Baking and Pastry Associate Degree |  Lackawanna College

Baking & Pastry Arts

At A Glance

Two-year degree that provides students with the creative and managerial elements of being a professional baker and pastry chef.
Apply current health and nutritional topics to classical and contemporary recipes.

Employment of bakers is projected to increase by 6% between 2025 and 2035.

Available at the Scranton campus.
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Welcome to Bakery and Pasty-Associate Degree

If you love working with your hands and creating elegant and delicious masterpieces, Lackawanna College’s Associate degree in Baking and Pastry Arts could be the perfect fit. Students enrolled in our Baking and Pastry associate degree program will learn to master classical and contemporary skills and techniques needed to thrive in the business.

Your Career Starts Here

Bakers earned a median annual wage in PA of $36,360 in May 2025. If baking and preparing pastries and confections is your calling, the job may never feel like work. With an associate degree, graduates can work in a variety of positions such as:

  • Restaurateur
  • Executive pastry chef
  • Wedding cake designer
  • Chocolatier
  • Caterer
  • Hotel food preparer
  • Independent baker
  • Food stylist

More About the Program

Lackawanna’s associate degree in baking and pastry arts prepares students for careers in the professional baking, pastry, chocolate and confection industries.
After completing the program, graduates will be able to:

  • Understand the role the patisserie plays in the professional foodservice industry.
  • Apply current health and nutritional topics to classical and contemporary recipes.
  • Apply the theories, skills and values of the professional baking, pastry and confection kitchen to segments of the industry.
  • Merge business and technical skills to create desirable products and services that yield maximum profits.

The Course Work

Students will gain proficiency in the creative and managerial elements of being professional bakers and pastry chefs through studying kitchen and business skills.

Some of the coursework students will take include:

  • Food science theory
  • Hospitality law
  • Food safety
  • Baking principles
  • Hospitality management
  • Breads
  • Confections
  • Desserts

Additional Information

Lackawanna College is approved by the Pennsylvania State Department of Education to grant bachelor’s degrees, associate degrees, and professional certificates and is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, which is designated as a National Accrediting Agency by the U.S. Office of Education.
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Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Pennsylvania annual median wage for bakers; and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025–2035, national employment growth. Figures reflect statewide wages and national employment projections and are not specific to Lackawanna College graduates. Lackawanna College does not guarantee employment or salary.

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