This intensive program is delivered in an instructor-monitored, 5-module classroom format and consists of study guides, required texts, supplemental readings, field trips, videos, quizzes, home work assignments, and a final exam. The course emphasizes theory to explain how cooking works, teaches techniques to enable mastery of skills that underlie all desserts, palate development to learn about the interplay of flavors, speed, and teamwork in order to secure employment as a culinary professional. Instruction begins with two courses in baking fundamentals that focus on four essential ingredient groups (flour, dairy, fruit, and chocolate) and how they function and combine. Students are introduced to the cornet and pastry bag to begin developing decorating skills. Additional topics include instruction on doughs with focus on theory and techniques of working with yeast to produce brioche, croissant, baguettes, sourdough, and pizza before advancing to brisee, sucree, sable, puff pastry, and strudel, cake baking with simple pound cakes, high ratio and egg foam varieties including muffins and low-fat cakes. Instruction concludes with recipes from award-winning chefs in complex, multi-element plated dessert, complex layered cakes, tortes, specialty cakes, bars and cookies, chocolate confections including instruction in tempering, dipping, enrobing, hollow molding, isomalt casting, and chocolate showpieces. Additional topics include: cake decorating (buttercream flowers and borders, royal icing, fondant, gumpaste flowers, tiered cake icing, assembly, and decoration).The program concludes with a 210-hour externship.