36 Week Program
The exciting new Pastry Arts program at Culinard, the Culinary Institute of Virginia College, provides students a diversified education in pastry preparation while allowing them to fully explore their creative nature. Students of our baking schools are in the kitchen the very first day of class, gaining hands-on, realistic pastry chef training.

This culinary education program is designed to provide students with a diversified education in pastry chef training and baking preparation. The degree program provides hands-on, realistic pastry chef training.

The pastry chef training at Culinard is designed to provide learning experiences that offer more than just cooking classes—it offers pastry chef students a solid background of training in various pastry and bakery disciplines directly related to the hospitality/food service industry.

The program ensures that students are instructed in contemporary pastry chef techniques, plated desserts, and decorative media, as well as sugar and chocolate show pieces, wedding cake disciplines, and management skills with a hands-on externship under the direction of certified professional pastry chefs. This comprehensive pastry chef training provides graduates of our culinary baking schools with the fundamental skills necessary to adapt to the career path they choose to follow.

Upon successful completion of the pastry chef training program, students should be able to:

•     understand the hospitality/food service industry and career opportunities in the field;
•     perform math functions necessary for pastry and baking operations;
•     establish and maintain high standards of personal and industry sanitation and safety;
•     produce high quality food products using appropriate equipment;
•     demonstrate professional standards in personal appearance and ethical behavior;
•     demonstrate proper techniques in pastry and baking skills to produce high quality products;
•     assess the origin of various pastry cuisines and their relationship to history and cultural developments;
•     analyze the workings of the pastry and baking sector of culinary arts; and
•     learn how to control food and labor cost