Westmoreland County Community College in Youngwood builds its Pastry Arts programs as a ladder: a 16-credit certificate, a 45-credit diploma, and a 66-credit AAS that share the same baking labs. The degree and diploma can also be taken as registered apprenticeships that pair coursework with 4,000 hours of paid, supervised work.
Classes run through the School of Culinary Arts/Pastry Arts/Hospitality Management, whose kitchens are in the Health and Culinary Center on the Youngwood campus. Credit totals below come from the 2026–2027 college catalog, and costs use the tuition, fee, and lab fee schedules effective Fall 2026.
Quick Facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| School | Westmoreland County Community College |
| Location | Youngwood Campus, Youngwood, Pennsylvania |
| Credentials | Pastry Arts AAS, Diploma, and Certificate; apprenticeship versions of the AAS and Diploma |
| Credits | 16 (certificate), 45 (diploma), 66 (AAS); 51 and 69 for the apprenticeship diploma and AAS |
| Catalog sequence | Two semesters (certificate); four semesters (diploma); four semesters plus a summer (AAS) |
| Apprenticeship | 4,000 hours of on-the-job learning over two to three years |
| Accreditation | The college states ACFEFAC accreditation for Pastry Arts |
Baking and Pastry Program Options
All five options appear on the college’s Pastry Arts page and its apprenticeship page. Each lists a laboratory uniform, tool kit, and business attire as requirements.
Pastry Arts Certificate
The Pastry Arts Certificate takes 16 credits: 10 in fall and 6 in spring. It covers Foundations of Cooking and Baking, Sanitation, Baking I, Decorating Techniques, a hospitality introduction, and First Year Seminar. The catalog names baker, cake decorator, and bakery production worker as target jobs.
Pastry Arts Diploma
At 45 credits over four semesters, the Pastry Arts Diploma contains every certificate course and adds Foods I, Baking Bistro, Bake II, Specialty/Artistic Techniques, Advanced Decorating, nutrition, purchasing, and supervision. It carries no general education beyond the seminar.
Pastry Arts AAS
The 66-credit Pastry Arts AAS adds 21 credits to the diploma: college writing, business communications, business math, a computer course, a social science elective, Food Culture and Religion, and a 3-credit Hospitality Internship. Students secure their own internship site. The suggested plan places one writing course in the summer after the first year.
Apprenticeship AAS and Diploma
Sponsored by the ACF Laurel Highlands Chapter and the college, the apprenticeship AAS (69 credits) and apprenticeship diploma (51 credits) add six 1-credit apprenticeship courses, two of them in summer. Apprentices must hold full-time employment at an approved site and are registered with the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry and the ACF. The catalog names Nemacolin Resort and Seven Springs Mountain Resort as partner sites. In the degree version, the apprenticeship replaces the internship.
Curriculum and Baking Courses
Baking I requires Foundations of Cooking and Baking, and the second-year labs build on Baking I, so every suggested plan begins in fall. Core courses across the ladder include:
- CUL 104 Foundations of Cooking and Baking (3 credits) and FSM 118 Sanitation (2)
- BKP 141 Baking I (4) and BKP 223 Bake II (4)
- BKP 245 Decorating Techniques (3) and BKP 249 Advanced Decorating (3)
- BKP 221 Baking Bistro (4) and BKP 247 Specialty/Artistic Techniques (4)
- CUL 105 Foods I (4) and CUL 243 Nutritional Cooking and Baking (3)
- Hospitality introduction, beverage management, purchasing and operations, and supervision and training (10 combined)
Program outcomes in the catalog include yeast breads, pies, tarts, doughnuts, frozen desserts, decorated cakes, confectionery, and artistic showpieces. The diploma description mentions a capstone internship, yet its course plan lists none, so confirm that requirement with the department.
Tuition and Additional Costs
For 2026–2027, tuition is $149 per credit for Westmoreland County residents, $292 for other Pennsylvania residents, and $438 for out-of-state students. Terms of 12–18 credits are billed at a flat $2,235, $4,376, or $6,564. A general fee of $75 per credit applies to county residents. Other students pay a $73 general fee plus a $6 capital fee per credit. These estimates follow each catalog plan term by term.
| Program | Credits | Estimated in-county tuition and fees | Estimated out-of-county tuition and fees | Estimated out-of-state tuition and fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pastry Arts Certificate | 16 | $3,584 | $5,936 | $8,272 |
| Pastry Arts Diploma | 45 | $10,676 | $17,855 | $25,005 |
| Pastry Arts AAS | 66 | $14,337 | $23,594 | $32,784 |
| Pastry Arts Diploma, Apprenticeship | 51 | $11,722 | $19,497 | $27,231 |
| Pastry Arts AAS, Apprenticeship | 69 | $14,860 | $24,415 | $33,897 |
Flat-rate billing cuts both ways. A 12-credit term costs a county resident $2,235 in tuition, more than 12 credits at $149, which is why the diploma’s 12 and 14-credit semesters raise its total. Lab fees, uniforms, tools, textbooks, and ACF charges are not included.
The 2026–2027 lab fee list charges $150 for each BKP and CUL kitchen course. That adds $450 to the certificate (three labs) and $1,350 to the diploma or AAS (nine labs). The college’s program cost sheet lists a $130 uniform, a $261 tool kit, a $50 ACF membership for diploma and degree students, a $250 ACF registration for apprentices, and estimated textbooks of $600, $1,200, and $2,000 by level. That sheet still shows older tuition and lab fee rates, so use the tuition and fees page for current figures.
Admissions and Financial Aid
Applying to Westmoreland is free. Placement matters for the degree, since Mathematics of Business and College Writing list developmental prerequisites or placement. Apprenticeship applicants also need a job at an approved site, and the department keeps the current list.
The college does not state on its program pages which of these credentials qualify for federal aid, and a 16-credit certificate may be treated differently from a degree. File the FAFSA and ask the financial aid office about each level. Pennsylvania residents age 60 or older receive a 50 percent tuition reduction on credit classes when space allows.
Career Preparation and Transfer Considerations
Westmoreland states that Pastry Arts is accredited by the American Culinary Federation Education Foundation Accrediting Commission. AAS graduates who are ACF members may apply for the Certified Pastry Culinarian credential. Apprentices who finish are eligible to test for Certified Working Pastry Chef.
Because the certificate sits inside the diploma and the diploma inside the AAS, students can stop at one level and return later. The AAS is a career degree, so anyone planning on a bachelor’s program should ask which credits a specific university accepts.
Which Westmoreland Pathway May Fit You?
| Pathway | May fit students who want |
|---|---|
| Pastry Arts Certificate | Baking I and cake decorating in two part-time semesters |
| Pastry Arts Diploma | The full set of pastry labs without general education courses |
| Pastry Arts AAS | A degree with an internship, writing, math, and computer coursework |
| Apprenticeship AAS or Diploma | Full-time paid kitchen work alongside classes, with ACF apprentice registration |
Questions to Ask Before Applying
- Which approved apprenticeship sites are hiring, and how do class blocks fit a 40-hour week?
- Does the diploma require an internship even though the course plan does not list one?
- Is the 16-credit certificate eligible for federal or state aid?
- What are the current uniform and tool kit prices for my start term?
- Can I start the baking sequence in spring?
Program details and costs can change. Confirm current requirements with Westmoreland County Community College before applying.