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Program Overview
In the Baking & Decorative Arts technical diploma program at Madison College, you'll gain wide-ranging, hands-on experiences in baking and pastry arts. You will receive practical and theoretical training on producing bakery products from scratch (like pastries, tortes and hearth breads) cake decorating, sugar and chocolate work, and plated dessert presentations. You will also learn real-world merchandising and sales training by working in the bakery on campus.
The Baking & Decorative Arts program at Madison College is approved by the Retail Bakers of America (RBA) and the American Culinary Federation (ACF). Upon completion of the program combined with 1,000 hours of work experience in the baking industry, students can take the RBA’s Certified Journey Baker written exam. This is the beginning level of certification leading up to a Master Baker qualification. The purpose of RBA certification is to raise the professional standards and verify the work, skill and knowledge professional bakers bring to the marketplace and improve job opportunities and income for certified bakers and decorators.
Program Details
Students in the Baking & Decorative Arts program attend full-time.
Classes are offered Monday through Friday, 7:30 am - 1:30 pm.
Baking & Decorative Arts classes may be offered at the Madison College Truax campus.
Baking and Decorative Arts Careers
Earning your technical diploma in the Baking & Decorative Arts program at Madison College prepares you for valuable work as a bakery worker/assistant pastry chef in a variety of commercial environments such as:
- Retail bakeries
- Supermarket bakeries
- Restaurants or hotels
- Hospitals or nursing homes
- Catering operations
- Specialty shops
With additional education and/or work experience, graduates may find employment as:
- Bakery Manager
- Commercial Cake Decorator
- Bakery Owner
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Curriculum and Experience
Prospective program students, the information below reflects the basic requirements for students admitted for the 2025-2026 academic year. To learn more about Madison College, visit us.
Current and newly admitted program students, go directly to your Degree Progress Report to view:
- Progress toward your specific requirements
- Alternative (in lieu of) courses to meet specific requirements
If you have questions after reviewing your degree progress report (advisement report), please see Advising Services.
Prior to Start of ProgramFirst SemesterSecond Semester -
Admission
Earning a degree is a great way to advance your career development opportunities, so apply today!
If you are an international student and want to apply to Madison College, or transfer your F-1 student visa here, check program availability and then complete the International Admission Process.
Apply Now – Secure Your Spot on the Waiting List!
This program operates on a waiting list. To be eligible to enroll in program classes, students must first complete academic preparedness requirements and go through the declaration process.
Before submitting an application, be sure to:
- Review the Waiting List section
- Review the admission requirements for deadlines, materials, and requirements
- Estimated Wait Time: To be determined
- Program Capacity: 18 spots every Fall semester
Need help? Learn more about the Madison College experience and get support with your application.
Start your application today and take the next step toward your career goals!
Application Dates
Fall 2026
- Application available on September 15, 2025
- Application deadline is August 15, 2026
Admission Requirements
All materials must be submitted by the application deadline.
1. Admission Application
The online application allows you to save your work as you complete it and ensures fast, secure delivery to our office.
2. Education Completion
Submit official transcripts from the institutions you attended that indicate one of the following:
- High school completion (current high school seniors may submit an in-progress transcript)
- GED/HSED completion
- College transcript or Madison College experience showing:
- Completion of an associate degree or higher, or
- At least 30 credits completed with a minimum GPA of 2.0 on a 4-point scale
- The credits must be completed at a single college and cannot be combined with other transcripts
- Any transfer credit listed on a transcript does not count toward the 30-credit minimum
- Credits completed at Madison College are evaluated and do not require a transcript
All high school and/or college transcripts are recommended to be submitted for Credit for Prior Learning evaluation.
3. Residency Requirement
Due to program demand and TCS 10 guidelines, this program is limited to district and non-district state residents.
Additional Notes
Students are required to meet the current admission requirements, academic preparedness requirements, and complete the declaration process. Requirements are subject to change based on updates to accreditation requirements or Madison College program assessment data.
Questions?
Contact Enrollment Services at EnrollmentServices@madisoncollege.edu or 608.246.6210.
Get Started!
Apply to Madison College and take the first step towards your Baking & Decorative Arts career.
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Waiting List
This program uses a waiting list to manage program admission due to capacity limitations and program demand. This means there are typically more applicants than there are open seats in the program. A waiting list helps us manage applications in a way that is fair and transparent.
This program has academic preparedness requirements that must be completed before beginning core classes. When you’ve completed all academic preparedness requirements, you will complete the declaration process.
