MA in Pastry and Dessert Arts
Course Overview
The MA in Pastry and Dessert Arts is a UK Level 7 postgraduate degree running one year full-time or two years part-time on-campus, online or by distance learning. It is aligned with Craft Guild of Chefs, UK Bakers Federation and Royal Academy of Culinary Arts themes, and written for senior pastry practitioners targeting executive pastry roles and dessert R&D leadership.
By graduation, students hold a research-informed pastry portfolio, a supervised dissertation or capstone consulting project, and evidence of leading dessert and viennoiserie strategy at senior level.
Key Features
- Level 7 curriculum benchmarked against Craft Guild of Chefs and UK Bakers Federation senior themes.
- Research-informed modules across pastry technique, dessert R&D and pastry business.
- Supervised dissertation, capstone or sponsor consulting project.
- Named research supervisor drawn from senior pastry practice.
- Access to World Association of Chefs Societies pastry pathways.
- Distance and online routes designed for working senior pastry chefs.
- Applied briefs from London luxury hotel pastry teams and artisan patisseries.
What You Will Learn
- Design and run research-informed pastry studies to postgraduate standards.
- Translate food science research into service-ready desserts and viennoiserie.
- Lead a pastry brigade through R&D, launch and refinement cycles.
- Read and act on a full pastry P&L across margin, waste and payroll.
- Build multi-outlet pastry standards and audit them across locations.
- Coach senior demi and chef de partie pastry through growth.
- Prepare sponsor consulting reports for hotel and patisserie clients.
- Publish or present research to industry professional-body audiences.
Who This Course Is For
- Senior pastry chefs targeting executive pastry chef appointments.
- Pastry consultants moving into R&D and product roles.
- Independent patissier-founders scaling their businesses.
- Educators and consultants entering senior pastry leadership.
- International senior pastry practitioners seeking a UK Level 7 credential.
Career Pathways
- Executive Pastry Chef
- Chef Patissier (Senior Track)
- Culinary Development Chef (Pastry)
- R&D Chef (Pastry / Dessert)
- Menu Development Consultant (Pastry)
- Culinary Entrepreneur (Pastry / Patisserie)
- Culinary Educator (Pastry)
The LSCAHM careers service connects postgraduates with Michelin-starred pastry teams, luxury hotel groups and artisan patisseries across London, and runs at least one industry-careers day each year focused on senior pastry progression.
Entry Requirements
- A UK Bachelor's degree (2:2 or above) or equivalent international qualification in a relevant pastry, culinary or hospitality discipline.
- IELTS 6.5 overall (no band below 6.0) for non-native English speakers.
- Applicants without a Bachelor's degree but with 5+ years of senior professional pastry experience are considered on portfolio.
- One academic and one professional reference.
- A 500-word research proposal or professional practice statement.
Why Study at LSCAHM
The London School of Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management is a specialist division of Harold International College of London teaching in small, tutor-visible cohorts. Postgraduate pastry practice is read alongside culinary, food business and hospitality strategy curricula, so senior pastry chefs learn to defend menus in commercial and cultural terms.
Central London places Michelin-starred kitchens, the Craft Guild of Chefs and Royal Academy of Culinary Arts within a short tube ride of every classroom, giving postgraduate pastry research a strong regional anchor across all three study modes.
Apply for MA in Pastry and Dessert Arts
Enrol on an LSCAHM Master's programme in Pastry and Dessert Arts. Your dissertation, capstone or sponsor project is supervised by practising senior pastry chefs and industry executives. Enrol Now
