Renton Technical College runs its baking programs out of a production bakery on its Renton campus, and classes keep bakers’ hours: the college’s program map lists in-person sessions Monday through Thursday from 6:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Three baking credentials share one core of hands-on BAK courses: the 46-credit Baking Basics certificate of completion, the 90-credit Professional Baking AAS, and the Bakery Entrepreneurship AAS, which pairs the baking core with small business coursework.
The 2026–27 catalog says students train in scaling, mixing, dough production, and oven work while supporting a retail bakery. All three credentials admit students in fall, winter, or spring, and summer classes are required.
Quick Facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| School | Renton Technical College |
| Location | 3000 NE 4th St., Renton, Washington |
| Credentials | Professional Baking AAS; Bakery Entrepreneurship AAS; Baking Basics certificate of completion |
| Credits | 90 (Professional Baking AAS); 95 by course total (Bakery Entrepreneurship AAS); 46 (Baking Basics) |
| Length | 3–4 quarters for the certificate; 5–6 quarters for Professional Baking; 6 quarters for Bakery Entrepreneurship |
| Schedule | In person, Monday–Thursday, 6:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.; summer classes required |
| Entry | Fall, winter, or spring quarter |
| Program area | Culinary Arts |
Baking and Pastry Program Options
RTC’s Professional Baking program page lists all three credentials. Each one starts with the same first two quarters of baking courses, so students can begin before settling on a final credential.
Professional Baking AAS
The Professional Baking AAS (academic plan BPAPKAPT) requires 90 credits. It includes all 21 BAK production courses, Bakery Math, College Success, and 20 credits of general education. Only this degree includes the second-level courses in ovens, mixing, yeast doughs, cakes, and artisan bread, plus Cakes III, French Pastries, and Bakery Operations II.
Bakery Entrepreneurship AAS
The Bakery Entrepreneurship AAS (academic plan BPABEAPT) combines the Baking Basics course set with business courses in small business finance, social media marketing, management, operations, human resources, and business law. It ends with an entrepreneurship capstone. The catalog header lists 90 credits, but the required courses it lists add up to 95, and the college’s program map also shows 95 credits over six quarters.
Baking Basics Certificate of Completion
Baking Basics (academic plan BPAPKC45) is a 46-credit certificate of completion with no general education requirement. It covers 13 three-credit baking courses, College Success, and Bakery Math. Every course in it also counts toward both associate degrees.
Curriculum and Baking Courses
Most BAK courses carry 3 credits, and the program map groups them by quarter for fall starters:
- First quarter: Ovens I, Doughnuts, Scaling, Cookies, Bakery Operations I, Baking for Special Diets, and College Success
- Second quarter: Mixing I, Pies and Tarts, Pastries, Yeast Doughs I, Cakes I, and Artisan Bread I
- Puff Pastries, taught in the quarter the program map describes as focused on laminated doughs such as croissants and Danish
- Bakery Math (5 credits), or AMATH 175 or higher in its place
- Professional Baking AAS only: Ovens II, Mixing II, Yeast Doughs II, Cakes II, Artisan Bread II, Bakery Operations II, Cakes III, and French Pastries
- Bakery Entrepreneurship AAS only: 11 business and communication courses, from Finance for Small Business to the Entrepreneurship Capstone
Students need at least a 1.0 in each course and a 2.0 cumulative GPA. The AAS programs prepare students to take a nationally recognized food safety certification exam. The catalog notes that course sequences for winter and spring starters may differ from the fall plan.
Tuition and Additional Costs
RTC’s 2026–27 tuition table charges Washington residents $136.14 per credit for the first 10 credits each quarter, then $67.18 per credit for credits 11–18 and $122.14 per credit above 18. Out-of-state U.S. students receive a waiver of the nonresident operating fee differential and pay $155.55 per credit for the first 10 credits. All students also pay $31 per credit in college fees ($22 mandatory, $5 security, $4 technology). The estimates apply the table to each quarter of the fall-start program map (Baking Basics: 20, 18, and 8 credits; Professional Baking: 20, 18, 18, 19, and 15; Bakery Entrepreneurship: 20, 18, 18, 9, 13, and 17):
| Program | Credits | Estimated in-state tuition and fees | Estimated out-of-state tuition and fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional Baking AAS (5 quarters) | 90 | $12,449 | $13,458 |
| Bakery Entrepreneurship AAS (6 quarters) | 95 | $13,506 | $14,686 |
| Baking Basics certificate of completion (3 quarters) | 46 | $6,557 | $7,117 |
These figures cover tuition and the per-credit college fees only, not supplies or eLearning course fees, books, uniforms, tools, or living costs. The program map shows its own higher totals of $8,162 for Baking Basics, $14,869 for Professional Baking, and $15,426 for Bakery Entrepreneurship, but it does not say what those include.
The tuition page lists a $20 per credit supplies course fee for BAK courses with a lab component, but it doesn’t say which courses carry it. The program map lists a Washington food handler’s permit ($10), a baker’s uniform, a digital scale, a thermometer, black closed-toe shoes, a locker padlock, and textbooks at about $207.
Admissions and Financial Aid
Students apply online through RTC’s apply page, and the program page recommends a high school diploma or GED. For both AAS degrees, the catalog requires a counselor interview before registration and a food handler’s permit, which the program map says is due within the first two weeks.
Graduates of Renton, Hazen, Lindbergh, or Talley high schools may qualify for Renton Promise, a last-dollar grant that can cover tuition and fees for up to two years after federal and state aid. Applicants file the FAFSA or WASFA. RTC does not state on its baking pages whether the Baking Basics certificate is Pell-eligible, so certificate students should check with financial aid.
Career Preparation and Transfer Considerations
The program learning outcomes focus on production bakery work: managing tasks in a busy bakery, converting weights and measures for formulas, and making breads, pies, pastries, cookies, and doughnuts. RTC does not state that the baking programs hold ACF accreditation.
The program page reports a 50% completion rate for Professional Baking (2021–22 cohort) and a 37.5% job placement rate. Both AAS degrees are applied degrees, so anyone planning a bachelor’s degree later should ask an advisor which credits transfer.
Which RTC Pathway May Fit You?
| Pathway | May fit students who want |
|---|---|
| Baking Basics certificate of completion | A three- to four-quarter start in breads, pastries, cakes, and bakery math, with no general education |
| Professional Baking AAS | The deepest baking training at RTC, including advanced cakes, French pastries, and bakery operations |
| Bakery Entrepreneurship AAS | Core baking skills plus business planning, marketing, and management for running a bakery |
Questions to Ask Before Applying
- Which BAK courses carry the $20 per credit supplies fee, and what do the program’s own cost estimates include?
- Is the Bakery Entrepreneurship AAS 90 or 95 credits, and which total applies to my start term?
- Is the Baking Basics certificate eligible for Pell Grants and other federal aid?
- Can I start in Baking Basics and switch to one of the AAS degrees without losing credits?
- Can the 6:00 a.m. schedule be combined with work, and are any baking courses offered at other times?
Program details and costs can change. Confirm current requirements with Renton Technical College before applying.