Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC) offers one baking credential, the 67-credit Baking and Pastry Arts Associate of Science (program 673). It is taught only at the Allegheny Campus in Pittsburgh, where the college’s Culinary Institute opened in 2024 inside the Center for Education, Innovation and Training.
CCAC restricts its baking and pastry courses to students officially enrolled in the program, so the labs are not open to casual enrollment. The degree ends with a student-run retail pastry café and an externship of at least 100 hours. Figures below come from the 2026–2027 CCAC catalog, the college’s current tuition and fee schedule, and its lab fee list effective Fall 2026.
Quick Facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| School | Community College of Allegheny County |
| Location | Allegheny Campus, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| Credential | Baking and Pastry Arts, A.S. (673) |
| Total credits | 67 minimum |
| Catalog sequence | Four semesters of 15–16 credits plus a 6-credit summer |
| Work experience | Externship of at least 100 hours |
| Enrollment | Full-time or part-time; baking courses open to program students only |
Baking and Pastry Program Options
The 2026–2027 catalog lists four food programs at CCAC: Baking and Pastry Arts, Culinary Arts, Foodservice Restaurant Management, and a Culinary Basics certificate. Only the first is baking-specific, and the college has no baking certificate or diploma.
Baking and Pastry Arts, A.S.
The Baking and Pastry Arts, A.S. requires a minimum of 67 credits. The catalog plan runs 15, 15, 15, and 16 credits across four semesters, with two general education courses (6 credits) in a summer term. CCAC says the program accommodates both full-time and part-time students.
Program uniforms and a knife kit are required for every lab class, and students are expected to meet health department standards of hygiene and sanitation. The college’s culinary programs page describes three kitchen labs and faculty with industry experience.
Related Culinary Credentials
Students who want a shorter start can look at the Culinary Basics Certificate (671), which CCAC says can lead to prep cook or bakery assistant jobs and whose credits apply toward an associate degree. It is a general kitchen credential, not a pastry one, so ask an advisor which of its courses count toward the baking degree.
Curriculum and Baking Courses
Seven baking and pastry courses anchor the degree, each worth 3 credits unless noted. Fundamental Baking Skills comes first, and the advanced courses require both second-semester labs.
- CLR 130 Fundamental Baking Skills: breads and baked goods, ingredient functions, weights and measures
- CLR 135 Quick Breads and Cookies: chemically leavened breads, breakfast items, cookies, and an introduction to pâte à choux
- CLR 140 Pies, Tarts and Pastries: pie doughs, pâte sucrée, pâte brisée, laminated doughs, and pastry bag work
- CLR 235 Chocolate, Confections and Plated Desserts: tempering, sugar cooking, and dessert plating
- CLR 245 Cakes and Tortes: mixing methods, glazes, borders, flowers, and other decoration
- CLR 225 Pastry Café: operating an on-campus retail café, with pricing, sales analysis, and cost control
- CLR 230 Culinary Externship (4 credits): 100 hours at a worksite the student secures
- Kitchen and management courses (27 credits): foodservice introduction, sanitation and safety, culinary skills, garde manger, food and beverage service, supervision, nutrition, menu design, and purchasing
- General education (18 credits): English Composition 1 and 2, Life Science, Business Mathematics, Introduction to Psychology, and Oral Communication
The sanitation course prepares students for the ServSafe Food Protection Manager exam or another approved sanitation exam.
Tuition and Additional Costs
CCAC’s current schedule, which the college shows in its 2026–2027 cost breakdown, charges $130 per credit for Allegheny County residents, $260 for residents of other Pennsylvania counties, and $390 for out-of-state students. In fall and spring, 12–18 credits are billed at a flat rate of $1,950, $3,900, or $5,850. Summer is always billed per credit.
Every student also pays $37.50 per credit in fees (college fee $6, technology fee $23.25, student service fee $8.25). Students from outside Allegheny County add a $6.50 per credit capital fee, and full-time students pay a $5.40 accident insurance fee each semester. The estimates below follow the catalog plan of four flat-rate semesters and a 6-credit summer.
| Program | Credits | Estimated in-county tuition and fees | Estimated out-of-county tuition and fees | Estimated out-of-state tuition and fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baking and Pastry Arts, A.S. (4 semesters plus summer) | 67 | $11,114 | $20,130 | $28,710 |
Not included are the one-time $25 matriculation fee, a $20 fee on each online course, textbooks, uniforms, the knife kit, and course lab fees. Part-time students pay per credit, which changes the total.
Lab fees are published by course in the college’s Laboratory Fees list effective Fall 2026. For this degree they come to $995: $260 for CLR 117, $160 for CLR 202, $125 for the externship, and $75 for each of the six baking labs. CCAC does not publish prices for the uniform or knife kit on its program pages, so ask the department. Rates and every other fee are on the tuition and cost page.
Admissions and Financial Aid
CCAC is an open admissions college and does not require entrance exams or charge an application fee. Full-time applicants should have a high school diploma or GED, or be at least 18 with equivalent experience, and must submit high school transcripts. Degree-seeking students take placement tests in English, reading, and math unless exempt. Because baking courses are closed to non-majors, students need to be admitted to program 673 before registering for CLR baking labs.
Financial aid starts with the FAFSA, and the college’s financial aid office handles federal and state grants, loans, and scholarships. CCAC also lists the Pittsburgh Promise among its aid resources. Veterans of the U.S. armed forces and their dependents qualify for in-county tuition regardless of residency.
Career Preparation and Transfer Considerations
Two courses carry most of the job preparation. In Pastry Café, students make, display, price, and sell their own products to the public. The externship adds 100 hours in a working foodservice operation along with production for a pop-up bistro the college calls Culinary Corner.
The catalog does not state American Culinary Federation accreditation for this program, and it does not describe a specific bachelor’s degree transfer route. Students planning to continue should ask CCAC’s transfer services which four-year programs accept the CLR credits.
Which CCAC Pathway May Fit You?
| Pathway | May fit students who want |
|---|---|
| Baking and Pastry Arts, A.S., full-time | A two-year pastry degree with café operation, an externship, and flat-rate tuition each semester |
| Baking and Pastry Arts, A.S., part-time | The same degree on a lighter schedule, billed per credit |
| Culinary Basics Certificate first | A short general kitchen credential before deciding on a degree |
Questions to Ask Before Applying
- What do the program uniform and knife kit cost, and where are they purchased?
- Can I begin the baking labs in spring, or does the CLR sequence start in fall?
- Which employers have accepted externship students, and can I use my current job?
- How would part-time enrollment change my total cost and completion time?
- Which four-year colleges accept this A.S. toward a bachelor’s degree?
Program details and costs can change. Confirm current requirements with Community College of Allegheny County before applying.