Seattle Central College runs its pastry training through the Seattle Culinary Academy on its Broadway campus. The Specialty Desserts and Breads program leads to a 75-credit certificate in four full-time quarters or a 90-credit associate of applied science (AAS) degree in five, and students bake for two on-campus restaurants and a student pastry case.
The academy says its Specialty Desserts and Breads certificate is accredited by the American Culinary Federation Education Foundation’s Accrediting Commission with exemplary status. Unlike programs that treat pastry as one piece of a culinary degree, each of the four certificate quarters pairs a baking theory course with an 8- or 9-credit baking or pastry lab. Figures below come from the academy’s current program pages and course sequence and Seattle Central’s 2026–27 tuition and fee schedules.
Quick Facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| School | Seattle Central College, Seattle Culinary Academy |
| Location | 1701 Broadway, Seattle, Washington |
| Credentials | Specialty Desserts and Breads Certificate; Specialty Desserts and Breads AAS |
| Credits | 75 or 90 credits |
| Length | 4 full-time quarters for the certificate; 5 for the AAS; no part-time option |
| Entry | Fall, winter, or spring quarter |
| Schedule | Daytime, with courses between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. |
| Accreditation | ACF Education Foundation Accrediting Commission, exemplary status (certificate) |
Baking and Pastry Program Options
The Specialty Desserts and Breads program page lists two credentials that share one course sequence. The degree is the certificate plus 15 elective credits, so students can decide partway through whether to stay a fifth quarter.
Specialty Desserts and Breads Certificate
The Specialty Desserts and Breads Certificate requires 75 credits over four quarters. It covers artisan breads and doughs, plated desserts, decorated and wedding cakes, European pastries such as tarts, mousses, and petit fours, and chocolate work with demonstrations of pulled and blown sugar. Food preservation and cheese production courses carry the program’s sustainability theme. Students need a cumulative 2.0 GPA in core and related courses to earn the certificate.
Specialty Desserts and Breads AAS
The Specialty Desserts and Breads AAS totals 90 credits. Beyond the certificate sequence, students complete 15 additional elective credits, which the college’s tuition estimate places in a fifth quarter. The same 2.0 GPA rule applies.
Curriculum and Baking Courses
The academy’s scope and sequence builds each quarter around a theory course and a lab:
- Quarter 1 (19 credits): Baking Theory I and Baking Lab I: Fundamentals, plus Principles of Sanitation and introductory culinary and sustainability courses
- Quarter 2 (18.5 credits): Baking Theory II: Breads and Doughs, Baking Lab II: Breads and Viennoiserie, Introduction to Lacto Fermentation, and costing, purchasing, and career planning
- Quarter 3 (18 credits): Pastry and Confections: Theory, Pastry Lab I: Intermediate Techniques, Nutrition for Foodservice, and Spreadsheets for Menu Planning
- Quarter 4 (19.5 credits): Baking Theory III: Grains and Sugars, Pastry Lab II: Advanced Techniques and Leadership, Confections Lab I: Chocolate and Decor, a capstone, two barista courses, and Functions of Management
The four main baking and pastry labs account for 35 of the 75 certificate credits. Alongside them, students take two barista courses, a lacto-fermentation unit, and coursework in costing, menu planning, and management.
Tuition and Additional Costs
Seattle Central uses the same Seattle Colleges Fall 2026–Summer 2027 tuition table as its sister colleges. Residents pay $136.14 per credit up to 10 credits, $67.18 per credit from 11 through 18, and $122.14 per credit beyond 18. Waiver-eligible nonresidents pay $155.55 per credit up to 10, $68.21 per credit from 11 through 18, and $141.55 beyond 18. Seattle Central’s own term fees are a $5 per-credit instructional technology fee, a $3 per-credit universal technology fee (maximum $54), a $60 recreation center fee, and a $15 transportation fee each quarter. Applying these to the published quarter-by-quarter credits, with half credits charged proportionally:
| Program | Credits | Estimated in-state tuition and fees | Estimated out-of-state tuition and fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Specialty Desserts and Breads AAS (5 quarters) | 90 | $10,745 | $11,812 |
| Specialty Desserts and Breads Certificate (4 quarters) | 75 | $8,853 | $9,720 |
The AAS estimate assumes the 15 elective credits are taken together in a fifth quarter. Tuition for international students is higher. Textbooks, parking, and course fees are not included.
The program pages list $1,170 in Seattle Culinary Academy fees, $450 in Seattle Central College fees, and about $1,271 for uniforms, hand tools, and a food handler card. The college’s 2026–27 fee schedule includes culinary charges such as an $18 towel fee and a $75 equipment maintenance fee per course and a one-time $10 locker fee, but it does not tie them to specific BAK courses. Students should ask how these amounts overlap before budgeting.
Admissions and Financial Aid
Students first finish Seattle Central’s five-step enrollment process, including START orientation and placement or transcript evaluation. An academic advisor then confirms college-level math with a 2.0 or placement into Math 87/91, and English with a 2.0 or placement into English 101. Approval places the student on a first-come, first-served program ready list, and actual enrollment depends on space. The academy then contacts students about uniform fittings and next steps. Information sessions and tours are offered, and the college posts deadlines.
The program pages link to a gainful employment disclosure but do not state Pell eligibility for each credential. Students should file the FAFSA or WASFA and confirm aid eligibility with Seattle Central’s financial aid office.
Career Preparation and Transfer Considerations
For the 2025 academic year, the academy reports a 47% three-year graduation rate and 86% job placement nine months after completion for Specialty Desserts and Breads. The ACF certification rate within a year, reported jointly with Culinary Arts, was 6.1%. The academy notes that completing an ACF-accredited program earns 25 points toward individual ACF certification.
Listed careers include baker, pastry chef, caterer, food stylist, and cheesemonger. The AAS is a job-entry degree, so students planning on a bachelor’s program should ask which electives are most likely to transfer.
Which Seattle Central Pathway May Fit You?
| Pathway | May fit students who want |
|---|---|
| Specialty Desserts and Breads Certificate | An intensive, ACF-accredited year of bread, pastry, chocolate, and cake training |
| Specialty Desserts and Breads AAS | The same training plus 15 elective credits and an associate degree |
Questions to Ask Before Applying
- How long is the program ready list for my intended start quarter?
- Are the $1,170 academy fees and $450 college fees charged once or spread across quarters?
- Which electives count toward the AAS, and can any be taken online?
- Does the AAS carry the same ACF accreditation as the certificate?
- How are students scheduled between One World, Square One, and the pastry case?
Program details and costs can change. Confirm current requirements with Seattle Central College before applying.