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Associate Degree in

Baking and Pastry

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  • The Culinary Institute of Michigan
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  • Baking and Pastry

Baking School Highlights

Sweeten your future in pastry school.

The Culinary Institute of Michigan’s associate degree in baking and pastry arts focuses on both the art and the business behind baking. Interested in a career as a pastry chef, assistant chocolatier, cake designer, or bread baker? Through this baking degree you’ll get an up-close look at how bakeries operate, inside and out while learning about inventory control, staff selection, and employee training.

  • Learn how to create the beautiful and irresistible treats that delight visitors at bakeries, fine restaurants, country clubs, and elegant hotels.
  • Train in state-of-the-art facilities that are equipped with the same tools professionals work with on the job.
  • Get hands-on instruction from experienced culinary professionals in small baking and pastry classes that allow you the attention you deserve.

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At a glance
60
Credit hours
4
Semesters (Avg.)
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Why Go to Pastry School?

As a CIM student, you’ll learn advanced baking skills and techniques through a combination of classroom learning and hands-on workshops in our state-of-the-art facilities. Once you graduate from baking school, you’ll be prepared to take your Certified Pastry Culinarian exam and launch a career you’ll love.

Baking Degree Curriculum

CIM’s degree in baking is a two-year program consisting of 60 credit hours (48 hours of baking and pastry arts major courses and 12 hours of general education requirements). Our baking school curriculum includes classic pastry fundamentals, chocolate and confections, and a showpiece and specialty cake design lab.

Sample Courses

Classic Pastry Fundamentals

Description
Introduces students to the various techniques used in baking and pastry production, including classic cake preparations and entremets. This is a 120-hour lab course.

Chocolate and Confections

Description
Provides students with hands-on experience in the production and preparation of chocolate and sugar confections. This is a 120-hour lab course.

Showpiece and Specialty Cake Design

Description
Expands on the concepts and skills from classical pastry fundamentals, with a continuation of techniques used for further applications. Students will focus on the design and assembly of wedding cakes and special occasion cakes as well as the building methods and techniques used for showpieces. This is a 120-hour lab course.

Baking Fundamentals

Description
Introduces students to the basic principles of baking. Through hands-on experience, students learn the identification of bakery tools and equipment, proper weighing and scaling of ingredients, and basic mixing methods. Students will learn to prepare basic breads, doughs, and starters along with choux products and pies. This course lays a foundation for the more advanced techniques presented in later coursework. This is a 120-hour lab course.

Baking Science

Description
Teaches students the basic scientific and chemical principles involved in pastry and baking. This is a lecture only course.

Petit Fours and Plated Desserts

Description
Focuses on important and current trends in restaurant and a la minute style desserts and petit four. Content will include traditional and contemporary plated desserts and petit four. This is 120-hour lab course. Must complete this course with a C or better.

Food and Beverage Management

Description
Focuses on the development of leadership skills and personnel management. Content includes understanding management styles, developing front of the house and back of the house teams, staffing and human resource management. This is a lecture only course.

Food Safety and Sanitation

Description
Introduces students to food production practices governed by changing federal and state regulations. Topics to be covered include prevention of food-borne illness through proper handling of potentially hazardous foods, HACCP procedures, legal guidelines, kitchen safety, facility sanitation and guidelines for safe food preparation, storing and reheating. This course utilizes the National Restaurant Association ServSafe (R) materials, prepares for and culminates with the administration of the National Restaurant Association ServSafe (R) Certification examination. This is a lecture only course.
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In Their Words
“The skillset I got at CIM as compared to other people I have met, I would say I was ready for every job I have gotten since then and I was ready for Hell’s Kitchen. It really teaches you to be a hard worker.”
Kim Ryan
Chef & CIM Graduate Former Hell’s Kitchen Winner

Additional Pastry School Requirements

Students must complete the following baking and pastry classes with a grade of C or better to graduate: Classic Pastry Fundamentals, Petit Fours and Plated Desserts, and Cafe and Bakery Operations. The Associate Degree in Baking and Pastry also includes a 200-hour supervised work experience requirement.

Program Outcomes

View Outcomes & Performances

Program Locations

This program is offered at the following campus locations:

The The Culinary Institute of Michigan - Muskegon Campus
The Culinary Institute of Michigan - Muskegon
The The Culinary Institute of Michigan - Port Huron Campus
The Culinary Institute of Michigan - Port Huron

Accreditation

CIM’s baking and pastry arts program is accredited by the American Culinary Federation Education Foundation Accrediting Commission (ACFEFAC). Graduates are eligible to become Certified Pastry Culinarians upon graduation. CIM is one of two institutions statewide and one of only six in the U.S. to earn the “Recognition of Quality Culinary Education” designation from the Prestigious Global Food Authority World Association of Chefs’ Societies.

Baking and Pastry Classes Available

This pastry arts program is offered in-person on our campuses in Muskegon and Port Huron. In Michigan, our students come from Ann Arbor, Auburn Hills, Cadillac, Dearborn, Detroit, Flint, Grand Rapids, Jackson, Lansing, Kalamazoo, Muskegon, Owosso, Traverse City, and many other locations. Beyond Michigan, our online graduates hail from Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and other states.

This page was last revised on February 17, 2026.
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On Campus Available

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Unavailable on Baker Online

Core courses for this degree program are not offered through Baker Online.

For those interested, a selection of general education and prerequisite courses are available through Baker Online each semester.

Baker Online

Unavailable on Online Live

Core courses for this degree program are not offered through Online Live.

For those interested, a selection of general education and prerequisite courses are available through Online Live each semester.

Online Live
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