Northern Essex CC Baking and Pastry Certificate

Baking accouterments. Stock photo, temporary use only.

Turn Sweet Dreams into Reality with NECC’s Baking and Pastry Certificate

The primary purpose of the Baking and Pastry Certificate is to cultivate professional bakers and pastry chefs that can be bakery managers and head pastry chefs. This hands-on certificate will build on the basics of baking and pastry production and science to move into more advanced baking and pastry principles. Students will be exposed to many levels and areas of baking and pastry that are specialized. Students completing this program will have the opportunity to be head production bakers, cake decorators, restaurant pastry chefs, pastry shop chefs, chocolatiers, candy makers, bakery owners, and bakery managers. Student learning outcomes focus on the hands-on kitchen techniques that bakeries and food service establishments are looking for when hiring. The courses are almost entirely in the kitchen with hands on baking with chef led demonstrations.

NOTE: Students enrolled in this program will be required to purchase uniforms and supplies. Students may be required to carry professional liability insurance. The premium is to be paid at the time of course registration. A minimum of 28 credits is required for completion.

Because of NECC

Upon completion of the Certificate, you will be able to put your skills to use outside of the classroom, or transfer to other partner colleges to continue your degree in culinary arts. You can:

Earn the 28 credit certificate full or part time
Develop your skills in courses such as
- Principles of Baking
- Bakery Production and Operations
- Contemporary Cakes and Decorations
Gain practical experience through a required program internship

Program Pathway

A pathway is the most efficient sequence of courses semester-to-semester recommended for students to complete their degree. View the suggested pathway for this program.

Learning Outcomes

Student Learning Outcomes - Baking and Pastry Certificate

The mission statement at NECC states our “mission is to educate and inspire our students to succeed. We provide a welcoming environment focused on teaching and learning—strongly committed to unlocking the potential within each student and empowering our diverse community of learners to meet their individual goals. We are a community college dedicated to creating vibrant and innovative opportunities that encourage excellence and enhance the cultural and economic life of our region.” The mission of the Baking and Pastry Certificate program aligns completely with the mission statement of the college. The program aims to inspire students with a passion for baking and pastry to reach their goal of a career in that dynamic area of the culinary industry. The program focuses on specific specialties of the field allowing students to dive deeply into these specialties and connect with what inspires and excites them. The labs are welcoming and inclusive, empowering students to branch out and try their hands at new skills. Through cooperative education/internship the students are introduced into the diverse region in which NECC exists. Students will have hands-on, experiential learning in area bake shops where they will work alongside, and serve, a culturally, technically and economically diverse population. With the assistance of an involved advisory board, the program will remain current ad innovative, always introducing the latest industry standards and trends.

Through the carefully selected course work, the students will be exposed to all of the core academic skills. Global awareness is an essential aspect of Introduction to Bakeshop and Principles of Baking courses as they learn baking and pastry specialties from around the world. Global awareness is part of the curriculum in CLN 207 Food & Beverage Cost Control as curriculum around guests and fellow employees discusses diversity and awareness. Information literacy is part of their ENG 101 as they learn to critically think about short stories, novels and articles they read while putting their thoughts into narrative essays. Students must also be able to assimilate information and data about sales figures, forecasting and budgeting to make management decisions in both CLN 207 and CLN 211 Bakery Production and Operations. Public presentation is integral to all CLN lab courses as students must create an item and then present it to the class. Public presentation is also a part of cooperative education as they work in a bake shop and interact with clients. Quantitative reasoning is a requirement of CLN 207 Food & Beverage Cost Control as students create and analyze profit and loss statements, use those statements to create budgets and to make business decisions. Quantitative reasoning is also required in CLN 211 Bakery Production and Operations as students create a business plan for a working bakery. Science and technology are also present in the course work. Baking is a chemical reaction and the chemistry behind all of the reactions is discussed in each course. Technology is taught in CLN 207 Food & Beverage Cost Control as the profit and loss statements and all supporting schedules are taught in Excel. Students also study point of sale and back office systems used in the industry for inventory and data collection. Written communication is enhanced in ENG 101 as well as in CLN 207 Food & Beverage Cost Control through required discussion boards. Written assignments are required in all baking labs as well.

Apply appropriate safety and sanitation practices in the bakeshop
Understand bakeshop set up and operations
Accurately select correct ingredients for baking recipes and formulas
Utilize bakeshop tools and equipment efficiently
Establish an understanding and working knowledge of how to produce baked items for special diets including gluten free and low fat
Employ various mixing and baking methods to produce a finished products
Create a plan of action for producing a variety of baked products
Increase and decrease formulas to achieve different yields of bakery products
Demonstrate ability to bake items and recognize doneness with adjustments to oven temperature when needed based on production needs
Evaluate the quality of final bakery products to determine feasibility, marketability and value in the commercial environment