Pre-core students can run their Degree Progress Report to confirm which pre-program requirements are satisfied/not satisfied and view specific ways to satisfy requirements.
Course Requirement:
- Complete and pass Principles of Sanitation, an orientation course covering food service sanitation principles and the role of food service personnel in the prevention of contamination and food-borne illness. Space is limited and available on a first come, first served basis. Students who already have ServSafe Food Protection Manager certification may be eligible to earn credit for prior learning.
Questions?
Contact Enrollment Services at EnrollmentServices@madisoncollege.edu or 608.246.6210.
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Career Outcomes
Madison College Baking & Decorative Arts graduates are prepared to:
- Read and follow written and oral directions in preparing bakery products.
- Produce a variety of saleable scratch bakery items in a timely manner.
- Work effectively with others to achieve production goals.
- Calculate formulas to production size.
- Practice proper state and federal safety and sanitation procedures.
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Graduate Summary
Graduate Report Summary Overview
2022 2023 2024 Number of Program Graduates 13 12 14 Number of Surveys Sent 13 12 14 Number of Surveys Returned 9 10 8 Percent of Surveys Returned Available for Employment 8 9 7 Percent Available for Employment 88.9% 90.0% 87.5% Not in Labor Market Percent Not in Labor Market 11.1% 10.0% 12.5% Available for Employment
2022 2023 2024 Graduates Employed 8 8 7 Percent of Graduates Employed 100.0% 88.9% 100.0% Employed in Related Occupation 8 7 4 Percent Employed in Related Occupation 100.0% 87.5% 57.1% Employed in Unrelated Occupation 0 1 2 Percent Employed in Unrelated Occupation 0.0% 12.5% 28.6% Employed - No Response 0 0 1 Percent Employed - No Response 0.0% 0.0% 14.3% Seeking Employment 0 1 0 Percent Seeking Employment 0.0% 11.1% 0.0% Reaction To Training at Madison College
2022 2023 2024 Student satisfaction Mean (Out of 4) 3.6 3.6 3 Number of Satisfaction Responses 9 10 8 Very Satisfied (4) 5 6 2 Percent Very Satisfied 55.6% 60.0% 25.0% Satisfied (3) 4 4 5 Percent Satisfied 44.4% 40.0% 62.5% Unsatisfied (2) 0 0 0 Percent Unsatisfied 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% Very Unsatisfied (1) Percent Very Unsatisfied 0.0% 0.0% 12.5% Primary Reason for Attending Madison College
2022 2023 2024 Number of Primary Reason Responses 9 10 8 Preparation for Getting a Job Percent Preparation for Getting a Job Career Change Percent Career Change Improvement of Existing Skills Percent Improvement of Existing Skills Preparation for Further Education Percent Preparation for Further Education Personal Interest Percent Personal Interest Other Percent Other 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% When Employment was Obtained
2022 2023 2024 Number of When Employment Obtained Responses 8 8 6 Before Enrollment 2 2 0 Percent Before Enrollment 25.0% 25.0% 0.0% While Attending the College 3 0 2 Percent While Attending the College 37.5% 0.0% 33.3% After Training at the College 3 6 4 Percent After Training at the College 37.5% 75.0% 66.7% Location of Employment (related and unrelated)
2022 2023 2024 Number of Employment Location Responses 8 8 7 In College District 8 7 5 Percent In College District 100.0% 87.5% 71.4% In Wisconsin, Not in District 0 1 1 Percent of In Wisconsin 0.0% 12.5% 14.3% Outside of Wisconsin 0 0 0 Percent Outside Wisconsin 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% Employer Location Unknown 0 0 1 Percent Location Unknown 0.0% 0.0% 14.3% Salary Trend 2022 2023 2024 Full Time Employment (Related Job) Full Time Salary Count 4 5 1 Average Monthly Wage $3,216 $3,062 $796 Average Hourly Wage $18.70 $17.80 $4.63 Average Work Hours per Week 42.0 40.4 37.5 Part Time Employment (Related Job) Part Time Salary Count 4 2 2 Average Hourly Wage $16.25 $15.50 $18.88 Average Work Hours per Week 14.3 20.0 21.0 -
Graduate Employers
Graduate Employers for academic year: 2024 Employer(s) Job Title City* State** Positions Monona Catering Baker Olive Garden Service Professional The Baked Lab Pastry Cook * - Only cities outside of Madison will display.
** - Only states outside of Wisconsin will display.
*** - If you have a position to post, please contact Career and Employment Services at jobpostings@madisoncollege.edu
