Program Information
Do you love food? Do you enjoy baking? Have a taste for a sweet life in a fast-paced, high-energy career? Dream of being the next celebrity chef? If so, San Jacinto College can help make your dreams come true! Our Pastry Chef program allows you to work within the industry while you build your education. If your ambitions are more specific, you can also choose to specialize as an assistant cook, baker, or baker’s helper, or in basic cooking or specialty foods.
The San Jacinto College Pastry Chef program:
- Is a blend of lectures, labs, field trips, guest lecture presentations, networking opportunities, job placement, and a variety of skill sets taught by our state and nationally recognized chefs and professors
- Places emphasis on fundamental and advanced culinary arts techniques and hands-on, real-world learning through working with our program director, faculty, managers, and chefs through various educational scenarios and special events
- Offers field trips to local culinary events, food shows, and conventions
Accreditation by American Culinary Federation Education Foundation Accrediting Commission (ACFEFAC) assures that a program is meeting at least a minimum of standards and competencies set for faculty, curriculum, and student services.
Additional Information
San Jacinto College offers scholarship opportunities, financial aid, a culinary club, and participation in a variety of culinary competitions.
Career Opportunities
- Cake Decorator,
- Owner/Operator Bakery,
- Bed and Breakfast Operator,
- Pastry Chef/Baker,
- Executive Pastry Chef,
- Pastry Sous Chef, and
- Cruise Line Pastry Chef.
Earning Potential
Baker: $29,6891
- 1
Source: texaswages.com, median salary Gulf Coast region, 2022
For more information, students may contact North campus at 281-998-6350, x7150.
Campus
North Campus
Information
The Culinary Arts program provides basic education and training for cooks and apprentice chefs. Sequential courses provide for development of technical food preparation and service skills, understanding of the principles of food and beverage composition, experience in the use and maintenance of professional food service equipment, and basic development of supervisory skills.
Students enrolling into San Jacinto College programs with external learning experiences (i.e., clinical, practicum, externship, cooperative, etc.) will be required to comply with the immunization requirements and policies of the clinical/external learning sites to engage in all clinical/external learning experiences. Vaccination requirements at clinical/external learning sites are implemented pursuant to the independent authority of such facilities and are not mandated by San Jacinto College. Failure to meet the immunization requirements mandated by clinical/external learning sites may limit a student’s ability to complete the program and/or may delay the student’s graduation date. San Jacinto College does not process exemptions, and students should address potential vaccination exemptions directly with the clinical/external learning site.
Certificate of Technology
The Pastry Chef program provides students an opportunity to specialize in baking and pastry. Courses in cake decorating, chocolates, confection sugars, and bakeshop production are just some of the exciting and challenging classes you will take on your road to becoming a pastry chef. As a Pastry Chef student, you will spend time learning from our award-winning chef instructors as you learn and operate in our state-of-the-art kitchen and bakery.
The North campus Culinary Arts program is American Culinary Federation (ACF) certified and is currently the only Pastry Chef program with this certification at the community college level in the greater Houston area. The ACF is widely recognized as the most prestigious accreditation in the nation for a culinary education program. Upon graduation, students will be Certified ACF Pastry Culinarians.
Plan of Study
4CULA-PC
| First Term | Credits | |
|---|---|---|
| CHEF 1205 | Sanitation and Safety | 2 |
| RSTO 1313 | Hospitality Supervision | 3 |
| PSTR 1306 | Cake Decorating I | 3 |
| PSTR 1301 | Fundamentals of Baking | 3 |
| PSTR 1342 | Quantity Bakeshop Production | 3 |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Second Term | ||
| PSTR 2301 | Chocolates and Confections | 3 |
| PSTR 2307 | Cake Decorating II | 3 |
| RSTO 2301 | Principles of Food and Beverage Control | 3 |
| PSTR 2431 | Advanced Pastry Shop | 4 |
| PSTR 2365 or HAMG 2305 | Practicum - Baking and Pastry (or Field Experience) or Hospitality Management and Leadership | 3 |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Third Term | ||
| IFWA 1318 | Nutrition for the Food Service Professional | 3 |
| PSTR 1343 | Bakery Operations and Management | 3 |
| PSTR 1340 | Plated Desserts | 3 |
| Credits | 9 | |
| Total Credits | 39 | |
Capstone Experience: PSTR 2365 Practicum - Baking and Pastry or HAMG 2305 Hospitality Management and Leadership