Clover Park Technical College in Lakewood runs its Pastry Arts program through Tacoma Culinary, the college’s culinary and pastry division, and students gain real-world experience baking for Bon Sucre Bistro, a retail pastry shop on the Lakewood Campus. The 2026–27 catalog lists three credentials: a 45-credit Pastry Arts Basic Certificate, a 42-credit Pastry Arts Advanced Certificate, and a 102-credit Pastry Arts Associate of Applied Technology (AAT) degree.
The three are built to stack. The basic certificate covers core baking and patisserie, the advanced certificate adds chocolate, sugar work, wedding cakes, and bistro management, and the AAT combines both with general education. Students who finish the degree also earn both certificates.
Quick Facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| School | Clover Park Technical College |
| Location | Lakewood Campus, 4500 Steilacoom Blvd SW, Lakewood, Washington |
| Credentials | Pastry Arts Basic Certificate; Pastry Arts Advanced Certificate; Pastry Arts AAT degree |
| Total credits | 45 (basic certificate); 42 (advanced certificate); 102 (AAT) |
| Typical length | About three quarters for each certificate; about six quarters for the AAT |
| Entry | Summer, fall, winter, or spring quarter |
| Class times | Monday–Friday, 6 a.m.–2:30 p.m., per the program maps |
| Student-run operation | Bon Sucre Bistro retail pastry shop |
Baking and Pastry Program Options
All three credentials appear on CPTC’s Pastry Arts program page. Each requires a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 to complete, and students need registration codes from the program instructor before signing up for classes.
Pastry Arts Basic Certificate
The Pastry Arts Basic Certificate has no prerequisites and prepares students for entry-level baking and pastry jobs. Its 45 credits center on a three-course patisserie sequence taught in the program-run bistro. The program map spreads the work over three quarters of 14, 16, and 15 credits.
Pastry Arts Advanced Certificate
The Pastry Arts Advanced Certificate requires successful completion of the basic certificate. Fifteen of its 42 credits go to advanced pastry work in chocolate, plated desserts and petit fours, sugar work, and wedding cakes. The rest cover the business side: retail and customer service, kitchen and bistro management, cost control, bookkeeping, marketing, beverage service, and operations management. The map plans three quarters of 15, 15, and 12 credits.
Pastry Arts AAT Degree
The Pastry Arts Associate of Applied Technology contains every course from both certificates plus 15 general education credits: a 100-level math course (Business Math is preferred), English Composition I or a communication course, and General Psychology or Introduction to Sociology. The catalog describes about six quarters of online, classroom, lab, and bistro work.
Curriculum and Baking Courses
Pastry courses carry the BAKE prefix. Across the three credentials, the hands-on coursework includes:
- Patisserie I, II, and III (5 credits each), with Patisserie III adding the mentoring of classmates
- Cakes, Yeast Breads, and Pies, Tarts, Custards and Fillings (4 credits each)
- Quick Breads, Cookies, Brownies; Frozen Desserts; and Dessert Alternatives, covering sugar-free, vegan, and gluten-free desserts (3 credits each)
- Chocolate I (Confections), with tempering, truffles, and fudges (4 credits)
- Restaurant (Individual) Desserts and Petit Fours (5 credits)
- Sugar Work and Wedding Cakes, including pulled sugar, gum paste, fondant, and modeling chocolate (3 credits each)
- Retail and Customer Service (5 credits) and Kitchen and Bistro Management (3 credits)
- Sanitation in Food Service Operations (3 credits), which prepares students for the ServSafe exam
The basic certificate also includes Excel for Restaurants and College Success for All. The program maps number the cakes course BAKE 113, while the catalog uses BAKE 118.
Tuition and Additional Costs
CPTC’s 2026–27 tuition table charges Washington residents $136.14 per credit for the first 10 credits in a quarter and about $59 per credit for credits 11–18. The program fee lists price nonresidents at the nonresident waiver rate of $155.55 per credit, then about $60 per credit for credits 11–18. The mandatory CSGR fee is $7.35 per credit, capped at $110.25 per quarter, and the program fee lists add a $149 Pastry Arts fee each quarter. Using the college’s quarter-by-quarter program maps:
| Program | Credits | Estimated in-state tuition and fees | Estimated out-of-state tuition and fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pastry Arts Basic Certificate (3 quarters) | 45 | $5,741 | $6,339 |
| Pastry Arts Advanced Certificate (3 quarters) | 42 | $5,549 | $6,144 |
| Pastry Arts AAT (6 quarters) | 102 | $12,513 | $13,716 |
These figures leave out a $70.80 general education technology fee that applies in some quarters depending on classes, plus books, uniforms, tools, and living costs. The full nonresident rate, which the tuition page labels non-resident international, is $350.12 per credit for the first 10 credits. Math or English courses taken with supplemental instruction carry 8 credits instead of 5, which would raise costs.
The 2026–27 Pastry Arts program documents estimate a tool kit at about $271 before sales tax, plus chef uniforms and a $10 Washington food worker permit. Books run about $250 for the basic certificate and about $1,664 for the AAT. The full rate tables are on the tuition and fees page.
Admissions and Financial Aid
CPTC has open enrollment and no application fee for general admission. Following the steps to enroll, applicants apply online, activate a ctcLink account, and send transcripts or test scores for placement or complete the math and English direct self-placement. An entry coordinator then finalizes enrollment. Pastry Arts students must also get registration codes from the instructor and be able to stand for long periods and lift up to 50 pounds. Washington requires a food worker card for this type of work.
Students can apply for aid through the FAFSA or WASFA using school code 015984. Workforce Development funding, VA benefits, and a tuition installment plan are other options, and the college posts financial aid deadlines.
Career Preparation and Transfer Considerations
The program prepares students for work as bakers, pastry chefs, and in other pastry positions. Production for Bon Sucre Bistro, whose menu ranges from croissants and macarons to entremets and specialty cakes, gives students real production experience. The retail, cashiering, and bistro management courses add skills that matter for anyone who hopes to run a bakery counter or open a shop.
The catalog frames the Pastry Arts AAT around career preparation and does not describe it as a transfer degree, so students thinking about a bachelor’s degree should ask how its general education credits would count elsewhere. For broader kitchen training, Tacoma Culinary also offers Culinary Arts credentials, including basic and advanced certificates and an AAT, and runs the Rainier Room restaurant on the same campus.
Which CPTC Pathway May Fit You?
| Pathway | May fit students who want |
|---|---|
| Pastry Arts Basic Certificate | A three-quarter start in patisserie, cakes, breads, and pies |
| Pastry Arts Advanced Certificate | Chocolate, sugar work, wedding cakes, and bakery business skills after the basic certificate |
| Pastry Arts AAT | Both certificates plus general education in one degree over about six quarters |
Questions to Ask Before Applying
- Does every BAKE course run each quarter, or will my start quarter change the sequence?
- Which quarters will include the general education technology fee?
- Do I qualify for the nonresident waiver rate if I move from another state?
- If I start with the basic certificate, how soon can I move into the advanced courses?
Program details and costs can change. Confirm current requirements with Clover Park Technical College before applying.