Wake Technical Community College teaches baking and pastry in a dedicated facility, the Wake Tech Baking Kitchens at 7821 Values Drive in north Raleigh, which the college groups with its Scott Northern Wake Campus. Every course runs in an eight-week “mini-mester” format with a 1:12 chef-to-student ratio, and the college states that its Baking and Pastry Arts program is accredited by the American Culinary Federation.
The program offers six credit credentials: an Associate in Applied Science, a diploma, and four certificates in baking fundamentals, bread, cake decorating, and confections. Details below come from the program pages linked in Wake Tech’s 2026–27 college catalog, the Registrar’s program planning guides, and the program’s 2026 orientation slides.
Quick Facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| School | Wake Technical Community College |
| Location | Raleigh, North Carolina; Wake Tech Baking Kitchens, Scott Northern Wake Campus |
| Credentials | Baking and Pastry Arts AAS (A55130); Baking and Pastry Arts Diploma (D55130); Baking Fundamentals (C55130F), Bread Baker (C55130B), Cake Decorating (C55130D), and Confectioner (C55130C) certificates |
| Credits | 72 (AAS, per the Spring 2027 planning guide); 44 (diploma); 16, 17, 17, and 18 (certificates) |
| Schedule | Day only; eight-week course sessions |
| Accreditation | American Culinary Federation, as stated by the college |
| Financial aid | All six credentials listed as financial aid eligible |
Baking and Pastry Program Options
The Programs of Study list in the 2026–27 catalog links to a page for each credential. Where a page and a newer planning guide disagree on credits, both figures are noted.
Baking and Pastry Arts AAS
The AAS program page lists 65 credits, but the Registrar-approved planning guide effective Spring 2027 requires 72. The guide lays out three semesters of baking and pastry courses, beginning in fall, plus general education in math, writing, interpersonal psychology, critical thinking, and communication that can be taken in any term.
Degree students choose either European Cakes and Tortes or Advanced Cake Decorating as their elective and complete two credits of work-based learning.
Baking and Pastry Arts Diploma
The diploma is listed at 44 credits. It combines cooking and baking principles, bread, cake decorating, nutrition, a chocolate or confection course, marketing, and production, plus Writing and Inquiry and a math course. The posted planning guide dates from April 2025 and shows a 42-credit total, so ask an advisor which version applies.
Baking Fundamentals and Bread Baker Certificates
Each can be finished in 16 weeks. The 16-credit Baking Fundamentals Certificate pairs Sanitation and Safety, Fundamentals of Food, and Baking I with Baking II and Baking Science. The 17-credit Bread Baker Certificate swaps Baking II for Artisan and Specialty Breads, with emphasis on sourdough.
Cake Decorating and Confectioner Certificates
Both take about 24 weeks. The Cake Decorating Certificate page lists 16 credits, while its February 2026 planning guide totals 17 with Cake Design and Decorating and Advanced Cake Design and Decorating with lab. This page is also the only one to list Southern Wake Campus alongside Scott Northern Wake. The 18-credit Confectioner Certificate adds Confection Artistry and Chocolate Artistry with labs. Both certificates end with a competition piece: a tiered cake or a chocolate and sugar showpiece.
Curriculum and Baking Courses
Across the six credentials, the planning guides list baking and pastry courses such as:
- Baking I, Baking II, and Baking Science
- Artisan and Specialty Bread
- Petit Fours and Pastries, and European Cakes and Tortes
- Cake Design and Decorating, and Advanced Cake Decorating with lab
- Confection Artistry and Chocolate Artistry, each with a lab
- Plated Desserts, Dessert/Bread Production, and Pastry and Baking Marketing
- Nutrition for Foodservice with lab
According to the orientation slides, every student needs ServSafe certification in the first semester, and managers who already hold the certificate can have that class waived.
Tuition and Additional Costs
Wake Tech’s Fall 2026 and Spring 2027 tuition charts list $76 per credit in-state and $268 per credit out-of-state, capped at 16 credits per semester. Mandatory fees are a $12-per-credit college access fee, a $3-per-credit technology fee (capped at $48), and a $51.35 student activity and athletics fee each semester. Semester counts follow the published lengths: one for the 16-week certificates, two for the 24-week certificates, and three for the diploma. The AAS assumes four semesters of 18 credits, so two credits per semester fall above the tuition cap:
| Program | Credits | Estimated in-state tuition and fees | Estimated out-of-state tuition and fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baking and Pastry Arts AAS (4 semesters assumed) | 72 | $6,125 | $18,413 |
| Baking and Pastry Arts Diploma (3 semesters) | 44 | $4,158 | $12,606 |
| Baking Fundamentals Certificate (1 semester) | 16 | $1,507 | $4,579 |
| Bread Baker Certificate (1 semester) | 17 | $1,519 | $4,591 |
| Cake Decorating Certificate (2 semesters) | 17 | $1,650 | $4,914 |
| Confectioner Certificate (2 semesters) | 18 | $1,741 | $5,197 |
These totals leave out the $27-per-credit Eagle Advantage textbook access fee, which students can opt out of, along with uniforms, knives, tools, and living costs. Some courses carry supply fees of $5–$100 that appear in the class schedule. The catalog’s tuition and fees section lists every charge.
Students buy a baking kit of knives, decorating tips, cutters, spatulas, and a digital scale, plus an embroidered chef coat and full uniform, as listed on the uniform and equipment page. Cake decorating students need an additional small kit. The 2026 orientation slides estimate about $8,500 for tuition and fees, books, knives and tools, and uniforms, without naming a credential.
Admissions and Financial Aid
Wake Tech charges no application fee for domestic students. The catalog’s steps to enrollment are to complete North Carolina residency determination, apply, activate the student account, submit an official high school or equivalency transcript, apply for aid if needed, meet an advisor, attend orientation, and register. The program holds evening information sessions at Scott Northern Wake Campus and posts upcoming dates on its program page.
Each of the six credential pages answers yes to “Financial Aid Eligible?” Uniforms bought through the Wake Tech Bookstore can be covered by financial aid.
Career Preparation and Transfer Considerations
Wake Tech prepares graduates for roles such as baking or pastry assistant, area pastry chef, and assistant pastry chef, with advancement to pastry chef, cake designer, or bakery manager. Because of the ACF accreditation, graduates can receive Certified Culinarian or Certified Pastry Cook status without a separate exam. They must show ACF membership and a final transcript, and certificate and diploma graduates also need a year of entry-level work experience.
The AAS is a career degree, so students planning a bachelor’s degree should have the receiving school evaluate each course.
Which Wake Tech Pathway May Fit You?
| Pathway | May fit students who want |
|---|---|
| Baking Fundamentals Certificate | A one-semester grounding in doughs, pastries, cakes, and baking science |
| Bread Baker Certificate | A one-semester focus on artisan breads and sourdough |
| Cake Decorating Certificate | Piping, fondant, gum paste, and competition-style tiered cakes |
| Confectioner Certificate | Candy, chocolate, and sugar showpiece work |
| Baking and Pastry Arts Diploma | Broad baking and pastry training without a full general education core |
| Baking and Pastry Arts AAS | The complete sequence plus general education and work-based learning |
Questions to Ask Before Applying
- Which credit total applies to me if I start in spring or fall 2027?
- Which terms can I start in, and which courses run only in fall or spring?
- Is any part of the Cake Decorating Certificate taught at Southern Wake Campus?
- What does the baking kit cost through the bookstore, and should I opt out of Eagle Advantage?
- Which of my courses carry supply fees?
- How do certificate credits stack into the diploma or AAS?
Program details and costs can change. Confirm current requirements with Wake Technical Community College before applying.