Richland Community College in Decatur offers the Baking and Pastry Certificate (220C), a 32-credit program that pairs four bakeshop labs with cooking fundamentals, culinary math, purchasing, and sanitation. It is one of six certificates in Richland’s Culinary Arts program, which also includes a Culinary Arts AAS.
What stands out is the depth of the pastry labs: Advanced Baking and Pastry, Artisan Breads, and Cakes, Pastries and Plated Desserts are four-credit courses. The 2026–27 catalog lists accreditation by the American Culinary Federation Education Foundation in its Culinary Arts section, which covers the degree and all six certificates.
Quick Facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| School | Richland Community College |
| Location | Decatur, Illinois; main campus at 1 College Park |
| Credential | Baking and Pastry Certificate (220C) |
| Total credits | 32 credits |
| Typical length | Listed by the college as one year or less |
| Accreditation | Culinary Arts program: American Culinary Federation Education Foundation |
| Program area | Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management |
Baking and Pastry Program Options
Richland’s Culinary Arts program page groups the Baking and Pastry Certificate with its other academic certificates of one year or less. The program page also reports a 100% ACF certification rate for both 2023 and 2024.
Baking and Pastry Certificate (220C)
According to the catalog entry, the certificate prepares students for pastry line cook and other entry-level pastry positions while developing both entry-level and advanced baking skills. It requires 32 credits in courses numbered 100 and above, a cumulative GPA of at least 2.00, and at least 16 credits completed at Richland.
Continuing Into the Culinary Arts AAS
The 69-credit Culinary Arts AAS includes 24 of the certificate’s 32 credits. Artisan Breads and Cakes, Pastries and Plated Desserts are the two certificate courses it does not require. The degree has a 2+2 articulation agreement with Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s BS in Hospitality, Tourism and Event Management.
Curriculum and Baking Courses
All ten required courses are listed in the 2026–27 catalog:
- Intro to Culinary Arts (2 credits)
- Culinary Fundamentals (3 credits) and Culinary Applications (4 credits)
- Baking and Pastry Fundamentals (4 credits)
- Advanced Baking and Pastry (4 credits)
- Artisan Breads (4 credits)
- Cakes, Pastries and Plated Desserts (4 credits)
- Culinary Math (3 credits)
- Purchasing and Product Identification (3 credits) and Food Service Sanitation (1 credit)
Sixteen of the 32 credits are in the four baking and pastry labs. The catalog does not publish a semester-by-semester sequence for the certificate, so students should ask an advisor how the courses are scheduled.
Tuition and Additional Costs
For 2026–27, Richland charges $148 per credit in tuition for district residents and out-of-district students with chargeback authorization, plus a $12 academic/technology fee and a $2 registration fee per credit, for a total of $162 per credit. The college’s rate tables show $360 per credit for out-of-district students without chargeback and $569 per credit for out-of-state students once those two fees are added. The catalog does not state a program length, so these estimates assume two semesters; Richland has no flat per-semester fee, so the term count does not change the totals:
| 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 Certificate (2 semesters assumed) | 32 | $5,184 | $11,520 | $18,208 |
These totals exclude course fees, textbook charges, supplies, transportation, and living costs. Online sections are billed at $184 per credit for all students, plus the same fees.
Course fees are significant for this program. Richland’s FY2027 fee list shows $300 for each of the six culinary and baking labs in the certificate and $70 for Intro to Culinary Arts, or $1,870 in all. The catalog adds that every culinary student must buy uniforms and a knife kit for $475, assessed as a course fee, and the fee list shows a separate $475 culinary uniforms charge. Including that kit, course-related charges come to about $2,345. The tuition and fees page links to the equitable access fee for textbooks.
Admissions and Financial Aid
Richland is open to high school graduates, GED holders, students who plan to enroll in a GED course, and approved high school students. According to the catalog’s admission section, new students must have all high school and college transcripts sent directly to the Student Success Center. District residency requires at least 30 days of permanent residence before the semester starts, with documentation.
The catalog notes that Richland Community College Foundation scholarships are available to help qualifying students with the uniform and knife cost. Students should file the FAFSA and confirm with financial aid whether the certificate qualifies for federal aid, since Richland does not state this on the program page.
Career Preparation and Transfer Considerations
The catalog targets pastry line cook and other entry-level pastry roles. The broader Culinary Arts program describes careers ranging from caterer and private chef to research chef and small business owner. Richland reported job placement of 100% of completers in 2023 and 80% in 2024 for the Culinary Arts program.
Richland labels Culinary Arts as career and technical education and warns that some courses may not transfer to four-year institutions. The AAS articulation with SIU Carbondale is the defined route to a bachelor’s degree.
Who May Find This Certificate a Good Fit?
| Student goal | How the program may fit |
|---|---|
| Spend most of a short program in the bakeshop | Half the 32 credits are in four baking and pastry labs |
| Train in an ACF-accredited culinary program | The catalog lists ACFEF accreditation for Culinary Arts |
| Work toward a degree later | 24 certificate credits also count toward the Culinary Arts AAS |
| Keep upfront costs manageable | Foundation scholarships can help with the $475 uniform and knife kit |
Questions to Ask Before Applying
- How many semesters does the certificate usually take, and can I start in spring?
- Is the $475 uniform and knife kit billed with Intro to Culinary Arts or as a separate charge?
- How much is the equitable access fee per credit, and can I opt out?
- Is the certificate eligible for Pell Grant funding?
- Are the baking labs offered during the day, in the evening, or both?
Program details and costs can change. Confirm current requirements with Richland Community College before applying.