Nicholls State University in Thibodaux teaches baking at the bachelor’s level. Its Chef John Folse Culinary Institute offers a 120-credit Bachelor of Science in Culinary Arts with a formally named Pâtisserie Concentration (CAPC), one of five concentrations in the 2026–27 catalog.
Nicholls has no baking certificate or stand-alone pastry degree. The pâtisserie coursework sits in the junior and senior years, on top of a two-year culinary foundation that can also be taken as a 60-credit Associate of Science in Culinary Arts. Details below come from the university’s 2026–27 catalog and the institute’s program pages.
Quick Facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| School | Nicholls State University, Chef John Folse Culinary Institute |
| Location | Thibodaux, Louisiana; institute office in Ledet Hall |
| Credential | Bachelor of Science in Culinary Arts, Pâtisserie Concentration (CAPC) |
| Total credits | 120, including 38 in the concentration block |
| Suggested length | Four years plus two summer internships |
| Internships | 280 clock hours (sophomore) and 360 clock hours (senior) |
| Lab class size | 16:1 student-to-teacher ratio in kitchen labs, per the institute |
| Accreditation | University accredited by SACSCOC; no programmatic culinary accreditation is stated |
Baking and Pastry Program Options
The Chef John Folse Culinary Institute section of the 2026–27 catalog lists a Bachelor of Science, an Associate of Science, and a minor in Culinary Arts. Only the bachelor’s degree has concentrations: Business Administration, Mass Communications, Pâtisserie, Professional, and Service Management.
BS in Culinary Arts: Pâtisserie Concentration
Every culinary major completes the same foundation and upper-level core, then fills a 38-hour concentration block. For Pâtisserie, that block holds 18 credits of baking, pastry, and related studio work, one beverage or wine course, an accounting or business course, and 14 credits of math, social science, and computer literacy. The institute’s concentrations page describes the focus as yeast and quick breads, tortes, mousses, plated desserts, chocolate decor, classical pastry, and traditional southern pastries and breads.
Graduation requires a grade of C or better in each required culinary course, at least 45 credits at the 300 level or above, and both internships at approved sites.
The Two-Plus-Two Structure
Nicholls designs the bachelor’s degree as a two-plus-two. The freshman and sophomore courses match the Associate of Science in Culinary Arts, which is a general culinary degree and not a baking credential. It includes one baking course, CULA 250, which is the prerequisite for every pâtisserie course. Students who want the concentration should plan on the full bachelor’s degree.
Curriculum and Baking Courses
The 2026–27 course listings describe the baking and pastry courses tied to the concentration:
- CULA 250 Baking (2 credits, in the shared foundation)
- CULA 350 Professional Baking and Pastries (3 credits)
- CULA 352 International Pastry (3 credits)
- CULA 355 Baking and Pastries of the South (3 credits)
- CULA 450 Cake Decorating and Candy Making (3 credits, open to CAPC majors only)
- CULA 452 Retail Baking (3 credits), with a focus on starting and operating a professional bakery
- ART 330 Ceramics – Modeling Skills (3 credits), hand building and modeling for culinary students
Concentration students also choose CULA 351 Beverage Operations or CULA 353 Introduction to Wine, both of which require students to be at least 21. The shared core covers sanitation, culinary foundations, stocks and sauces, meat fabrication, garde manger, cost control, food and beverage service, A La Carte I, and Cajun and Creole Cuisine.
Tuition and Additional Costs
Nicholls bills by credit-hour band, not at a flat per-credit rate. The 2026–27 tuition and fees tables list $4,812.05 for 12 undergraduate hours and $4,930.55 for 15 each fall or spring for residents, and $5,205.17 and $5,311.67 for out-of-state students. Each hour above 15 adds about $261–$265. These totals already include the registration fee, the per-credit mandatory fees, and the $25-per-credit Colonel Book Bundle for textbooks.
The catalog’s suggested sequence lists 27, 31, 36, and 21 credits across the four years, plus a 2-credit and a 3-credit summer internship. The estimate splits each year evenly into two semesters (13 and 14, 15 and 16, 18 and 18, 10 and 11 hours), uses the posted Summer 2026 rates for both summers, and adds the Culinary Arts Program Fee at its $250 maximum for all ten terms:
| Program | Credits | Estimated in-state tuition and fees | Estimated out-of-state tuition and fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| BS in Culinary Arts, Pâtisserie Concentration (8 semesters and 2 summer sessions) | 120 | $44,786 | $47,588 |
Without the program fee, the table totals come to $42,286 for residents and $45,088 for out-of-state students. A different semester split would change the result. The institute’s home page advertises in-state tuition for all culinary students with no out-of-state fees, which the catalog’s fee tables do not reflect, so non-residents should ask which applies.
The estimate leaves out lab fees, the uniform and knife set, the $20 application fee, the $125 orientation fee for new freshmen, a $50 yearly vehicle registration fee, housing, and meals. Each culinary laboratory class carries a fee to cover food products, and university lab fees range from $1 to $350 per course. Culinary majors must buy the approved institute uniform and knife set, whose prices the catalog does not publish.
Admissions and Financial Aid
Students apply to the university and declare the culinary major. The catalog sets a minimum entrance requirement for culinary majors of a 20 composite ACT score or a 2.5 high school GPA, along with official high school or college transcripts. University freshman admission standards also apply and are detailed in the catalog’s admissions section. The university posts its application deadlines for each term.
Culinary majors use the university’s regular financial aid process, described in the catalog’s financial aid section. The catalog also notes that the out-of-state fee may be waived in certain limited cases and directs those questions to the Office of Admissions.
Career Preparation and Transfer Considerations
The institute lists baking and pastry operations in restaurants, hotels, or a graduate’s own business as career paths for the concentration. Two required internships place students in approved foodservice operations for a combined 640 clock hours.
Students who already hold a culinary associate degree or baking certificate from another college should request a transcript evaluation early. Every pâtisserie course requires CULA 250 or accepted equivalent credit, and CULA 450 also requires A La Carte I.
Who May Find This Program a Good Fit?
| Student goal | How the program may fit |
|---|---|
| Earn a bachelor’s degree with a pastry focus | The Pâtisserie Concentration is a named option within the BS in Culinary Arts |
| Build savory skills first | Two years of culinary foundation come before the pastry courses |
| Open a bakery someday | Retail Baking, cost control, marketing, and a business or accounting course are part of the plan |
| Study regional baking | Baking and Pastries of the South and Cajun and Creole Cuisine are required |
Questions to Ask Before Applying
- Do out-of-state culinary majors pay the non-resident rates in the catalog or in-state rates?
- What is the current Culinary Arts Program Fee, and what are the lab fees for the pâtisserie courses?
- What do the required uniform and knife set cost?
- How often are CULA 350, 352, 355, 450, and 452 offered?
- Can the internships be completed in a bakery or pastry kitchen?
- How would credits from a community college culinary or baking program apply?
Program details and costs can change. Confirm current requirements with Nicholls State University before applying.