Baking and Pastry Certificate: Turn Your Passion for Pastry Into a Career in 30 Weeks
Kendall College's Baking and Pastry Certificate gives you 300+ hands-on hours in professional kitchens, on a schedule built for working adults, three nights a week, with credits that count toward a full degree.
- ACF-Accredited
- 300+ Kitchen Hours
- Three Nights a Week
- Credits Transfer to the AAS
Request More Information
Program at a Glance
What You'll Learn
- Master foundational to expert pastry technique
- Produce plated desserts, laminated dough, and chocolate work
- Decorate and finish cakes professionally
- Complete 300+ applied kitchen hours
- Transfer 24 credits toward the AAS in Baking and Pastry
- Enter Chicago's bakery and pastry market
Full Course List
Next start: January 18, 2027 — seats filling fast.
Admissions Requirements
- A high school diploma or GED (no prior baking experience required)
- Online application at nl.edu with no application fee
- The program starts from foundational technique
- Financial aid review for Pell and Illinois MAP grant eligibility
- A uniform and tool kit (about $819)
I've always been passionate about baking and decorating desserts!
Three nights a week for 30 weeks, professional pastry training that fits around your job and life.
American Culinary Federation accreditation, the same recognition as Kendall's degree programs.
All 24 credits transfer toward Kendall's AAS in Baking and Pastry if you choose to continue.
Where Will This Certificate Take You?
Graduates enter Chicago’s bakery and pastry market as bakers, pastry cooks, and pastry chefs, with a path to bakery ownership and entrepreneurship. Kendall alumni include the owner of Salt and Spoon Bakehouse and a competitor on a national baking show.
Baker employment is projected to grow about 6 percent through 2034, faster than average, with roughly 39,900 openings a year, and a median wage of $36,650 (BLS, May 2024). With experience, pastry chefs and head bakers earn considerably more, and many graduates build their own pastry businesses.
How to Apply in 3 Simple Steps
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Request Information
Submit the form above. A Kendall College advisor will reach out within one business day to explain the evening schedule.
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Connect With an Advisor
Your advisor walks you through financial aid, the three-night-a-week schedule, and how credits transfer to the AAS.
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Apply and Start Classes
Submit your application at nl.edu with no application fee. Next start: January 18, 2027.
Take the First Step
No commitment required. A Kendall advisor will reach out within one business day to map your path into a pastry career.
Take the First Step- ACF-Accredited
- 300+ Kitchen Hours
- Three Nights a Week
- Credits Transfer to the AAS
*Salary and growth: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Bakers (SOC 51-3011), May 2024 (median $36,650; about 6% growth and 39,900 openings a year). Pastry chefs and head bakers earn more with experience.
**Program structure, hours, and accreditation: Kendall College at National Louis University, Baking and Pastry Certificate program sheet (nl.edu); ACF-accredited. Credits transfer toward the AAS in Baking and Pastry.