and Culinary Supervisory Development both require CUL 121 Food Preparation I (4 credits), and several courses require SSC 100 First Year Seminar (1 credit) before or alongside them. The catalog itself notes that credits required “may be more depending on college readiness,” so a student starting from scratch should plan for as many as 22 credits unless an advisor waives a prerequisite.
Continuing Into the Culinary Arts AAS
All six certificate courses are also required in the Culinary Arts AAS, a 60-credit, four-semester degree offered at the same two campuses. The degree adds Food Preparation I, garde manger, American regional and international cuisine, beverage management, cost control, a practicum, and 16 credits of general education.
Curriculum and Baking Courses
Ten of the 17 credits are hands-on baking and decorating. The program map places the first three courses below in semester one and the rest in semester two:
- CUL 112 Cake Decorating (2 credits): the basics and fundamentals of professional cake decorating
- CUL 119 Food Safety and Sanitation (2 credits): sanitary practice and kitchen safety, ending with the ServSafe Food Protection Manager and ServSafe Allergens exams
- CUL 261 Baking (4 credits): the fundamentals of baking and a set of related techniques
- CUL 262 Pastry (4 credits): builds on Baking to produce desserts and decorative work; CUL 261 is the prerequisite
- SCI 141 Nutrition in the Culinary Field (2 credits): evaluating and modifying menus and recipes for healthier menu planning
- MGT 248 Culinary Supervisory Development (3 credits): human resource management in food service, including legal issues, training, and interviewing
Because Pastry requires Baking, the two cannot be taken in the same term, which is why the certificate needs at least two semesters.
Tuition and Additional Costs
Delaware Tech publishes two residency tiers and no county rates. For 2026–27, Delaware residents pay $156.75 per credit and out-of-state students pay $392.30 per credit for 1–15 credits. Every credit student also pays a $10 per credit technology support fee, a $15 registration fee, and a $20 student service fee each semester.
The estimates below multiply credits by tuition plus the technology fee and add the two semester fees for two semesters, the sequence the college publishes. The second row adds First Year Seminar and Food Preparation I for students who need both prerequisites, still assuming two semesters.
| Program | Credits | Estimated in-state tuition and fees | Estimated out-of-state tuition and fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baking and Pastry Skills Certificate | 17 | $2,905 | $6,909 |
| Certificate plus SSC 100 and CUL 121 prerequisites | 22 | $3,739 | $8,921 |
These figures leave out lab fees, books, uniforms, and tools. Lab fees are set by course: the college’s general rule is $12 per lab hour up to $72 per course, with program exceptions that can be lower or higher, and current amounts appear in the class schedule listing. The tuition and fees page carries the full schedule. No uniform or knife kit price is posted on the program page.
Admissions and Financial Aid
Delaware Tech has an open-door admissions policy for applicants who are high school graduates, hold an equivalent credential, or are at least 18 and able to benefit from instruction. The college’s five admission steps are an application, proof of residency, a financing plan, math and English placement, and a first advising meeting.
Delaware Tech states that the SEED Scholarship, a state program, can be applied to a credit certificate and covers tuition for eligible Delaware residents, though not course fees or books. For federal aid, the college’s eligibility page refers to programs leading to a degree or diploma and does not say whether this 17-credit certificate qualifies on its own, so confirm with the financial aid office before counting on a Pell Grant.
Career Preparation and Transfer Considerations
Job titles the college lists for certificate holders include baker’s assistant, cake decorator, menu planner, pastry and recipe designer, and supervisor of kitchen staff. Students sit for two ServSafe exams in the sanitation course. Delaware Tech also says the certificate covers the mandatory classes the American Culinary Federation requires to begin its certification process.
The catalog states American Culinary Federation Education Foundation accreditation for the Culinary Arts programs at the Dover and Stanton campuses. It does not make a separate accreditation statement for the certificate.
Which Delaware Tech Pathway May Fit You?
| Pathway | May fit students who want |
|---|---|
| Baking and Pastry Skills Certificate | A short, part-time credential built around baking, pastry, and cake decorating, with ServSafe testing included |
| Certificate, then Culinary Arts AAS | Baking skills first, then a degree with savory cooking, a practicum, and general education, reusing all 17 credits |
| Culinary Arts AAS from the start | A two-year degree that already contains the same three baking courses and satisfies their prerequisites along the way |
Questions to Ask Before Applying
- Do I need CUL 121 Food Preparation I and SSC 100 before the certificate courses, or can either be waived for work experience?
- Are Baking, Pastry, and Cake Decorating scheduled every semester at my campus, and at what times?
- What are the lab fees for the three baking courses this term?
- Is the certificate eligible for federal aid by itself, and can SEED cover my tuition?
- What uniform, knives, and tools will I need to buy?
Program details and costs can change. Confirm current requirements with Delaware Technical Community College before applying.
Related Programs
No other baking school profiles are currently available for DE.