Kennedy-King College houses the Washburne Culinary & Hospitality Institute, which traces its founding to 1936 and runs the only baking and pastry credentials in the City Colleges of Chicago system. The 2026–27 City Colleges catalog lists three stackable options at Kennedy-King’s campus on West 63rd Street: a 14-credit Basic Certificate, a 30-credit Advanced Certificate, and a 62-credit Associate in Applied Science.
Each step builds on the one before it. The catalog’s sample plan shows that a full-time student who follows the degree sequence earns the Basic Certificate after the first semester, the Advanced Certificate along the way, and the AAS after four semesters. Tuition is a single per-credit rate set by residency, with no separate mandatory fee schedule.
Quick Facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| School | Kennedy-King College, City Colleges of Chicago |
| Program home | Washburne Culinary & Hospitality Institute |
| Location | 740 W. 63rd St., Chicago, Illinois |
| Credentials | Baking and Pastry Arts AAS (0365); Advanced Certificate (0366); Basic Certificate (0367) |
| Credits | 62; 30; or 14 credits |
| Length | 4 semesters; 3 semesters; 1 semester (full-time plans) |
| Catalog | City Colleges of Chicago 2026–27 |
Baking and Pastry Program Options
The Washburne baking and pastry page describes all three programs as sequential, with lecture, demonstration, and hands-on production in a commercial bakeshop. Classes meet Monday through Friday on Kennedy-King’s main campus.
Baking and Pastry Arts AAS
The Baking and Pastry Arts AAS totals 62 credits. General education covers English 101, Culinary Math or another general education math course, and nine more credits from communications, humanities and fine arts, math, or social and behavioral sciences, with at least one course meeting the Human Diversity requirement.
Beyond the certificate coursework, the degree adds a seven-credit Bakery Operations course in a bakery and café setting, Nutrition for Chefs, Food Costing and Control, Hospitality Management, and a four-credit Hospitality Internship.
Baking and Pastry Arts Advanced Certificate
The 30-credit Advanced Certificate spans three semesters. After the basic courses, students take Advanced Baking Principles, Breads and Rolls, Chocolate and Confections, Classical and Special Occasion Cakes, and Culinary Math or another general education math course.
Baking and Pastry Arts Basic Certificate
The Basic Certificate is one semester and 14 credits: Introduction to Baking, Baking Techniques, Pastry Techniques, College Success Hospitality Perspective, and Food Sanitation and Safety I. City Colleges presents it as a way to test baking and pastry as a career before committing to a longer program.
Curriculum and Baking Courses
Required baking and pastry courses across the three credentials include:
- Introduction to Baking, covering equipment, fundamentals, and career paths
- Baking Techniques, with lean and enriched doughs and fermentation
- Pastry Techniques, from pâte à choux and pastry cream to ganache and mousse
- Advanced Baking Principles, focused on vegan, diabetic, low-carb, and gluten-free baking
- Breads and Rolls, including sourdough, bagels, pretzels, and laminated breads
- Chocolate and Confections, and Classical and Special Occasion Cakes
- Bakery Operations (AAS only), split between bakery production and front-of-house service
Most later baking courses require a grade of C or better in the earlier ones, so the sequence matters. Part-time students can stretch any plan over more semesters, but course availability is not guaranteed.
Tuition and Additional Costs
City Colleges charges one per-credit rate with no banded or flat full-time tuition. For fiscal year 2027, effective Summer 2026, the rate is $163 per credit in-district (Chicago residents), $429 out-of-district, and $538 out-of-state. The tuition page lists no per-credit or per-semester mandatory fees, so the estimates below are tuition only:
| Program | Credits | Estimated in-district tuition and fees | Estimated out-of-district tuition and fees | Estimated out-of-state tuition and fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baking and Pastry Arts AAS | 62 | $10,106 | $26,598 | $33,356 |
| Advanced Certificate | 30 | $4,890 | $12,870 | $16,140 |
| Basic Certificate | 14 | $2,282 | $6,006 | $7,532 |
These figures leave out books, tools, uniforms, supplies, transportation, and living costs. City Colleges may also add Board-approved pass-through charges to certain courses. Students who registered for Summer 2026, Fall 2026, or Spring 2027 by June 28, 2026 keep the FY2026 rate of $157 per credit in-district.
To count as in-district, a student must live in Chicago for at least 30 days before the term starts. Someone living outside the city but working more than 35 hours a week in Chicago may also qualify. Out-of-district Illinois residents whose home college has no baking program can ask about a tuition chargeback. Washburne’s baking program cost sheet lists a $364.28 tool kit sold through the online bookstore and requires three full uniform sets. The sheet is dated 2018–19, so ask for current prices.
Admissions and Financial Aid
City Colleges has open enrollment. New students apply online, receive a student ID, attend orientation, and complete placement and residency steps before registering. Applications for Spring 2027 open September 12, 2026, and that term starts January 11, 2027.
Placement rules differ between catalog pages. The Basic Certificate and AAS pages ask for eligibility for English 96 and Math 98, while the Advanced Certificate page says Washburne programs need English 101 with a C or better. In the catalog’s program finder, the AAS and Advanced Certificate carry a “Financial Aid Eligible” label but the Basic Certificate does not. Check aid eligibility before relying on a Pell Grant for the one-semester option.
Career Preparation and Transfer Considerations
All three credentials point toward baker roles, and the AAS adds bakery and café production for sales, costing, and an internship. Washburne lists industry partners such as Gonnella Baking Company, Hyatt, Marriott, and Lettuce Entertain You. It also runs Sikia, a student-staffed restaurant on campus.
The AAS is a career degree, not a transfer degree. English 101 and the other general education courses may transfer individually, but a four-year school will decide how much of the baking coursework it accepts. Students who want broader kitchen training can look at Washburne’s Culinary Arts certificates and AAS.
Which Washburne Pathway May Fit You?
| Pathway | May fit students who want |
|---|---|
| Basic Certificate | A single 14-credit semester to try commercial baking and pastry |
| Advanced Certificate | Bread, cake, chocolate, and special-diet baking in three semesters without a full general education core |
| Baking and Pastry Arts AAS | The complete sequence plus bakery operations, cost control, and an internship |
Questions to Ask Before Applying
- Which English and math placement level do I need to start the first baking courses?
- Can I use federal aid for the Basic Certificate, or only for the Advanced Certificate and AAS?
- What do the tool kit, uniforms, and textbooks cost this year?
- Do any baking courses carry pass-through charges?
- In which terms can new students start the baking sequence, and is a part-time schedule available?
- If I live outside Chicago, does my home district approve chargebacks for this program?
Program details and costs can change. Confirm current requirements with Kennedy-King College before applying.