Montgomery County Community College, known locally as Montco, teaches baking and pastry in the Hospitality Institute on its Blue Bell Campus. The 20,180-square-foot building has dedicated chocolate and fermentation labs, and students run a seasonal pastry shop, Bakery 340, next to the student-operated Bistro 1964.
Two credentials are offered: a 63-credit Baking and Pastry Arts AAS and a 17-credit Baking and Pastry Arts certificate that stacks into it. The information here is drawn from the 2026–27 Montco course catalog, the program pages, and the tuition rates posted for Fall 2026 through Summer 2027.
Quick Facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| School | Montgomery County Community College |
| Location | Hospitality Institute, Blue Bell Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell, Pennsylvania |
| Credentials | Baking and Pastry Arts AAS (major code CUL.B); Baking and Pastry Arts Certificate (C.CULB) |
| Total credits | 63 (AAS); 17 (certificate) |
| Sample schedules | AAS: four semesters full time or seven part time; certificate: two semesters |
| Schedule options | Full-time day or part-time evening |
| Internship | 240-hour Baking and Pastry Internship in the AAS |
Baking and Pastry Program Options
Montco’s catalog groups both programs under Culinary and Hospitality and lists the degree as a career program.
Baking and Pastry Arts AAS
The Baking and Pastry Arts AAS requires 63 credits: 38 in the major and 25 in general education. Eight BPA kitchen courses of three credits each form the core, joined by Safety and Sanitation, Foodservice Fundamentals, Menu and Cost Control, Management and Supervision, and the internship. The full-time sample schedule runs 17, 15, 15, and 16 credits over four semesters. A part-time sample spreads the same courses across seven semesters of 8 to 10 credits.
Baking and Pastry Arts Certificate
The Baking and Pastry Arts certificate is six courses and 17 credits. Semester one covers Safety and Sanitation, Foodservice Fundamentals, and Introduction to Baking and Pastry (8 credits). Semester two covers Advanced Baking and Pastry, Introduction to Cakes, and Bread and Rolls (9 credits). All six courses are also AAS major requirements, which is how the certificate stacks into the degree.
Curriculum and Baking Courses
Introduction to Baking and Pastry (BPA 120) opens the kitchen sequence, and the catalog requires a grade of C or better in it before the next baking courses. Course descriptions cover:
- Introduction to Baking and Pastry: quick breads, cookies, macarons, meringues, pâte à choux, pastry cream, and pies
- Advanced Baking and Pastry: custards, mousse, Bavarian cream, ice cream and sorbet, soufflés, and puff pastry
- Introduction to Cakes and Bread and Rolls: cake layers, fillings, and buttercreams, plus fermentation methods and specialty breads
- Chocolates and Confections (AAS): tempering, hand-dipped and molded pieces, and basic showpiece work
- Plated Desserts and Modern Trends, and Tiered Cakes and Sugar Artistry (AAS): fondant, gum paste, pastillage, and cooked sugar
- Bakery Production and the Baking and Pastry Internship (AAS): large-batch production and 240 hours of supervised work
Every kitchen course requires a professional chef’s uniform under the department’s uniform policy. Safety and Sanitation includes the ServSafe manager exam, which students must pass as part of the course. Degree general education includes English Composition I, a speech course, and Basic Nutrition.
Tuition and Additional Costs
For Fall 2026, Spring 2027, and Summer 2027, Montco’s tuition page lists $171 per credit for Montgomery County residents, $342 for other Pennsylvania residents, and $513 for out-of-state residents. All students also pay a $25 comprehensive fee, a $3 activity fee, and a $31 technology fee per credit. A capital fee adds $20 per credit out of county and $40 out of state. The college’s published totals are $230, $421, and $612 per credit, and there are no flat per-term fees.
| 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 AAS | 63 | $14,490 | $26,523 | $38,556 |
| Baking and Pastry Arts Certificate | 17 | $3,910 | $7,157 | $10,404 |
These estimates multiply program credits by the per-credit totals. They do not include course fees, learning materials, uniforms, or tools. The AAS figure assumes the three-credit option for the quantitative requirement.
Montco’s course fee schedule charges $80 per credit, or $240 per course, on each BPA kitchen course. That is $960 for the certificate’s four kitchen courses and $1,920 for the eight in the AAS. Introduction to Food Science carries a $100 fee if chosen, and no fee is listed for the internship. Students are also enrolled automatically in Montco Materials, a book and digital materials program priced at $20 per credit that can be declined each semester. Uniform and tool costs are not published.
Admissions and Financial Aid
The online application is free, and admission is rolling, so students can apply at any point in the year. Applicants complete the college’s identity verification step, and the college posts registration dates and deadlines on its calendar. Both baking programs publish technical standards, including standing for up to five hours, lifting up to 25 pounds, and working safely around heat and allergens. Students who completed a related career and technical program in high school may earn credit through Pennsylvania’s SOAR agreements.
Montco notes that students who qualify for financial aid can apply it to course fees. The program pages do not say whether the 17-credit certificate qualifies for federal aid on its own, so check with the financial aid office before counting on it.
Career Preparation and Transfer Considerations
Montco describes both programs as preparation for entry- to mid-level positions in bakeries, country clubs, hotels, and resorts. Service at Bakery 340 and Bistro 1964 is treated as a capstone experience, with students planning, preparing, and serving the food. The AAS internship then adds 240 hours with an outside employer.
The degree page lists transfer among its outcomes and refers to four-year partner schools, though the catalog classifies the AAS as a career program. Ask which partners accept the baking courses. Neither program page states American Culinary Federation accreditation.
Which Montco Pathway May Fit You?
| Pathway | May fit students who want |
|---|---|
| Baking and Pastry Arts Certificate | Core pastry, cake, and bread skills in two semesters at the lowest total cost |
| Baking and Pastry Arts AAS, full-time day | Chocolate, sugar work, plated desserts, bakery production, and an internship in four semesters |
| Baking and Pastry Arts AAS, part-time evening | The same degree paced around a job over about seven semesters |
| Certificate, then AAS | An early credential, with all 17 credits applying to the degree |
Questions to Ask Before Applying
- What does the required chef’s uniform cost, and are tools supplied through the course fee?
- Which semesters do the day and evening cohorts begin?
- Is the certificate eligible for federal or state aid by itself?
- How are internship sites selected, and may I use my current employer?
- Which four-year partners accept the AAS, and how many credits carry over?
Program details and costs can change. Confirm current requirements with Montgomery County Community College before applying.