Athens Technical College’s Baking and Pastry Specialist Certificate requires 28 credits. Along with baking, cooking, sanitation, and math, the plan includes First Semester Seminar (FSSE 1000), a three-credit college requirement that also appears in Athens Tech’s Culinary Arts Diploma.
Where classes meet is worth checking early. The 2025–26 catalog, the most recent one posted, lists the Athens Community Career Academy and the Walton campus as locations. The college’s Culinary Arts program page instead lists the Athens campus at 800 US Hwy 29 North and describes the program as fully in person with daytime classes only.
Quick Facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| School | Athens Technical College |
| Campus | Catalog: Athens Community Career Academy and Walton campus; program page: Athens campus |
| Credential | Baking and Pastry Specialist TCC (BA51) |
| Length | Not published |
| Credits | 28 credits |
| Format | In person, daytime classes |
| Program chair | Richard Gonzales, Culinary Arts |
Baking and Pastry Program Options
Athens Tech lists the Baking and Pastry Specialist TCC among six Culinary Arts credentials in its catalog, alongside an associate degree, a diploma, and three other certificates. The Culinary Arts program page notes that all courses include lab components.
Baking and Pastry Specialist Certificate
The certificate totals 28 credits. Cooking instruction comes through two three-credit foundations courses rather than a single six-credit course, and the menu course is titled Culinary Nutrition and Menu Development. The catalog does not publish a semester count for the certificate.
Moving Into the Culinary Arts Diploma or Degree
The 55-credit Culinary Arts Diploma contains every certificate course except Advanced Baking Principles, so 22 of the 28 certificate credits appear in the diploma plan. The diploma adds kitchen, restaurant operations, and leadership courses plus a six-credit Culinary Practicum. Athens Tech states that diploma students are eligible for the Certified Culinarian designation.
The Culinary Arts Associate Degree requires 68–69 credits, including general education and six credits of culinary electives drawn from CUUL or HRTM courses. Students who complete Advanced Baking Principles should ask whether it can fill that elective block.
Curriculum and Baking Courses
The 2025–26 catalog lists these required courses:
- Culinary Safety and Sanitation (CUUL 1110), 2 credits
- Foundations of Cooking Principles (CUUL 1122), 3 credits
- Foundations of Cooking Techniques (CUUL 1124), 3 credits
- Baking Principles (CUUL 1220), 5 credits
- Culinary Nutrition and Menu Development (CUUL 1370), 3 credits
- Advanced Baking Principles (CUUL 2250), 6 credits
- First Semester Seminar (FSSE 1000), 3 credits
- Foundations of Mathematics (MATH 1012), 3 credits
A 2026–27 Athens Tech catalog was not yet posted, so students should check for course changes for their entering term.
Tuition and Additional Costs
Athens Tech charges $107 per credit for Georgia residents and $214 per credit for out-of-state students, matching the 2026–27 statewide rates. Its most recent catalog lists mandatory fees of $411 per semester for technology, instructional, registration, campus safety, campus supply, activity, parking, and accident insurance. The college does not publish a term count for the certificate, so the estimate below assumes two semesters of fees.
| Program | Credits | Estimated in-state tuition and fees | Estimated out-of-state tuition and fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baking and Pastry Specialist TCC (2 semesters assumed) | 28 | $3,818 | $6,814 |
The estimate adds 28 credits of tuition to two semesters of mandatory fees; each additional semester would add $411. Housing, transportation, books, and the program expenses below are not included.
Athens Tech itemizes program costs by course. The program expenses page lists a $25 application fee, a $40 ServSafe exam in CUUL 1110, a $250 pastry utensil kit in CUUL 1220, and $230 for second-year uniforms in CUUL 1370. The costs tied to certificate courses total $520. It also lists $675 for uniforms and a knife set under CUUL 1000, a course outside the certificate, so certificate students should ask whether that purchase applies to them.
Admissions and Financial Aid
The Culinary Arts program requirements call for a signed application with the $25 fee, official high school or GED transcripts and any college transcripts, valid placement or SAT or ACT scores, and proof of legal presence in the United States.
Applicants also submit a health certificate showing they can use their hands and fingers, stand for long periods, tolerate heat, and lift 30–50 pounds.
The catalog’s tuition section notes that Georgia residents age 62 or older may have tuition waived on a space-available basis, and that eligible former foster youth under 28 may qualify for a state tuition waiver. Other students should ask the financial aid office whether the certificate qualifies for Pell or the HOPE Grant before registering.
Career Preparation and Transfer Considerations
The certificate prepares students for entry-level baking and pastry positions. Because the expense list ties a ServSafe exam fee to the sanitation course, students can expect to sit for that food safety exam during the program. Athens Tech’s program page lists executive chef, restaurant management, catering, and entrepreneurship among the career directions for the broader Culinary Arts program.
Anyone planning to transfer to a four-year school should ask the receiving institution how it will treat technical culinary credits.
Which Athens Tech Pathway May Fit You?
| Pathway | May fit students who want |
|---|---|
| Baking and Pastry Specialist TCC | A 28-credit baking credential with a ServSafe exam fee built into the sanitation course and a first-semester seminar |
| Certificate, then Culinary Arts Diploma | Broader kitchen training and a practicum, building on 22 overlapping credits, with eligibility for the Certified Culinarian designation |
| Certificate, then Culinary Arts Associate Degree | General education plus culinary electives, where Advanced Baking Principles may apply |
Questions to Ask Before Applying
- Will my baking courses meet at the Athens campus, the Athens Community Career Academy, or the Walton campus in Monroe?
- How many semesters does the certificate take, and which terms can I start?
- Do certificate students need the $675 uniform and knife set listed under CUUL 1000?
- Can prior college credit replace First Semester Seminar?
- Will Advanced Baking Principles count as a culinary elective in the associate degree?
- Is the certificate eligible for Pell or the HOPE Grant?
Program details and costs can change. Confirm current requirements with Athens Technical College before applying.