Baking and Pastry Arts (1321)

When you graduate from our Baking and Pastry Arts certificate, you will be ready to find employment in retail or wholesale as a baker, pastry chef or assistant.

Being a baker also requires certain traits. The profession might be a good fit for you if you are:

• Able to work long hours, typically in the early morning
• Hardworking and willing to put the work in to hone your craft
• Creative with a passion for the culinary arts

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By earning your Baking and Pastry Arts certificate from HACC, you will be ready to become a professional baker or pastry chef. Watch this video for a glimpse into HACC’s culinary programs.

Throughout the program, you will prepare and produce cakes, pies and other baked goods. You will have the opportunity to work with doughs, icings and other pastry-making ingredients. 

Not only will you get specific training in pastry making, but you will also learn the fundamentals:

• Baking principles
• Sanitation
• Small business management
• Visual merchandising

You will also have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience working in a commercial operation for 12-hours a week where you will be introduced to various bakeshop production and retail rotations. Also, our internship course allow you the opportunity to gain employment working in an approved bakery worksite for 280-hours a semester.

Graduates of this certificate who possess an American Culinary Federation (ACF) membership are awarded Certified Pastry Culinarian (CPC).

As you complete our certificate, you will: 

• Use mathematical techniques to make accurate adjustments in bakeshop formulas and percentages
• Apply industry sanitation and safety procedures
• Follow the correct procedures and successfully  prepare quick breads, cookies, brownies,  pies and tarts and yeast doughs, including lean, enriched and laminated
• Follow the correct procedures and successfully  prepare custards and curds, meringues, cakes and frostings, mousses and Bavarians, chocolate confections, sugar candies, frozen desserts,  and decorating procedures with icings, fondant, gum paste and marzipan
• Exhibit management skills in professionalism, employee relations, food purchasing, inventory, and cost analysis
• Analyze nutritional values in recipes and adjust ingredients based on specific dietary concerns

• View summaries of every course at HACC by browsing our class schedules database.

• Review our program guide (pdf) to view a list of required courses, recommended course sequencing and program competencies.

Our certificate is designed to lead you directly into the workforce. However, if you wish to continue your education, we encourage you to earn an associate degree in our Culinary Arts AAS degree!

When you complete your associate degree, you can continue and transfer credits to a four-year school.

You can complete this certificate at our Harrisburg Campus through on-campus/in-person instruction.

Yes! We offer many scholarships through the HACC Foundation. Each scholarship has specific eligibility requirements. To learn how to apply, please visit hacc.edu/Scholarships.

Conveniently YOURS, we offer classes in the spring, summer and fall. You can apply anytime. Visit our website and submit your application, along with program code 1321. By using this code, you will ensure you apply to the correct one.

Future students, we are excited to connect with you and answer your questions. Please choose the option that works best for you to meet with us.

Current HACC students, please contact our Advising Department with any questions.