Southwestern Oregon Community College delivers its professional baking programs through the Oregon Coast Culinary Institute in Coos Bay. Students can choose a 72-credit certificate, a 90-credit Baking and Pastry Arts Associate of Applied Science, or a 106-credit Baking and Pastry Arts Management AAS. Each path combines technical pastry training with professional kitchen experience and a two-term directed practice placement.
Southwestern Oregon Community College Baking and Pastry Programs
| School | Southwestern Oregon Community College, Oregon Coast Culinary Institute |
|---|---|
| Location | Coos Bay, Oregon |
| Credentials | Certificate of Completion; Baking and Pastry Arts AAS; Baking and Pastry Arts Management AAS |
| Credits | Certificate: 72; Baking and Pastry AAS: 90; Management AAS: 106 |
| Program length | About 18 months, including two terms of directed practice |
| Format | Campus coursework followed by a local or distant externship |
| Tuition | Based on current SWOCC tuition and fees; total varies by residency, credential, culinary fees, housing, and externship location |
| Accreditation | American Culinary Federation accredited |
Oregon Coast Culinary Institute, commonly called OCCI, uses professional kitchens and certified chef instructors to teach classical and contemporary pastry production. Students begin with an intensive year of coursework, move through restaurant-service training during the summer, and complete directed practice during the following fall and winter terms.
Baking and Pastry Credentials
72-Credit Certificate of Completion
The certificate contains the main baking, pastry, food-safety, nutrition, retail, and service courses without the broader general education requirements of the associate degree. Students complete Baking and Pastry Foundations I, II, and III, Culinary Arts for Baking and Pastry, Retail Baking, Advanced Confectionary, Wedding Cakes, and two six-credit directed practice terms.
Certificate graduates also complete restaurant management, menu planning, beverage service, and a 10-credit restaurant service course. The program prepares students for entry-level roles such as baker or pastry cook and includes preparation for ServSafe certification.
90-Credit Baking and Pastry Arts AAS
The Baking and Pastry Arts AAS adds applied mathematics, writing, communication, spreadsheet analysis, career planning, and personal health to the technical certificate curriculum. The program builds skills in breads, laminated doughs, cakes, fillings, icings, custards, creams, fried products, pies, tarts, pâte à choux, puff pastry, chocolate, sugar work, and decorative showpieces.
The AAS also covers purchasing, receiving, food cost, profit, staffing, supervision, nutrition, and equipment use. Graduates of the accredited associate program receive the Certified Culinarian title through the American Culinary Federation, according to the current college catalog.
106-Credit Baking and Pastry Arts Management AAS
The management AAS uses the same pastry core but adds 16 credits beyond the standard Baking and Pastry Arts AAS. Its final terms include financial accounting, microeconomics, macroeconomics, statistics, and two college composition courses alongside the directed practice experience.
This option fits students who want technical pastry training plus a stronger base in business analysis and hospitality management. The curriculum addresses organizational data, business strategy, problem-solving, and operational decisions that can support future supervisory or bakery-management work.
Curriculum and Hands-On Training
- Baking and Pastry Foundations I, II, and III
- Culinary Arts for Baking and Pastry
- Retail Baking and Advanced Confectionary
- Wedding Cakes
- Menu Planning and Inventory Control
- Sanitation and Safety for Managers
- Restaurant Management and Supervision
- Restaurant Service and Craft of Beverage Service
- Two six-credit Directed Practice: Baking and Pastry terms
The first three terms concentrate most of the technical baking curriculum. Summer coursework introduces restaurant and beverage service, while the final two terms place students in directed practice. Students may complete that experience locally or at a distant approved site, giving them a chance to work in a professional bakery, restaurant, hotel, or resort setting.
Admission and Graduation Requirements
Prospective students apply to Southwestern Oregon Community College and should contact Admissions or OCCI for program-specific planning. Math and writing placement depend on each student’s intake assessment. Some students may need additional preparation before taking required college-level courses.
- Students must earn a grade of C or better in all program courses.
- A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 is required.
- Certificate students must complete at least 12 credits at Southwestern.
- AAS students must complete at least 24 credits at Southwestern.
- Students submit a graduation application one term before completion.
Review the official certificate curriculum, Baking and Pastry Arts AAS, and Baking and Pastry Arts Management AAS before registering.
Tuition and Additional Costs
Program cost depends on the student’s residency classification and chosen credential. The certificate requires 72 credits, the standard AAS requires 90 credits, and the management AAS requires 106 credits. Students should multiply the current applicable per-credit rate by the program total and then add mandatory college and culinary course fees.
Additional expenses may include books, uniforms, knives and pastry tools, ingredients, ServSafe testing, transportation, housing, and travel connected with a distant externship. Because tuition and program charges change, students should request a term-by-term estimate from Southwestern before committing to a credential or externship location.
Campus and Externship Experience
OCCI operates on Southwestern’s Coos Bay campus and offers access to college services, financial aid, scholarships, and student housing. The school describes its baking program as an intensive, hands-on sequence taught in professional kitchens by instructors with industry experience.
The two-term directed practice is one of the program’s defining features. It follows the main campus coursework and gives students sustained workplace experience rather than a short observational internship. Students should discuss placement requirements, travel, housing, and available sites with OCCI before the externship period.
Career Preparation
Graduates can pursue positions in retail bakeries, artisan bread shops, restaurant pastry kitchens, hotels, resorts, catering operations, grocery bakery departments, and institutional food service. Possible entry-level roles include baker, pastry cook, cake decorator, confectionery assistant, production baker, and bakery team member.
The certificate provides the shortest path through the core technical curriculum. The 90-credit AAS adds general education and the Certified Culinarian benefit tied to the accredited associate program. The 106-credit management AAS adds accounting, economics, statistics, and writing for students interested in operations or future leadership.
Is OCCI a Good Fit?
Southwestern may fit students who want an immersive program with broad pastry training and a substantial externship. Its strongest features include three credential choices, American Culinary Federation accreditation, advanced confectionery and wedding-cake coursework, student housing, and the option to complete directed practice away from Coos Bay.
Visit the official Oregon Coast Culinary Institute page for current admissions contacts, tour information, tuition links, and application steps.