Begin your career as a baker or pastry chef
Baking and Pastry Arts Ontario College Certificate program
Make a lot of dough! Rise from basics to whole bakery business development in just eight months.
Program information
Program description
Launch your career as a baker or pastry chef to make a lot of dough! In this one-year certificate, the Baking and Pastry Arts program prepares you for a career as a baking professional. Through hands-on learning in bake labs, you examine the fundamentals of pastry making, study traditional and contemporary baking methods, and develop ‘on-the-tool skills’ to produce delicious baked goods and desserts. Through classroom lectures, you learn baking theory, nutrition, trade calculations, sanitation, food safety, and business concepts to support the practical skills required in the daily operation of a bakery. As a graduate of this program, you are prepared to think critically, innovate, and apply business skills for lifelong career success as a baking professional across different sectors in the food service industry or as an entrepreneur and small business owner.
Intake information
| Start date | Campus |
|---|---|
| Fall 2025 | Barrie |
Tuition and fees
- Visit our tuition and fees page for detailed information on the cost to attend Georgian.
- Review additional program-specific fees for this program.
- You can afford this! Explore OSAP as well as awards, scholarships and bursaries to help you pay your way to graduation.
What are the admission requirements for the Baking and Pastry Arts program?
Baking and Pastry Arts admission requirements
Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent, or mature student status with
- Grade 12 English (C or U)
Mature students, non-secondary school applicants (19 years or older), and home school applicants may also be considered for admission. Eligibility may be met by applicants who have taken equivalent courses, upgrading, completed their GED, and equivalency testing. For complete details refer to: www.georgiancollege.ca/admissions/academic-regulations/
Applicants who have taken courses from a recognized and accredited post-secondary institution and/or have relevant life/learning experience may also be considered for admission; refer to the Credit for Prior Learning website for details:
www.georgiancollege.ca/admissions/credit-transfer/
Additional information
Students should be aware that various allergens, including nuts, dairy and shellfish, are routinely used in practical labs.
What career paths can I take in baking and pastry arts?
Your Baking and Pastry Arts certificate gives you many career opportunities
Graduates may find work locally, provincially, nationally and internationally as a pastry chef, bakery manager, or retail baker in a variety of settings, including fine dining restaurants, hotel pastry departments, baking suppliers, catering companies, and boutique pastry shop outlets. Graduates also find employment as business owners by combining the skills they have learned with their entrepreneurial spirit to start and operate a successful business.
Why study Baking and Pastry Arts at Georgian?
Jobs
- Meet current labour market demand for culinary professionals linked to craftsmanship, artisans and creativity.
Integrated curriculum
- Experience hands-on training and develop business skills to prepare you for working in an established business or running your own.
- Take practical courses such as cake decorating, pastry assembly, bread and dessert making, alongside theory courses like health and safety, sanitation certification, nutrition, inventory control and more.
Focus on local
- Use locally sourced products in your work.
Faculty
- Learn from award-winning baking-industry professionals and chefs that are among the best in their field.
- Our faculty have been recognized with the Teaching Excellence Award for postsecondary education in Ontario.
What courses are included in the Baking and Pastry Arts certificate program?
Course overview
12 Program Courses
2 Communications Courses
2 General Education Courses
Program-specific courses
Semester 1 courses are listed below. For a full list of courses in the program including course descriptions, view the Baking and Pastry Arts program outline.
- BAKE 1000 – Baking Ingredients and Equipment Technology
- BAKE 1001 – Baker’s Formulas and Bake Shop Management
- BAKE 1002 – Basic Baking Production
- BAKE 1003 – Basic Pastry Production
- ENTR 1002 – Introduction to Entrepreneurship
- SANI 1000 – Basic Food Service Safety and Certification
- Select 1 course from the communications list during registration.
- Select 1 course from the general education list during registration.
Your course delivery method(s)
In person
This program is delivered fully in person and requires you to attend campus.
Please note, delivery methods are based on planning for the upcoming semester and are subject to change.
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Do you have questions about Baking and Pastry Arts? Contact us!
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