Luzerne County Community College (LCCC) offers one baking credential, the Pastry Arts Management AAS, taught at the Joseph A. Paglianite Culinary Institute in Nanticoke. The 61-credit degree pairs a four-course pastry lab sequence with restaurant operations, hospitality management, and general education. The college does not list a shorter pastry certificate or diploma.
The facility is a large part of what sets the program apart. LCCC describes a pastry lab, a line kitchen with an attached dining room, and the Gertrude Hawk Chocolate Room, a climate-controlled space for chocolate and sugar work. Figures below come from LCCC’s current online catalog and its tuition and fee schedule effective July 1, 2026. The newest catalog posted as a PDF is the 2025–26 edition.
Quick Facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| School | Luzerne County Community College |
| Location | Nanticoke, Pennsylvania; Joseph A. Paglianite Culinary Institute |
| Credential | Pastry Arts Management, AAS |
| Total credits | 61 |
| Length | Two years; four semesters in the recommended sequence |
| Pastry labs | Foundations for Pastry I, II, and III, plus Bakery Operations |
| Work experience | 3-credit internship in the final semester |
| Admission | Open-door admission; free application |
Baking and Pastry Program Options
LCCC’s Culinary Arts and Pastry department page lists two program areas. Culinary Arts comes as an AAS, a certificate, and a diploma. Pastry Arts Management is offered only as the AAS.
Pastry Arts Management, AAS
The Pastry Arts Management AAS is described as preparation for entry-level work in bakeries, restaurants, and resorts, with a longer view toward pastry chef and pastry management roles.
The recommended sequence runs 16, 14, 16, and 15 credits across four semesters. The opening semester includes Culinary Fundamentals, Restaurant Operations I, and the first pastry lab. General education and electives round out the degree, including English Composition, Biological Food Science, a critical thinking elective, a cultural awareness and diversity elective, and either Technical Communications or Fundamentals of Speech.
Related Culinary Arts Credentials
Students who want a shorter start can look at LCCC’s Culinary Arts diploma, which the college says is typically finished in one semester, or the Culinary Arts certificate, typically two semesters. Neither is a baking credential. Culinary Fundamentals, Restaurant Operations I, and Safety and Sanitation also appear in the pastry sequence, so an advisor can map out which credits would carry over.
Curriculum and Baking Courses
The catalog’s required courses in pastry, culinary, and hospitality include:
- Foundations for Pastry (4 credits): bread baking, yeasted and laminated doughs, pâte brisée, pâte sucrée, pâte à choux, quick breads, and cookies
- Foundations for Pastry II (4 credits): cake decoration, assembly and finishing, classic tortes, and tiered wedding cakes
- Foundations for Pastry III (4 credits): decorative work in bread, chocolate, sugar, and marzipan, plus plated desserts and ice creams
- Bakery Operations (3 credits): commercial baking, ingredient functions, scaling, and standardized recipes
- Culinary Fundamentals I A (5 credits) and Restaurant Operations I (3 credits)
- Safety and Sanitation (2 credits), Menu Planning (3 credits), and Mathematics for the Hospitality Industry (3 credits)
- Management, Financial Analysis and Planning (3 credits)
- Two culinary arts electives (3 credits each) and a 3-credit Internship
Students take the ServSafe sanitation exam as part of Safety and Sanitation, which the catalog says must be completed before graduation. The internship places students with local food service operations and requires a C average in culinary courses.
Tuition and Additional Costs
LCCC’s tuition and fees schedule, effective July 1, 2026, sets a flat full-time charge for 12–18 credits a semester. Luzerne County residents pay $3,900, made up of $2,550 tuition, a $600 general service fee, and a $750 technology fee. Other Pennsylvania residents pay $6,750 and out-of-state students pay $9,600, both including a capital fee. A $35 enrollment fee is added each term. Every semester in the recommended sequence is full time, so the estimates use four flat-rate semesters:
| Program | Credits | Estimated in-county tuition and fees | Estimated out-of-county tuition and fees | Estimated out-of-state tuition and fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pastry Arts Management AAS (4 semesters) | 61 | $15,740 | $27,140 | $38,540 |
The totals cover tuition, the general service, technology, and capital fees, and the enrollment fee. Course fees, virtual textbook fees, books, uniforms, tools, and the $50 graduation fee are not included. The schedule also shows a separate $4,200 full-time rate for Northumberland and Columbia County residents. Part-time students pay per credit instead: $260 for Luzerne County residents, $450 for other Pennsylvania residents, and $640 for out-of-state students, fees included.
Lab fees are significant in this program. On the college’s 2026–27 course fee list, each PAS lab and each of the two required culinary labs carries a $464 fee, and Biological Food Science carries $124. That adds $2,908 for the required courses, before any fee attached to the two culinary electives. LCCC estimates a book allowance of $1,000 for full-time students and does not publish a uniform or tool kit price for the pastry program.
Admissions and Financial Aid
LCCC has open-door admission and a free application, according to its steps to enroll. After applying, new students take a placement test unless they qualify for an exemption, such as qualifying SAT scores, an earned degree, or sufficient transfer credit. The catalog does not list a separate application for the pastry program or name specific entry terms.
LCCC does not spell out aid eligibility on the program page, so students should file the FAFSA and confirm their award with the financial aid office. Residency matters a great deal here, since the out-of-county estimate is more than $11,000 above the in-county one.
Career Preparation and Transfer Considerations
Graduates are prepared for entry-level positions in local bakeries, restaurants, and resorts, and the management coursework is intended to support later moves into pastry management. LCCC’s accreditation page does not list American Culinary Federation accreditation for its culinary or pastry programs.
The AAS is a career degree. LCCC does not publish a transfer agreement specific to Pastry Arts Management, so students who may want a bachelor’s degree later should ask which credits a receiving school would accept.
Who May Find This Degree a Good Fit?
| Student goal | How the program may fit |
|---|---|
| Earn a degree focused on pastry | Fifteen credits of PAS labs run through three of the four semesters |
| Work with chocolate and sugar | Foundations for Pastry III covers both, and the institute has a climate-controlled chocolate room |
| Learn the business side | Menu planning, hospitality math, and financial analysis are required |
| Gain workplace experience | A 3-credit internship is built into the final semester |
Questions to Ask Before Applying
- Can I start the pastry sequence in spring, or do the PAS labs begin only in fall?
- Which culinary electives are offered, and do they carry the $464 lab fee?
- What uniforms, knives, and pastry tools do I need to buy?
- How are internship sites chosen, and can the internship be paid?
- Which capital fee applies to me if I live outside Luzerne County?
Program details and costs can change. Confirm current requirements with Luzerne County Community College before applying.