Sheffield College
UCAS Code: D6M7 | Foundation Degree in Science - FdSc
Entry requirements
UCAS Tariff
Plus GCSE English at grade C or an equivalent.
You may also need to…
Attend an interview
About this course
ABOUT THIS COURSE
Do you have a dream of working as a pastry chef, baker, or owning your own artisan business? Studying our Bakery and Patisserie technology course will set you on the journey to realising your future! Our course offers a blend of creativity, science, technical skills, new product development and entrepreneurship, allowing individuals to begin to master the art of baking, pastry-making, and confectionery.
KEY UNITS
Our Foundation Degree offers a comprehensive pathway for individuals aspiring to thrive in bakery, specialising in artisan bread, venturing into the world of chocolate or pastry crafting and innovation. By studying with us at UC Sheffield, students will cultivate an array of high-level technical and operational competencies essential for success in their chosen field.
Tailored to meet the demands of the bakery and confectionery industry, the curriculum emphasises the refinement of advanced craft skills necessary for professional engagement. Students will delve into the intricacies of food design, honing their abilities to conceptualise and create innovative culinary delights. Moreover, they will gain expertise in crucial areas such as production management systems, ensuring efficiency and quality throughout the manufacturing process, as well as mastering principles of quality assurance and food hygiene to uphold industry standards.
Beyond technical proficiency, the program fosters the development of transferable skills vital for entrepreneurial and employment endeavours. Participants will gain insights into business operations and enterprise, equipping them with the acumen to navigate the complexities of the market landscape effectively. Moreover, emphasis is placed on nurturing softer skills such as communication, decision-making, and critical analysis, which are indispensable in professional settings and contribute to overall career readiness.
Through a blend of theoretical insights and practical applications, students will emerge prepared to embark on fulfilling careers in their chosen domains within the food industry. Whether pursuing entrepreneurship or seeking roles in established enterprises, graduates of this program will possess the requisite knowledge and skills to excel and make significant contributions to the field.
Level 4
Fundamentals of Professional PatisserieFood Hygiene and SpoilageIntroduction to Bread Production TechnologyConfectionery, Entremets and Chocolate SpecialismScience of BakeryMarketing, Research and Profit Management
Level 5
Advanced PatisserieQuality SystemsNew Business Start-upProduct Design and DevelopmentAdvanced Sugar and Chocolate SpecialismArtisan Bread Production
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
56 UCAS points
GCSE English Language (minimum of grade C/4)
Level 3 Diplomas without UCAS points will also be considered.
Mature students without the formal entry requirements will be considered on an individual basis.
ASSESSMENT
An estimated breakdown of the assessment for this course is as follows:
Coursework - 70%
Practical assessment - 23%
Written examinations - 7%
Please note that the information provided above is indicative only and actual timetables and assessment regimes will be issued to students at induction.
Guided Learning Hours
As a guide, 20 credits typically represents around 50 hours of tutor contact time (e.g. lectures/workshops/feedback) and 150 hours of self-study time (usually over the course of a semester). These numbers may increase or decrease depending on the nature, length and level of the module, especially towards the end of the course.
Placements
A short industrial placement is built into the first year of full time Bakery and Patisserie Technology programme. All students will be encouraged to undertake a 3 week placement (120 hours) at the end of Level 4 (Year 1) during the summer months. These placements will be arranged by the programme's Industrial Placement tutor and are unpaid.
Modules
Year One (Level 4)
Core Modules
Introduction to Patisserie (20 credits)
You will develop skills required to produce a range of patisserie products. The specialist areas include pastry, fillings, sponges, mousses, glazes and desserts. This module also provides the opportunity to explore history and origin of patisserie products and how they have become classic desserts.
Bakery and Confectionery Science (20 credits)
This module will provide students with an Introduction to bakery science in terms of both cereal science and finished products. Principles of the core food molecules (proteins, fats, and carbohydrates) and specific processes such as fermentation and raising agents will be described using bread, cakes, biscuits and pastry as examples.
Artisan Bread - Production and Appraisal (20 credits)
This module will help the student to develop the hands on skills and technical knowledge to produce and appraise a range of bread making methods which can be categorized as "Artisanal". Methods and styles of bread making studied will include: sponge and dough, sour dough starters, levains, poolish and bigas.
Specialist Confectionery (20 credits)
You will be encouraged to develop your specialist confectionery skills whilst gaining a deeper understanding of how ingredients work together in order to form specific products. A main focus of this module will be the examination of specialist ingredients such as flour, sugar confectionery and chocolate.
Food Safety and Hygiene (20 credits)
This module provides students with an introduction to the main food hygiene theories and practices. Focus on current food hygiene legislation requires food businesses to develop and implement a food safety management system based around HACCP, students will learn how to devise and implement such a system.
Optional Modules
Managing for Profit (20 credits)
Diet and Nutrition (20 credits)
Year Two (Level 5)
Core Modules
Advanced Confectionery and Chocolate (20 credits)
This module will broaden skills and knowledge using industry methods and processes in confectionery and chocolate. Students will be expected to a range of patisserie products for the luxury market to align both practical and academic attributes to enhance employability.
Contemporary Bread Production (20 credits)
The contemporary bread production modules allows students to both produce the products, and study the technical aspects of typical bread and morning goods found on UK retailors' shelves. Where possible, automated food manufacture process is replicated by the students in practical settings.
Quality Assurance (20 credits)
There will be a series of practical sessions designed to demonstrate the implementation of key quality systems. The assessment uses case study scenarios in a food manufacturing context to develop student's insight in relation to hazard controls, traceability and specification design. Quality Assurance in food manufacturing offers sought after wide and varied careers.
Food Production Management (20 credits)
Ethical and financial pressures are driving the food industry to adopt cost-focused and environmentally responsible processes. You will learn about the key aspects of management and control in food production as well as the responsibilities and challenges facing food production managers. You will also explore customer buying behaviour and the type of market the food production unit will serve.
Contemporary Patisserie (20 credits)
This module is designed to provide the students with an introduction to all the essential elements of professional pastry production, including working with tempered chocolate and boiled sugar. Students will be challenged to produce a contemporary plated dessert utilising standardised recipes and considering current market developments.
Optional Modules
Enterprise Start-up Studies (20 credits)
Product Design and Process Development (20 credits)
Assessment methods
Assessment is designed to provide you an opportunity to demonstrate your strengths in a number of ways and so a variety of assessment methods are used. There is a strong focus on the vocational nature of this course including practical innovative project work and assessment.
An estimated breakdown of the assessment for this course is as follows:
Coursework - 70%
Practical assessment - 23%
Written examinations - 7%
Please note that the information provided above is indicative only and actual timetables and assessment regimes will be issued to students at induction.
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
What students say
Sorry, no information to show
This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.
After graduation
Sorry, no information to show
This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.
Explore these similar courses...
Higher entry requirementsLower entry requirementsNearby UniversitySame UniversityThis is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
Course location and department:
This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):
We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).
This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.
You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
Post-six month graduation stats:
This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.
It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
Graduate field commentary:
The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
