Fayetteville Technical Community College runs its Baking and Pastry Arts program through the Business Department, which added the curriculum in Fall 2023 and expanded it into a full credential ladder in Fall 2024. Students can earn a 67-credit Associate in Applied Science or one of three short certificates: Bakeshop Foundations, Pastry Chef, or Cake Decorating.
Classes are held on FTCC’s Hull Road campus in Fayetteville, where the college built a new culinary kitchen next to a restaurant space used for training. The degree includes two work-based learning courses at outside employers. Program details below come from the 2025–26 college catalog, the latest edition FTCC has posted, and the program sequence sheets on the college website, including an AAS sheet effective Fall 2026.
Quick Facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| School | Fayetteville Technical Community College |
| Location | Fayetteville, North Carolina; main campus on Hull Road |
| Credentials | Baking and Pastry Arts AAS (A55130); Bakeshop Foundations Certificate (C55130C1); Pastry Chef Certificate (C55130C2); Cake Decorating Certificate (C55130C3) |
| Credits | 67; 15; 18; or 15 credits |
| Length | 5 semesters (AAS); 2 or 3 semesters (certificates) |
| Entry | Designed for fall entry; other terms with department chair approval |
| Department | Business Department |
Baking and Pastry Program Options
All four credentials are listed on FTCC’s Baking and Pastry Arts program page, which links to a course sequence sheet for each one. There is no baking diploma. The certificates share the Sanitation and Safety and Baking I starting point, so a certificate can serve as a first step toward the degree.
Baking and Pastry Arts AAS
The Baking and Pastry Arts AAS sequence spans five semesters, including one summer, for 67 credits. The baking core covers pastries, artisan bread, cake decorating, hot and cold desserts, a confections elective, plated desserts, production, and marketing. General education includes Writing and Inquiry plus math, communication, social or behavioral science, and humanities or fine arts electives.
Students also complete hospitality courses in etiquette, human resource management, and purchasing or cost control, along with two one-credit work-based learning courses. Admission to the degree calls for a high school diploma and one unit of algebra, or placement equivalents.
Bakeshop Foundations Certificate
The two-semester Bakeshop Foundations Certificate requires 15 credits: Sanitation and Safety, Food Science with its lab, Baking I, Petit Fours and Pastries, and Artisan and Specialty Bread. Every course also appears in the first two semesters of the AAS. FTCC offers a version of this certificate (C55130H1) to high school students through its High School Connections program.
Pastry Chef Certificate
The Pastry Chef Certificate totals 18 credits over three semesters. After the introductory courses, students take Petit Fours and Pastries, Plated Desserts, Confection Artistry, and Chocolate Artistry.
Cake Decorating Certificate
The Cake Decorating Certificate is 15 credits over three semesters. Its specialty courses are European Cakes and Tortes, Cake Design and Decorating, and Advanced Cake Design and Decorating, which covers airbrushing, carving, string work, and gum paste.
Curriculum and Baking Courses
The FTCC catalog describes baking and pastry courses that include:
- Baking I and Food Science with lab
- Petit Fours and Pastries
- Artisan and Specialty Bread, covering naturally leavened and hearth breads
- European Cakes and Tortes, Cake Design and Decorating, and the advanced decorating course
- Hot and Cold Desserts, including frozen desserts, soufflés, and strudel
- Confection Artistry and Chocolate Artistry
- Plated Desserts, Dessert/Bread Production, and Pastry and Baking Marketing
Pastry and Baking Marketing ends with a marketing plan that the catalog calls the basis for a capstone experience.
Tuition and Additional Costs
FTCC’s Fall 2026, Spring 2027, and Summer 2027 rate charts list tuition at $76 per credit in-state and $268 per credit out-of-state, with tuition capped at 16 credits per semester. Each semester also carries a $40 student support fee (which includes student accident insurance), a $48 technology fee, and a $20 CAPS fee, for $108 per semester. The estimates below use the published semester plans, none of which exceeds 16 credits in a term:
| Program | Credits | Estimated in-state tuition and fees | Estimated out-of-state tuition and fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baking and Pastry Arts AAS (5 semesters) | 67 | $5,632 | $18,496 |
| Bakeshop Foundations Certificate (2 semesters) | 15 | $1,356 | $4,236 |
| Pastry Chef Certificate (3 semesters) | 18 | $1,692 | $5,148 |
| Cake Decorating Certificate (3 semesters) | 15 | $1,464 | $4,344 |
These figures cover tuition and mandatory fees only. Textbooks, uniforms, knives and tools, transportation, and living costs are extra, and a semester added to a plan adds another $108 in fees.
The Business and Finance Office page lists course-specific fees for a few programs, but none for baking or culinary courses. FTCC does not publish a supply or uniform cost list for the baking program, so ask the department what to budget.
Admissions and Financial Aid
New curriculum students complete North Carolina’s Residency Determination Service, submit the FTCC application, send official transcripts, and meet with an advisor, as outlined on the admissions page. The certificates call for a high school diploma and placement test equivalent. The program is built around a fall start.
According to the program fact sheet, scholarships, Title IV aid, and veterans assistance may be available for associate degrees, while certificates in the program area may or may not qualify. Students who plan to use a Pell Grant for a certificate should confirm eligibility with the Financial Aid Office before enrolling.
Career Preparation and Transfer Considerations
The catalog lists restaurants, hotels, independent bakeries and pastry shops, wholesale and retail markets, and high-volume bakeries as target employers. Graduates should qualify for entry-level roles such as pastry or bakery assistant, area pastry chef, and assistant pastry chef, and FTCC notes that American Culinary Federation certification may be available to graduates. No license is required for the field.
The program page shows a pathway from the Bakeshop Foundations Certificate to the AAS and then to a Bachelor of Applied Science. The AAS is a career degree, so students aiming for a bachelor’s program should ask the receiving school which courses it will accept.
Which FTCC Pathway May Fit You?
| Pathway | May fit students who want |
|---|---|
| Bakeshop Foundations Certificate | A two-semester start in baking, food science, pastries, and bread that feeds directly into the degree |
| Pastry Chef Certificate | A short focus on plated desserts, sugar work, and chocolate |
| Cake Decorating Certificate | Specialized training in tortes, wedding cakes, and advanced decorating |
| Baking and Pastry Arts AAS | The full sequence plus general education, hospitality management, and work-based learning |
Questions to Ask Before Applying
- Can I start in spring or summer, and how would that change my course sequence?
- Which courses satisfy the confections elective and the major electives in the AAS?
- Is my chosen certificate eligible for Pell Grant or veterans benefits?
- What uniforms, knives, tools, and textbooks are required, and about how much do they cost?
- How are work-based learning placements arranged, and how many hours do they require?
- Can I earn more than one certificate while working toward the degree?
Program details and costs can change. Confirm current requirements with Fayetteville Technical Community College before applying.