Doña Ana Community College (DACC), the community college of New Mexico State University, offers one baking credential: the Culinary Arts Baking and Pastry Certificate of Completion. The 43-credit program is taught in the culinary laboratories on DACC’s East Mesa Campus in Las Cruces, and the college’s suggested plan spreads it over three semesters.
What sets the certificate apart is its run of one-credit decorative courses. Alongside four four-credit baking labs, students take cake decorating, chocolate work, and sugar work, then choose six credits from topics such as gum paste, sculpted cakes, and wedding cake design. Admission to the culinary cohort is competitive.
Quick Facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| School | Doña Ana Community College (New Mexico State University system) |
| Location | Las Cruces, New Mexico; East Mesa Campus, 2800 N. Sonoma Ranch Blvd. |
| Credential | Culinary Arts: Baking and Pastry Certificate of Completion |
| Total credits | 43 credits |
| Suggested length | Three semesters (15, 15, and 13 credits) |
| Admission | Competitive-entry cohort program |
| Format | Campus-based |
| Catalog | DACC 2026–2027 Catalog |
Baking and Pastry Program Options
The Culinary Arts section of the DACC catalog lists three credentials: a Baking and Pastry certificate, a Savory certificate, and a Culinary Arts associate degree. Only the first is a baking credential. The catalog says the certificate was designed to meet American Culinary Federation requirements, but it does not describe the program as ACF-accredited.
Culinary Arts: Baking and Pastry Certificate of Completion
The Baking and Pastry Certificate of Completion has three parts: 12 credits of foundation courses, 25 credits of major courses, and 6 elective credits. Students need a C- or better in every foundation, major, and elective course and a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0.
Kitchen orientation, kitchen math, Excel, sanitation, cost control, and purchasing and kitchen management make up 18 of the 43 credits, giving the certificate a supervisory side.
Continuing Into the Culinary Arts AAS
The Culinary Arts Associate of Applied Science requires 60–61 credits. It shares CHEF 101, CHEF 165, Baking Fundamentals I, and the three HOST courses with the certificate, then adds four culinary arts labs and general education.
Curriculum and Baking Courses
The 2026–27 catalog lists these baking and pastry courses for the certificate:
- CHEF 240 and 241 Baking Fundamentals I and II (4 credits each): baking techniques, ingredient functions, bread doughs, and quantity production
- CHEF 242 and 243 Intermediate Baking I and II (4 credits each): patisserie production, laminated doughs, creams, custards, fillings, and cake assembly
- CHEF 125 Introductory Cake Decorating, CHEF 127 Chocolate Work, and CHEF 156 Sugar Work (1 credit each)
- Electives (6 credits): Intermediate Cake Decorating, Advanced Chocolate Work, Wedding Cake Design and Construction, Advanced Sugar Work, Gum Paste, and Sculpted Cakes
- Foundation and management courses: Culinary Arts Kitchen Orientation, Math for Kitchen Operations, Safety, Security and Sanitation, Introduction to MS Excel I, Cost Control, and Purchasing and Kitchen Management
Each baking lab meets for one lecture hour and nine practice hours per week, and the four labs must be taken in order. Wedding cake design requires both cake decorating courses first.
Tuition and Additional Costs
NMSU’s Fall 2026 community college rate sheet sets DACC tuition and required fees at $921 per semester for Doña Ana County residents, $1,119 for residents of other New Mexico counties, and $2,940 for nonresidents taking 12–18 credits. DACC also charges an Academic Services Fee of $20 per credit on nearly all courses. The in-state figure below uses the in-district rate, the lowest New Mexico resident rate. The estimate follows the catalog’s three-semester plan, in which every term is full time:
| Program | Credits | Estimated in-state tuition and fees | Estimated out-of-state tuition and fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baking and Pastry Certificate of Completion (3 semesters) | 43 | $3,623 | $9,680 |
Each figure is three semesters at the full-time rate plus $860 in Academic Services Fees. A New Mexico resident from outside Doña Ana County would pay about $4,217. Texas residents within 135 miles of Las Cruces may qualify for a reduced nonresident rate. Spring 2027 rates were not yet posted, so the estimate applies Fall 2026 rates to all three terms.
The estimate does not include the Books 4 Less course materials charge of $28 per credit, which students can opt out of, the $10 certificate graduation fee, uniforms, knives, or living costs. The catalog says culinary students supply their own tools and approved uniforms, and some lab courses may carry a fee, although no CHEF course appears on NMSU’s Fall 2026 course fee list. Current rates are on the DACC tuition and fees page.
Admissions and Financial Aid
Culinary Arts has a limited number of seats. According to the catalog, applicants must first pass CHEF 101 and CHEF 165 with a C- or better and hold a New Mexico Food Handler’s Card. At the end of that first semester, they apply to the cohort by writing an essay on their career goals, completing an oral interview with culinary instructors, and submitting the program application. The program page says cohorts are admitted in the fall.
DACC’s catalog lists the New Mexico Opportunity Scholarship, which can pay tuition and fees for eligible residents after other state aid. At DACC it covers up to 90 credits or an associate degree, and students need a 2.5 GPA to keep it. The college also cautions that some certificates do not meet federal aid rules, so applicants should confirm Pell eligibility for this certificate with the financial aid office.
Career Preparation and Transfer Considerations
DACC says its culinary program trains pastry chefs and bakers for restaurants, resorts, hotels, cruise lines, and institutions, and that students work with ACF-certified chef instructors.
The catalog states that Culinary Arts is a career and technical program and is not intended to transfer to a four-year institution. Students who want a degree should look at the Culinary Arts AAS and ask an advisor how certificate courses beyond Baking Fundamentals I would count as its CHEF electives.
Who May Find This Certificate a Good Fit?
| Student goal | How the program may fit |
|---|---|
| Specialize in decorated cakes and showpieces | Nine one-credit decorating, chocolate, and sugar courses are offered, with three required and six more as elective choices |
| Build strong bread and pastry fundamentals | Four sequential four-credit baking labs form the core of the plan |
| Prepare for a supervisory or ownership role | Cost control, purchasing, and spreadsheet courses are part of the certificate |
| Keep costs low as a Doña Ana County resident | In-district tuition and fees come to about $3,623 before aid |
Questions to Ask Before Applying
- If CHEF 101 and CHEF 165 must be completed before cohort admission, how many semesters does the certificate take in practice?
- Which of the six decorating and sugar electives will be offered during my third semester?
- What uniform, knife kit, and tools must I buy, and what do they usually cost?
- Is this certificate eligible for Pell Grants and the Opportunity Scholarship?
- How many certificate credits would count toward the Culinary Arts AAS?
Program details and costs can change. Confirm current requirements with Doña Ana Community College before applying.