California Campus > Baking & Pastry Certificate Program > Eligibility & Admissions

ELIGIBILITY & ADMISSIONS

The CIA will make a balanced judgment of your commitment to learning and your career goals based on your application file. We highly recommend, but do not require, entering students to have had some experience working in a professional baking and/or pastry operation. You will be notified of an admissions decision within a few weeks of the date you complete your file. The CIA reserves the right to verify any information you provide for review.

Application

The requirements for a completed application file when applying to the Baking and Pastry Arts Certificate Program are as follows:

• Application for admission including $50 application fee
• An official secondary school transcript (not a copy) should be sent directly to The Culinary Institute of America's Hyde Park, NY campus from your high school. Your transcript must note date of graduation. If you've earned an equivalency diploma, the test scores must be submitted along with your official high school transcript.
• Letter of support/recommendation from a former employer: letters must be addressed to The Culinary Institute of America and sent to CIA's Hyde Park, NY campus, be written on business letterhead, and verify the duration and quality of your previous work experience.
• Entrance Test - Aspiring students for the Baking and Pastry Arts Certificate Program must satisfactorily pass a basic culinary math test to determine their ability to benefit from this program before entering into an enrollment agreement.

Note: The application and all supporting documentation need to be sent to:

The Culinary Institute of America
1946 Campus Drive
Hyde Park, NY 12538-1499

Attn: Admissions

Special Information for International Students

As part of the international student application process, you will be required to obtain an M-1 visa. This visa, which is for vocational studies, precludes a student from working throughout the duration of their schooling. In addition, international students are required to be proficient in English and present additional financial information showing sufficient funds to cover the projected cost of the program, which is estimated to be $28,000 including living expenses.