Baking and Pastry Arts Degree
Education for a Lifetime
Today's employers want employees who will be successful in tomorrow’s economy. At A-B Tech, we prepare our students to be effective employees and productive citizens by integrating the professional and technical competencies required for a successful career in Baking & Pastry Arts with the vital workforce skills of critical thinking, clear communication, and business ethics.
Careers
The Baking and Pastry Arts program prepares graduates for employment as baking/pastry professionals in a variety of foodservice settings, including restaurants, hotels, resorts, catering businesses, independent bakeries/pastry shops, wholesale/retail markets, and high‑volume bakeries.
Graduates should qualify for entry level positions, such as pastry/bakery assistant, area pastry chef and assistant pastry chef. American Culinary Federation certification is available to graduates. With experience, advancement opportunities may include pastry chef, cake designer and bakery manager.
Employment of trained bakers and pastry chefs is expected to increase due to growing numbers of wholesale bakeries, in-store and specialty shops and traditional bakeries.
Salaries
Earnings of entry-level bakers and pastry chefs in the United States range from $19,000 to $35,000.
Special Features
Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College is the first community college in North Carolina to offer this two-year Associate of Applied Science degree in Baking and Pastry Arts.
Our new Culinary Arts and Hospitality buildings have a dedicated bake shop in addition to a production kitchen, three skills kitchens and a large demonstration hall.
Degree in Baking and Pastry Arts
| Course | Class | Lab | Credit |
| First Semester (Fall) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| ACA 115 Freshman Seminar | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| CUL 110 Sanitation and Safety | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| CUL 110A Sanitation and Safety Lab | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| CUL 142 Fundamentals of Food | 2 | 6 | 5 |
| CUL 150 Food Science | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| CUL 160 Baking I | 1 | 4 | 3 |
| MAT 115 Mathematical Models | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Semester Total | 8 | 18 | 17 |
| Second Semester (Spring) | |||
| BPA 120 Petit Fours & Pastries | 1 | 4 | 3 |
| BPA 130 European Cakes and Tortes | 1 | 4 | 3 |
| BPA 150 Artisan & Specialty Breads | 1 | 6 | 4 |
| CIS 110 Introduction to Computers | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| COM 231 Public Speaking | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| HRM 220 Food and Beverage Controls | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Semester Total | 11 | 16 | 19 |
| Third Semester (Summer) | |||
| COE 112 Co-op Work Experience | 0 | 20 | 2 |
| Semester Total | 0 | 20 | 2 |
| Fourth Semester (Fall) | |||
| BPA 210 Cake Design and Decorating | 1 | 4 | 3 |
| BPA 240 Plated Desserts | 1 | 4 | 3 |
| BPA 250 Dessert and Bread Production | 1 | 8 | 5 |
| ENG 111 Expository Writing | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| HRM 245 Hospitality Human Resource Management | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Semester Total | 9 | 16 | 17 |
| Fifth Semester (Spring) | |||
| BPA 220 Confection Artistry | 1 | 6 | 4 |
| BPA 230 Chocolate Artistry | 1 | 4 | 3 |
| BPA 260 Pastry & Baking Marketing | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| CUL 112 Nutrition for Foodservice | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| HUM Humanities Elective | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| PSY 150 General Psychology | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Semester Total | 13 | 12 | 19 |
| Program Totals | 41 | 82 | 74 |
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