Pastry Colleges in Pennsylvania

The Art Institute of Philadelphia

• The Art Institute of Philadelphia offers practical training designed to prepare students for employment. The Culinary Arts program combines traditional culinary skills with more modern techniques. Students interested in a career as a pastry chef can choose from two paths: a two-year associate of science degree in culinary arts with a baking and pastry specialized diploma or a four-year bachelor of arts degree in culinary arts management. The associate's program pairs students with working professionals, who teach them how to bake artisanal breads and make pastries. Both degree tracks require that students gain experience by working in Petite Passion, the Art Institute’s in-house restaurant. The school’s training takes place two blocks from Philadelphia’s Restaurant Row.

  The International Culinary School at the Art Institute of Philadelphia
  1622 Chestnut St.
  Philadelphia, PA 19103
  215-567-7080?
  artinstitutes.edu/culinary-arts.aspx

Pennsylvania Culinary Institute

• Founded in 1986, Pennsylvania Culinary Institute in Pittsburgh incorporated the local branch of the internationally renowned culinary school Le Cordon Bleu in 2002. The programming provides hands-on training taught by award-winning chefs. Students can earn an associate's degree in Specialized Business in Le Cordon Bleu Patisserie and Baking. Course work consists of 16 months of classroom lectures and in-house baking, followed by a three-month externship at a local kitchen.

  Pennsylvania Culinary Institute
  717 Liberty Ave.
  Pittsburgh, PA 15222
  866-337-8589
  chefs.edu

The Restaurant School

• Future pastry chefs can train in the School of Culinary and Pastry Arts at West Philadelphia's prestigious Restaurant School. Students can study for 18 months to earn an associate's degree in pastry arts. Training consists of hands-on patisseries and confectionery instruction, combined with classroom training provided by top local chefs. The school's four restaurants have become local favorites, and students will not only fashion desserts in two of the four kitchens, but also bake pastries and breads for sale in the in-house bake shop. Students also take an eight-day gastronomic tour of France to experience that nation's variety of culinary traditions.

  School of Culinary and Pastry Arts at the Restaurant School
  4207 Walnut St.
  Philadelphia, PA 19104-3518
  215-222-4200
  walnuthillcollege.edu