What you will learn
- Health, sanitation, and safety
- Use of bakery equipment including scales, mixers, proofers, and ovens
- Knife skills
- Theoretical baking principles and processes
- Ingredients and methodology
- Biscuits and muffins
- Pie dough and straight dough
- Aeration and emulsification
- Cookies, pies, tarts
- Croissant, Danish, and puff dough lamination
- Cakes, cookies, sponges
- Buttercreams, glazes, ganaches
- Dessert plating and presentation
- Composition, use of colours and textures
- Pastries, slices, and squares
- Quickbreads and loaf cakes
- Deep-fat frying
- Yeast doughnuts, cake doughnuts, French crullers
- Fermentation, leavening, gluten development
- Wild yeast, sourdough starters, biga, poolish
- Hearth baking
- Grains and flours
- Shaping and molding
- Mixing and portioning
- Gluten-free baking and ingredients
- Meat and vegetable pies
- Sausage rolls, Cornish pasties, calzones
- Asian buns and tarts
- Pita breads and flatbreads
- Sandwiches
- Consistency and accuracy
- Environmental conditions
- Daily production planning
- Standard math functions
- Retail bakeshop management
- Professional etiquette and personal hygiene
- Troubleshooting and problem solving
- Ingredient and equipment suppliers
- Merchandising, inventory, and cost control
- Waste management
- Catering
- Effective communication
What to expect
Program Duration and Maximum Time for Completion
The program is 44 weeks. Students must complete the credential within 3 years.
Students who successfully complete this credential may be eligible to receive advance standing in the Pastry Arts Certificate.
- Eleven months of full-time study over four terms:
- Introduction to Baking
- Applied Baking
- Artisan Baking
- Capstone
- Classes Monday to Friday - a.m. or p.m. (one option will be available each term; times are subject to change)
- Purchase of textbooks and baking tools (available at the VCC Bookstore)
- Purchase of closed-top, non-slip footwear
- A fully operational kitchen and bakeshop environment
- Direct instruction
- Interactive instruction
- Demonstrations
- Problem-solving
- Cooperative learning
- Active participation
- Self-directed learning
- Three weeks of industry work experience
- Capstone project
- Opportunity to take exams for ITA Level 1 certification
Admission requirements
Program-specific
-
English Language Proficiency at a grade 10 level or equivalent
-
?Apprenticeship and Workplace Math 10 or equivalent
-
Valid BC FoodSafe Level 1 Certificate or equivalent
General
- Seats are offered to applicants who have met all admission requirements, on a first-qualified, first-served basis.
- International applicants must be 17 years of age or older or a graduate of a secondary school. (Some exceptions may apply.)
- Applicants must submit official transcripts and educational documents as required by their course or program.
- All VCC applicants are required to function successfully in an English-speaking classroom. English requirements vary by program. For details, visit VCC International - English Requirements [PDF].
Recommended Characteristics
-
?Basic computer and word processing skills
-
Organizational and time management skills
-
Enjoys working independently and in a team
-
Physical condition and stamina to meet the demands of the program, including good motor skills and hand-eye coordination
-
Creativity is an asset
-
Applicants must be able to physically handle all wheat, dairy, egg, and nut products and all associated by-products required to meet the program outcomes. Any other known food allergies must be disclosed.
Courses
*Program general hours
Classes are generally run on Monday to Friday, from 7:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The work experience at the end of the program is scheduled by the employer. Class times are subject to change.
Prior learning assessment and recognition
Prior learning assessment and recognition is not available for this program.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BAKG 1150 | Quick Breads & Cookies | 4 |
| BAKG 1155 | Pies, Tarts, Puff Pastries | 4 |
| BAKG 1160 | Basic Lean Yeast Doughs | 4 |
| BAKG 1165 | Basic Rich Yeast Doughs | 4 |
| BAKG 1170 | Basic Cakes & Pastries | 4 |
| BAKG 1175 | Specialty Cakes & Pastries | 4 |
| BAKG 1265 | Advanced Lean Yeast Doughs | 4 |
| BAKG 1266 | Sourdough Baking | 4 |
| BAKG 1267 | Advanced Rich Yeast Doughs | 4 |
| BAKG 1268 | Advanced Laminated Doughs | 3 |
| BAKG 1269 | Gluten Free Baking | 1 |
| BAKG 1365 | Artisan Baking Capstone Project | 1 |
| BAKG 1366 | Artisan Baking Work Experience | 3 |
| Total Credits | 44 | |
* This information is intended as a guideline only. Program and course details are subject to change with the approval of VCC's Board of Governors.
Fees and other costs
*Tuition deposits are payable usually within two weeks after a Letter of Offer is issued.
Tuition Deposit: 15800 (5000 non-refundable).
Tution deposits are payable usually within two (2) weeks after a Letter of Offer is issued.
| Tuition Deposit |
15800 (5000 non-refundable) Tution deposits are payable usually within two (2) weeks after a Letter of Offer is issued. |
|---|
| Fee description | Fee Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | 145 | |
| Tuition Tuition | 25971 |
Tuition Breakdown
5721 - Term 1
5721 - Term 2
7628 - Term 3
1907 - Term 4
0 - Term 5
|
| Student union | 256 | |
| College initiative | 130 | |
| Materials | 0 | not including textbooks |
| Campus resource | 260 | |
| Laundry | 0 | |
| Tools (deposit) | 0 | |
| Coverall (deposit) | 0 | |
| Uniform (deposit) | 0 | |
| Medical and Dental | 275 | |
| Temporary Medical Insurance | 149 | |
| U-PASS | 487 | |
| Graduation | 40 | |
| Program-specific extra fees | 262 | |
| Total |
* Fees are approximate and subject to change with the approval of VCC's Board of Governors. Students are required to pay any applicable fee increases. Application and assessment fees are non-refundable.
Fees listed are for international students. For domestic programs, visit vcc.ca.
Any refunds are issued according to VCC's international refund policy.
Apply now
MONTH/TERM APPLICATION
OPEN DATE APPLICATION STATUS*
STATUS INFORMATION
- Apply Now: Qualified applicants may receive offers of admission if seats are available, or placed on waitlists if seats are full.
- Closed: Applications are not accepted.
- For details about application availability based on study permit status and recommendations if the application status is closed, visit the Availability Status page.
This is a stand-alone program with no options to combine specialties. Students wishing to study both artisan baking and pastry specialties should apply to the 2-year Baking and Pastry Dual Certificates program.
For more information and tips, see Apply page