Pastry chef training programs typically require hands on application and an actual on-campus work within the school's kitchen labs in addition to successful completion of an internship and/or externship program at an approved bakery, specialty cake shop, restaurant, or other specialized pastry production entities. Because the nature of pastry chef job demands working with baking ingredients and the actual production of pastries, desserts, and baked products, online pastry chef programs of this kind aren't usually offered completely online. Instead, some are offered in hybrid format, combining both on campus and online courses. Common pastry chef courses that can be completed online through distance learning include nutrition, food management, menu development and planning, and some business management related courses.
Pastry chef programs that lead to a degree are also available, yet are not widely spread like the on- campus associate degree or bachelor degree programs in pastry arts. These online programs are often offered in the form of degree continuing studies, and designed for pastry chefs who already completed on-campus associate degree in pastry arts, and fulfilled the required hands on baking and pastry practice, and want to take their education to the bachelor level for career advancement purposes. The online bachelor degree programs focuses on the business aspects of the trade and prepare its recipients for leading career positions within the industry. Graduates may work as bakery managers, caterers, executive pastry chefs, educators, or establish their own businesses. Examples of online degree programs include culinary management, and hospitality/restaurant management, and others.
Online Pastry Chef Courses:
- Nutrition: among other topics, the nutrition course discusses the value of nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, fat, carbohydrates, and protein along side with the damaging affects of nutrients' insufficiency to human body. The course may also introduce students to healthy recipes of some baked goods and desserts such as gluten free recipes, and those made with low fat ingredient or sweeteners' substitutes.
- Menu Planning and Development: an important pastry chef course for it teaches prospective chefs how to carefully plan for and develop a visually appealing menu that include a collection of desserts and pastry goods while taking into account the well-liked, cost efficient, and most suitable for customers. Planning for, developing and designing a well presented and sellable menu of pastries, desserts and baked goods are important part of this course assignments.
- Food Purchasing: examines the ordering process of large volume of baking ingredients in addition to kitchen tools, bakery equipment and food packaging materials. The online course also introduces students to subjects like suppliers chain management, pricing, cost efficiency, payment systems, and inventory control. Since purchased food need to be stored, the food purchasing course also explore the proper ways of maintaining well stocked pantries, and preserving stored food items from ruin.
Culinary Schools, Colleges, Training Centers, and Universities Offering Online Pastry Chef Training Programs:
Below is a short list of some culinary schools, colleges, training centers, and universities offering online pastry chef training programs and/or coursework:
- French Culinary Institute (International Culinary Center): Location: .New York, NY and Campbell, CA.
- Online Programs Offered: Restaurant Management: 90 hour course designed for professionals wanting to establish their own bakeries, restaurants or any other culinary establishment. A combination of in class and online discussion plus course materials are offered.
- Escoffier Online Culinary Academy: Location: Hoffman Estate, IL.
- Online Programs Offered: Pastry Arts: 1 year certificate program.
- Virginia College Online: Location: Birmingham, AL and Tampa, FL.
- Online Programs Offered: Culinary and Pastry Arts: Associate degree program. Successful completion of diploma program that offer hands on kitchen application is required to qualify for entry into the program.
- University of Richmond: Location: Richmond, VA.
- Online Programs Offered: Baking and Pastry Arts: 49 hour certificate program.
- Ecole Chocolat: Location: San Francisco, CA, USA. Vancouver/ Canada.
- Online Programs Offered:
- Professional Chocolatier: 3 months certificate program.
- Chocolate Making From Bean: 2 months certificate program.
- Quality Assurance For Chocolatiers: 6 weeks certificate program.
- Business Plan For Chocolatiers: 1 month certificate program.
- Pastry Training Center Of Vancouver (Vancouver Pastry School): Location: Vancouver/ Canada.
- Online Programs Offered:
- Online Pastry School: 1 week Mastery coursework including six pastry training courses, more than 59 lessons and more than ten hours of video content and recipes.
- Other independent online pastry courses like world of cookies, artisan bread baking, cake decorating, baking with chocolate are also offered. A certificate of completion is provided at the end of each program.
Below is a selection of few culinary schools, universities and career schools that offer online related culinary programs.
- Le Cordon Bleu: Location: Scottsdale, AZ.
- Programs Offered:
- Online bachelor degree in Culinary Management.
- Online associate degree in Culinary Operation.
- Online associate degree in Hospitality & Restaurant Management.
- Penn Foster Career School: Location: Scranton, PA.
- Programs Offered:
- Online career diploma in Hotel & Restaurant Management.
- Online career diploma in Catering.
- Stratford University: Location: Fairfax, VA.
- Programs Offered:
- Online associate degree in Hotel & Restaurant Management.
- Online master degree in International Hospitality Management.
- Online bachelor degree in Hospitality Management with minor concentration in:
- Baking and Pastry Arts. OR
- Hotel and Restaurant Management.
