Northwestern Michigan College runs its baking program through the Great Lakes Culinary Institute on the Great Lakes Campus in Traverse City. The Baking & Pastry Arts Certificate of Achievement (Level II) ends with a summer term in which students run a cafe: one course covers bakery production, another the dining room, and a third packaging and sales.
The certificate requires 37 credits across fall, spring, and summer. It is the only baking-titled credential in NMC’s 2026–27 catalog, and the college lists it among the Great Lakes Culinary Institute programs accredited by the American Culinary Federation Education Foundation.
Quick Facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| School | Northwestern Michigan College, Great Lakes Culinary Institute |
| Location | Great Lakes Campus, 715 E. Front St., Traverse City, Michigan |
| Credential | Baking & Pastry Arts Certificate of Achievement (Level II), program code 059 |
| Total credits | 37 credits; 60 contact hours |
| Catalog sequence | Fall (12 credits), spring (15), summer (10) |
| Billing basis | Per contact hour at the Tier II culinary rate |
| Accreditation | ACFEF, as listed by the college |
Baking and Pastry Program Options
The Great Lakes Culinary Institute offers a Culinary Arts AAS and five certificates. The Level I and Level III culinary certificates, the maritime certificate, and the sports performance nutrition certificate are not baking credentials and are not profiled here.
Baking & Pastry Arts Certificate of Achievement (Level II)
The Baking & Pastry Arts Certificate is made up of 13 CUL courses with no general education. NMC’s course sequence guide places five courses in fall, five in spring, and three in summer. Several labs run in half-semester sessions: Intro to Baking and Pastry sits in the first eight weeks of fall and Artisan Bread in the second eight, and spring follows the same pattern with Chocolate and Confections and Cake Design and Decorating first, then Plated Desserts.
The institute has five culinary labs, including a bakery, plus Lobdell’s, a 90-seat teaching restaurant. The catalog adds that lab courses require work outside regular class hours. Details are on NMC’s culinary program information page.
Continuing Into the Culinary Arts AAS
NMC notes that the certificate may lead to the Culinary Arts AAS with additional courses. The degree requires 65–66 credits. Seven certificate courses totaling 18 credits also appear in the degree plan: Culinary Concepts and Career Management, Safety and Sanitation, Intro to Baking and Pastry, Food and Beverage Operations, Nutrition for Culinary Arts, Menu Planning and Purchasing, and Plated Desserts. The AAS adds professional cookery, world cuisine, garde manger, butchery, an internship, and general education.
Curriculum and Baking Courses
Six lab courses carry twice as many contact hours as credits, and the two summer cafe courses run eight contact hours each. The CUL course descriptions list the following:
- Intro to Baking and Pastry (3 credits): fundamental pastry and dessert recipes, yeast dough, tortes, pies, and tarts
- Artisan Bread (3 credits): flours, grains, pre-ferments, sours and starters, and hand shaping
- Plated Desserts (3 credits): dessert design and composition, ice creams, and sorbets
- Chocolate and Confections (3 credits): tempering, modeling, sugar mediums, candies, and centerpieces
- Cake Design and Decorating (3 credits): buttercreams, piping, fondant, pastillage, gum paste, and wedding cakes
- Cafe Ops, Bakery Production and Management, and Cafe Ops Dining Room Management (4 credits each), with Bakery Sales with Merchandising and Packaging (2 credits)
- Culinary Concepts and Career Management, Safety and Sanitation, and Nutrition for Culinary Arts (2 credits each)
- Food and Beverage Operations and Menu Planning and Purchasing (3 credits each)
Safety and Sanitation leads to the ServSafe certificate and offers an American Red Cross adult CPR certificate. Several baking labs also cover techniques for making products without eggs or dairy, and the three summer courses must be taken together after every other baking lab is complete.
Tuition and Additional Costs
NMC bills by contact hour, and culinary (CUL) courses fall under Tier II tuition. For 2026–27 the rates are $188 per contact hour in-district (Grand Traverse County residents), $372 for other Michigan residents, and $495 out-of-state, with an international rate of $561. A $26 per contact hour general fee applies to culinary courses for every residency. Students taking six or more contact hours also pay a $40 health service fee in fall and spring.
| Program | Credits | Estimated in-district tuition and fees | Estimated out-of-district tuition and fees | Estimated out-of-state tuition and fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baking & Pastry Arts Certificate (fall, spring, summer) | 37 | $12,920 | $23,960 | $31,340 |
The 13 required courses add up to 60 contact hours: 18 in fall, 24 in spring, and 18 in summer. The estimate multiplies those hours by tuition plus the general fee and adds two $40 health service fees. The same calculation at the international rate gives $35,300. Students who place below the required math or English levels would take additional courses first.
Course fees are not included. NMC charges them on specific courses for materials and lab supplies and shows the amounts in its schedule of classes, not in the catalog. For culinary programs the college’s cost of attendance table estimates $650 a year for books, course materials, supplies, and equipment. Rates and fee rules are on the tuition and fees page.
Admissions and Financial Aid
Admission to the certificate requires math placement into MTH 111, MTH 120, or MTH 131 or higher, or completion of MTH 100 with a 2.0. It also requires English placement into ENG 111 or higher, or completion of ENG 99 or ENG 108 with a 2.0. Applicants apply to NMC, send transcripts, complete placement, and attend new student orientation. The college posts application deadlines on its admissions page. Because the catalog sequence starts in fall, ask about other entry terms.
NMC directs students to the FAFSA and its net price calculator, and its admissions page points Michigan residents to Michigan Reconnect and the Community College Guarantee. The college does not state on the program page whether this certificate is Pell eligible, so confirm with the financial aid office.
Career Preparation and Transfer Considerations
According to the catalog, graduates are prepared for jobs as bakers and pastry cooks in commercial bakeries, restaurants, hotels, resorts, cruise lines, and institutions. The summer cafe term gives students production, service, point-of-sale, and costing practice with real customers before they finish.
NMC’s accreditation page names the Baking & Pastry Certificate Level II among its ACFEF-accredited programs. The college also lists culinary articulation agreements, including one with Northern Michigan University, though students should verify how a certificate without general education would apply. The Culinary Arts AAS is the more direct next step.
Who May Find This Certificate a Good Fit?
| Student goal | How the program may fit |
|---|---|
| Finish in one calendar year | The catalog sequence runs fall, spring, and summer |
| Train in an ACFEF-accredited program | NMC lists this certificate among its accredited culinary programs |
| Practice running a bakery cafe | Three linked summer courses cover production, service, and merchandising |
| Build toward a culinary degree | Eighteen credits also appear in the Culinary Arts AAS |
Questions to Ask Before Applying
- What course fees apply to each baking lab in the current schedule of classes?
- Can I begin in spring, or do the half-semester labs require a fall start?
- What uniforms, knives, and pastry tools are required, and what do they cost?
- How many hours outside scheduled class time do the lab and cafe courses usually require?
- Is the certificate eligible for Pell Grants, Michigan Reconnect, or the Community College Guarantee?
Program details and costs can change. Confirm current requirements with Northwestern Michigan College before applying.