Monroe University teaches baking and pastry through the Culinary Institute of New York (CINY), part of its School of Hospitality Management, on the New Rochelle campus. The university also has a campus in the Bronx, but the culinary school, its Dining Lab restaurant, and the student-run Pastry Kiosk café are in New Rochelle. The 2026–27 catalog lists one baking credential: a 60-credit Baking and Pastry Arts AAS that ends with a 120-hour internship at the Pastry Kiosk.
Monroe is a private university that runs three 15-week semesters a year (fall, winter, and spring), so full-time students can finish the four-semester degree in less than a year and a half. The catalog states that the culinary and baking programs are accredited by the American Culinary Federation (ACF), and one of the program’s stated objectives is a score of 75 or higher on the ACF Certified Pastry Culinarian exam.
Quick Facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| School | Monroe University (formerly Monroe College), a private university accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education |
| Location | New Rochelle, New York; Culinary Institute of New York |
| Credential | Baking and Pastry Arts AAS |
| Total credits | 60 credits: 30 major-related and 30 general education and related |
| Typical length | Four semesters; under a year and a half full time on Monroe’s three-semester calendar |
| Accreditation | American Culinary Federation, as stated by the university |
| 2026–27 tuition | $8,700 per semester full time (12–18 credits), plus semester fees |
Baking and Pastry Program Options
The School of Hospitality Management catalog page lists a Baking and Pastry Arts AAS, a Culinary Arts AAS, a Food Media Studies certificate, and associate and bachelor’s degrees in hospitality management. Monroe does not list a separate baking or pastry certificate.
Baking and Pastry Arts AAS
The Baking and Pastry Arts AAS covers breads, cakes, pies, tarts, petits fours, and classic and contemporary pastries, with elective room to focus on celebration cakes, chocolate and confections, artisan breads, or showpieces. The recommended sequence places 15 credits in each semester. Baking courses start in the first term, and the fourth term brings the practicum and the Pastry Kiosk internship.
General education includes three writing courses, spreadsheet applications, communication, quantitative reasoning, personal financial management, six liberal arts elective credits, and an open elective. Qualified students may compete for a chance to study abroad in Italy.
Curriculum and Baking Courses
The 30 major-related credits include hospitality and restaurant operations courses along with these baking and pastry requirements:
- Baking and Pastry I, lecture and lab (3 credits in all)
- Baking and Pastry Arts II
- Contemporary Cakes and Desserts
- Techniques of Nutritional and Healthy Cooking, lecture and lab
- Baking and Pastry Arts Practicum, the program capstone
- Pastry Cafe Internship at the Pastry Kiosk (minimum 120 hours)
- Six credits of major electives; the course list includes Chocolates and Confections, Advanced Plated Desserts, and Advanced Cake Decorating
In the practicum, students rotate through stations in a simulated restaurant and bake shop. The internship is limited to baking students with sophomore standing and places them in assistant baker roles under the café’s pastry chef. Monroe advises choosing electives with an advisor based on the student’s area of focus.
Tuition and Additional Costs
Monroe’s 2026–27 undergraduate tuition and fees are the same for New York residents and out-of-state students. Full-time tuition is $8,700 per semester for 12–18 credits, and part-time students pay $725 per credit. Campus students taking 9 or more credits also pay a $900 administrative fee and a $200 instructional resource fee each semester, and Baking and Pastry majors pay a $175 culinary program fee per semester. The estimate uses the four 15-credit semesters in the catalog’s recommended sequence:
| Program | Credits | Semesters | Estimated tuition and fees (all students) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baking and Pastry Arts AAS | 60 | 4 | $39,900 |
Each semester totals $9,975 ($8,700 tuition, $900 administrative fee, $200 instructional resource fee, and $175 program fee). The figure does not reflect grants or scholarships, and it leaves out the $35 admissions fee, textbooks, housing, meals, and transportation.
The university’s 2026–27 tuition and fees sheet also lists a $220 knife set or baking and pastry set. For students who live on campus, New Rochelle residence hall rates run $2,950–$5,150 per person per semester, and meal plans range from $850 to $3,275 per semester.
Admissions and Financial Aid
According to the undergraduate admissions section, first-time applicants submit an application, a personal statement or essay, and the application fee, show proof of high school completion or its equivalent, and take part in an admission interview. Monroe looks for a high school average of at least C (70) and, for students with prior college work, a GPA of 2.0 or higher. Transfer credit needs a grade of C or better.
Students apply for federal aid, including Pell Grants, through the FAFSA. Eligible New York residents can then file for the state’s Tuition Assistance Program (TAP). CINY also offers its own scholarships for SkillsUSA, C-CAP, and ProStart students, and every qualified entry in its America’s Best High School Pastry Chef competition earns at least a partial scholarship.
Career Preparation and Transfer Considerations
Monroe names assistant pastry chef, cake decorator, artisan bread baker, junior chocolatier, and high-volume dessert and baking cook among the jobs its graduates have taken. The program also states that graduates meet the requirements for the ACF’s Certified Pastry Culinarian credential.
The catalog strongly encourages AAS graduates to go on to the BBA in Hospitality Management with the Culinary Management Specialization. Staying at Monroe keeps the credits in one system, while students who plan to transfer elsewhere should ask the receiving school how it treats AAS coursework.
Who May Find This Degree a Good Fit?
| Student goal | How the program may fit |
|---|---|
| Finish an associate degree quickly | Three semesters a year let full-time students complete four semesters in under a year and a half |
| Gain experience serving the public | The required internship runs in the student-run Pastry Kiosk café |
| Work toward ACF certification | The program is built around the Certified Pastry Culinarian requirements |
| Continue to a bachelor’s degree | Monroe points AAS graduates to its Hospitality Management BBA |
Questions to Ask Before Applying
- Which semesters can new Baking and Pastry Arts students start in?
- Which baking electives are running in the terms I plan to enroll?
- What would my net cost be after Monroe grants, CINY scholarships, and TAP?
- Is the $220 baking and pastry set a one-time purchase, and what uniform is required?
- How do I try out for the culinary competition team?
- How many AAS credits would carry into the Hospitality Management BBA?
Program details and costs can change. Confirm current requirements with Monroe University before applying.