Scottsdale Community College (SCC) formally announced two career-ready programs in commercial baking and pastry, expanding the College’s culinary offerings. The Associate in Applied Science (AAS) in Baking and Pastry Arts and the Certificate of Completion (CCL) in Commercial Baking and Pastry give students two flexible on-ramps into a high-demand industry, whether they are pursuing a full degree or stacking credentials for a faster entry into the workforce.
Both pathways are designed in close alignment with the standards of working bakeshops, restaurants, hotels, and retail bakeries across the Valley. Students train across the full arc of a professional baking operation, from foundational techniques and food safety to specialty breads, classical desserts, decorative showpieces, and the day-to-day economics of running a retail bakery.
“Baking and pastry is one of the most disciplined corners of the culinary world, and Phoenix’s food scene is hungry for skilled graduates who can step into a working kitchen on day one,” says Ashley Holian, SCC Culinary Arts Program Director. “These programs were built to give students that level of preparation through strong fundamentals, real production volume, and the business sense to grow a career or eventually open something of their own.”
Associate in Applied Science in Baking and Pastry Arts
The 60-credit AAS is built for students who want a full degree credential and the broader skill set required to move into supervisory or ownership roles. Coursework spans the preparation, storage, and service of breads, cakes, pies, pastries, fillings, and icings; ingredient science; bakeshop math and food costing; the production of laminated, sweet, and yeast doughs; and decorative work for special-occasion and wedding cakes using pastillage, sugar work, royal icing, gumpaste, chocolate, and fondant. Graduates leave prepared for roles such as baker, restaurant cook, first-line food service supervisor, or food service manager. Formal application and acceptance into the program is required.
Certificate of Completion in Commercial Baking and Pastry
The 18-20 credit CCL is a shorter pathway aimed at students who want to move quickly into entry-level positions across food service. The curriculum covers commercial baking techniques, food service sanitation, artisan and specialty breads, classical desserts, advanced pastry arts, specialty cakes, and professional pastry techniques, paired with coursework in food service management, professionalism and ethics, and kitchen teamwork. Students must obtain a Maricopa County Food Handlers Card prior to required coursework and meet with an academic advisor before enrolling.
“Commercial baking is a craft, a small-business path, and an economic driver all at once,” said SCC President Dr. Eric Leshinskie. “These two programs make it easier for prospective students to see exactly which option fits their life, whether it’s a full degree, or a faster certificate that gets them into a commercial kitchen sooner.”
The new programs align with SCC’s Bridge to Bachelor’s program, enabling students to earn stackable credentials that support their chosen workforce development field and business skills taught in SCC’s Bachelor of Business Administration - Management program. This pathway helps prepare students for a high-wage future by earning higher credentials in approximately four years.
For more information, visit the Associate in Applied Science in Baking and Pastry Arts and the Certificate of Completion in Commercial Baking and Pastry.