College of Southern Nevada (CSN) treats pastry as its own major instead of a track inside culinary arts. The 2026–27 catalog lists a 32-credit Pastry Arts Certificate of Achievement and a 66-credit Pastry Arts Associate of Applied Science, both in the Department of Hospitality Management. The degree adds separate courses in chocolate, sugar arts, advanced cake design, and quantity baking.
CSN describes Russell’s Restaurant on the North Las Vegas Campus as the training and development center for its culinary and pastry students. The catalog states that the Pastry Arts AAS is accredited by the American Culinary Federation (ACF) and by the Accreditation Commission for Programs in Hospitality Administration. Details below come from the 2026–27 CSN Catalog and the Fall 2026 and Spring 2027 fee schedule.
Quick Facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| School | College of Southern Nevada |
| Location | Las Vegas area, Nevada; pastry training centered at the North Las Vegas Campus, 3200 East Cheyenne Avenue |
| Credentials | Pastry Arts Certificate of Achievement; Pastry Arts AAS |
| Credits | 32 or 66 credits |
| Length | Three semesters on the certificate’s academic map; the AAS map is under revision |
| Work experience | 200 hours in a program-related job (CUL 295) |
| Accreditation | ACF and ACPHA, as stated in the catalog for the AAS |
Baking and Pastry Program Options
Both credentials appear on CSN’s Culinary Arts Program page. Every certificate course also counts toward the degree.
Pastry Arts Certificate of Achievement
The Pastry Arts, CA combines 26 credits of major courses with 6 credits of general education in math and English composition. Its major block covers five baking and bakery management labs, a choice of Plated Desserts or Pastry Arts, sanitation, nutrition, a hospitality course, and one credit of work experience. The academic map spreads the credits over three semesters of about 14, 5, and 13 credits.
Pastry Arts AAS
The Pastry Arts, AAS keeps every certificate course and requires both Plated Desserts and Pastry Arts. It then adds Introduction to Chocolate, Introduction to Sugar Arts, Advanced Cake Design, Principles of Quantity Baking, and Hospitality Purchasing, for 44 major credits. General education makes up the other 22 credits. According to the catalog, graduates are eligible to apply for Certified Pastry Culinarian status from the ACF.
Curriculum and Baking Courses
Each baking lab is 3 credits. The certificate uses the first group below, and the degree adds the second:
- Principles of Baking: ingredients, equipment, yeast products, pies, cookies, and quick breads
- Breads of the World: yeast doughs, specialty doughs, batters, and laminated doughs
- Cake Design: mixing methods, icings, fillings, specialty cakes, and decorating
- Advanced Baking: rich yeast doughs, puff pastry, choux paste, custards, and frozen desserts
- Retail Bakery Management: costing, pricing, production planning, and merchandising
- Plated Desserts and Pastry Arts: ice creams, sorbets, European pastries, mousses, and tarts
- AAS only: Introduction to Chocolate, Introduction to Sugar Arts, Advanced Cake Design with tiered and wedding cakes, and Principles of Quantity Baking
The sanitation course gives students a chance to earn ServSafe Food Protection Manager certification, and most labs require it along with Principles of Baking. One detail to check: the catalog lists Basic Cookery (CUL 110) as a prerequisite for Breads of the World, yet CUL 110 is not among the Pastry Arts requirements.
Tuition and Additional Costs
For Fall 2026 and Spring 2027, CSN charges a $136.25 per credit registration fee for lower-division courses. Mandatory per-credit fees add $30.50: $11.50 for technology, $8 for the student union, $1 for student union operations and maintenance, $5 for athletics and recreation, and $5 for academic success initiatives. The Nevada resident rate comes to $166.75 per credit. Non-residents also pay tuition of $4,775 per semester when enrolled in 7 or more credits, or $149.75 per credit below that. CSN charges no flat per-term fees.
| Program | Credits | Estimated in-state tuition and fees | Estimated out-of-state tuition and fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pastry Arts Certificate of Achievement (map semesters of 14, 5, and 13 credits) | 32 | $5,336 | $15,635 |
| Pastry Arts AAS (four semesters assumed) | 66 | $11,006 | $30,106 |
The degree estimate assumes four semesters because its map is under revision. The certificate estimate follows its map and bills the 5-credit term at the part-time non-resident rate. Students approved for the Western Undergraduate Exchange pay $68.25 per credit in place of non-resident tuition, or about $7,520 for the certificate and $15,510 for the degree. Summer rates differ, and online sections add $7 per credit. The estimates leave out the one-time $20 application and $20 new student fees, course fees, books, uniforms, tools, and living costs.
Special course fees are set in the NSHE fee manual. The August 2026 edition lists $95 for Principles of Baking and $150 for each of the other pastry labs. That works out to about $845 for the certificate and about $1,445 for the degree, not counting Advanced Cake Design, which is not on the list. CSN posts current rates on its tuition and fees page.
Admissions and Financial Aid
The catalog’s Pastry Arts pages list no program-specific application or admission requirements. Applicants apply to the college, choose the certificate or degree as their major, and work with their assigned advising unit. The first college-level math and English courses must be finished before a student reaches 30 credits. The college posts deadlines on its admissions pages.
The catalog marks both credentials as eligible for financial aid. CSN also takes part in the Nevada Promise Scholarship, a last-dollar award for recent Nevada high school graduates that the college says can cover up to three years of registration and mandatory fees. It requires at least 12 credits a semester.
Career Preparation and Transfer Considerations
Work experience is built into both credentials. The department’s accrediting commissions require at least 200 hours in a verified, program-related position before graduation, completed through CUL 295.
Neither credential is meant for transfer to UNLV, UNR, or Nevada State University, according to the catalog, though some courses may transfer depending on the receiving school. CSN also offers a Bachelor of Applied Science in Culinary Arts, and students interested in it should ask how pastry credits apply.
Which CSN Pathway May Fit You?
| Pathway | May fit students who want |
|---|---|
| Pastry Arts Certificate of Achievement | Core bread, cake, and pastry labs plus bakery management in three semesters, with only two general education courses |
| Pastry Arts AAS | The full sequence, including chocolate, sugar arts, wedding cakes, and quantity baking, with an associate degree and a path to ACF Certified Pastry Culinarian status |
Questions to Ask Before Applying
- When will the revised AAS academic map be posted, and how many semesters should I plan for?
- Does Breads of the World still require Basic Cookery for Pastry Arts majors?
- What uniform, knife, and tool purchases are required, and what do they cost?
- Can a current bakery job count toward the 200 work experience hours?
- Does the ACF accreditation named for the AAS also cover the certificate?
Program details and costs can change. Confirm current requirements with College of Southern Nevada before applying.