Ogeechee Technical College in Statesboro offers a single baking credential: the Baking and Pastry Specialist Certificate. The 26-credit technical certificate of credit generally takes two semesters, and the catalog allows students to enter in any semester.
The program is short but hands-on, with 692 contact hours in sanitation, cooking, and three levels of baking coursework. It sits within Ogeechee Tech’s Culinary Arts programs, which also include a Culinary Arts diploma and associate degree for students who later want broader training.
Quick Facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| School | Ogeechee Technical College |
| Location | Statesboro, Georgia; main campus at 1 Joe Kennedy Blvd. |
| Credential | Baking and Pastry Specialist Certificate (BA51) |
| Total credits | 26 credits; 692 contact hours |
| Typical length | Generally two semesters |
| Entry | Any semester |
| Program area | Culinary Arts |
Baking and Pastry Program Options
Ogeechee Tech lists the certificate with its other culinary credentials on the Culinary Arts program page. It is the only baking-specific option, so students who want more depth would continue into a general culinary credential rather than a longer pastry program.
Baking and Pastry Specialist Certificate
The Baking and Pastry Specialist Certificate is designed to build skills for work as bakery and pastry shop employees, commercial bakers, and pastry chefs. All 26 credits are occupational courses, including one math course.
Ogeechee Tech identifies the certificate as a Title IV (Pell) eligible program. That can matter for students comparing short baking certificates, since aid eligibility varies among colleges.
Continuing Into the Culinary Arts Diploma
The Culinary Arts Diploma requires 52 credits and generally takes four semesters. It includes a 225-hour culinary practicum in a supervised foodservice setting. The two programs share math, sanitation, cooking, and baking principles content, but the diploma is listed under different course numbers, so an advisor should confirm how certificate credits would transfer.
Curriculum and Baking Courses
The 2026–27 catalog lists six required courses for the certificate:
- Foundations of Mathematics (3 credits)
- Culinary Safety and Sanitation (3 credits)
- Principles of Cooking (6 credits)
- Baking Principles (5 credits)
- Baking Principles II (3 credits)
- Advanced Baking Principles (6 credits)
The catalog requires a grade of C or higher in Principles of Cooking. The college also notes that culinary students may become ServSafe certified after passing the sanitation course.
Tuition and Additional Costs
For 2026–27, Ogeechee Tech charges $107 per credit for Georgia residents and $214 per credit for out-of-state students. The college’s Fall 2026 mandatory fees total $420 per semester, made up of technology, student ID, special instructional, registration, campus security, facilities, activity, and accident fees. Using the published two-semester length:
| Program | Credits | Estimated in-state tuition and fees | Estimated out-of-state tuition and fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baking and Pastry Specialist Certificate (2 semesters) | 26 | $3,622 | $6,404 |
This estimate covers tuition and mandatory fees for two semesters. It does not include the $25 application fee, the $40 graduation fee, textbooks, transportation, or the program costs listed below. A third semester would add another $420 in fees.
The catalog estimates a uniform and knife kit package at about $270, a TB test at $40, and a Hepatitis B series at $265. The TB test and Hepatitis B series must be completed during the first semester. A $150 physical exam documenting the ability to lift 50 pounds, stand for long periods, and tolerate heat is encouraged but not required. Certificate students also pay a $10 yearly liability insurance fee, and the culinary course supply fee list shows $90 for Principles of Cooking, Baking Principles, and Advanced Baking. Current rates are on the tuition and fees page.
Admissions and Financial Aid
To be admitted, students must be at least 16 and submit an application and fee, an official high school or GED transcript, and any college transcripts. The program also sets minimum placement scores. On the Next Gen ACCUPLACER, those minimums are 218 in reading, 222 in writing, and 223 in arithmetic. SAT, ACT, and other listed tests are also accepted.
Because the certificate is Pell eligible, students should file the FAFSA early. Georgia residents can also ask about HOPE Grant eligibility. The college states that fees are not covered by HOPE, so the $420 semester fee and program supplies would still need another funding source.
Career Preparation and Transfer Considerations
The catalog lists bake shop assistant, pastry shop employee, and working pastry chef as target roles. Ogeechee Tech says its culinary instruction follows standards set by the Technical College System of Georgia and the American Culinary Federation. For certifications that the program does not offer, the college refers students to the ACF.
Graduates who want broader kitchen training or supervised work experience can look at the Culinary Arts diploma and its practicum. The college also lists a Culinary Arts associate degree. Students should map out the full sequence with an advisor before finishing the certificate.
Who May Find This Certificate a Good Fit?
| Student goal | How the program may fit |
|---|---|
| Start baking training soon | The catalog allows entry in any semester |
| Finish in about a school year | The 26-credit plan generally takes two semesters |
| Use federal grant aid for a short program | The college identifies the certificate as Pell eligible |
| Build toward a longer culinary credential | Much of the content overlaps with the Culinary Arts diploma, subject to advising |
Questions to Ask Before Applying
- Which courses are offered in each semester if I start in spring or summer?
- Which course supply fees apply to the current CHEF course numbers?
- When exactly are the TB test and Hepatitis B records due?
- Are the baking labs held on the Statesboro main campus, and are any evening sections offered?
- How many certificate credits would count toward the Culinary Arts diploma?
Program details and costs can change. Confirm current requirements with Ogeechee Technical College before applying.