Odessa College offers two short baking credentials in its School of Business and Industry: the 18-credit Baking Level I Certificate and the 15-credit Baking Level II Certificate. Both appear in the 2026–27 catalog next to the college’s Culinary Arts AAS, and both are laid out as two eight-week terms, the scheduling model Odessa uses for most courses.
The two certificates cover different material. Level I is built around breads, pies, tarts, plated desserts, and advanced pastry, while Level II concentrates on cakes: production, two levels of decorating, wedding cakes, and a bakery management course. Students can take either one or both.
Quick Facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| School | Odessa College |
| Location | Odessa, Texas |
| Credentials | Baking Level I Certificate (6228F); Baking Level II Certificate (6228G) |
| Credits | 18 or 15 |
| Catalog plan | Two eight-week terms for each certificate |
| Related degree | Culinary Arts AAS (60 credits) |
| Division | School of Business and Industry with STEM |
Baking and Pastry Program Options
Odessa lists the baking certificates on its Culinary Arts program page along with two cooking certificates and the AAS. The catalog degree planners show course order but do not state whether Level I must be completed before Level II.
Baking Level I Certificate
The Baking Level I Certificate requires 18 credits. The first term pairs Sanitation and Safety with Fundamentals of Baking. The second term carries a heavier 12-credit load: Plated Desserts, Breads and Rolls, Pies, Tarts, Teacakes and Cookies, and Advanced Pastry Shop, which requires Fundamentals of Baking.
Baking Level II Certificate
The Baking Level II Certificate totals 15 credits. Cake Baking and Production and Cake Decorating I come first, followed by Cake Decorating II, Wedding Cakes, and Bakery Operations and Management. No course in Level II repeats one from Level I.
Curriculum and Baking Courses
Across both certificates, the 2026–27 catalog describes these courses:
- Fundamentals of Baking: doughs, quick breads, pies, cakes, cookies, tarts, and formula conversion
- Breads and Rolls: chemically and yeast-raised products for commercial production
- Pies, Tarts, Teacakes and Cookies: American and European fillings, doughs, and finishing
- Plated Desserts: à la minute desserts and pastry station organization for restaurant service
- Advanced Pastry Shop: classical and international pastries, ice creams, and chocolate work
- Cake Baking and Production, Cake Decorating I and II, and Wedding Cakes
- Bakery Operations and Management: cost control, pricing, marketing, and personnel in retail bakeries
Students who want both cake and bread skills would need both certificates. The Culinary Arts AAS requires none of the PSTR courses listed here, so it serves as a separate cooking path rather than a continuation of the baking certificates.
Tuition and Additional Costs
Culinary Arts courses at Odessa carry special program tuition. For 2026–27, the rate is $122 per credit in-district (Ector County), $178 out-of-district, and $209 for out-of-state students. Those rates already include the $30 per-credit student service fee and $3 activity fee. Odessa also charges a $10 per-credit technology fee on face-to-face courses, and out-of-state students pay a $150 minimum charge each semester. Because both eight-week terms fall within one semester, the estimates below count one semester:
| Program | Credits | Estimated in-district tuition and fees | Estimated out-of-district tuition and fees | Estimated out-of-state tuition and fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baking Level I Certificate | 18 | $2,376 | $3,384 | $4,092 |
| Baking Level II Certificate | 15 | $1,980 | $2,820 | $3,435 |
| Both certificates (2 semesters) | 33 | $4,356 | $6,204 | $7,527 |
Textbooks, uniforms and tools, transportation, and living costs are not part of these figures. The Level I plan puts 12 credits into a single eight-week term, so ask whether that load is typical or whether most students spread it out. A longer schedule would not raise in-district costs but would add another $150 minimum for out-of-state students.
Lab fees are charged separately. The college’s 2026–27 lab and course fee list shows $72 each for Sanitation and Safety and eight PSTR courses. That adds about $360 for Level I and $288 for Level II. The same list includes a $12 liability insurance charge per term for skills courses. Full rate tables are on the tuition and fees page.
Admissions and Financial Aid
Odessa College admits students once it has a completed application and required documents on file. Applications can be submitted online or at the Wrangler Express Center in the Saulsbury Campus Center. The catalog explains that placement testing affects course placement, not admission. The college posts payment deadlines for each eight-week term.
Students seeking aid should file the FAFSA. The catalog notes that Pell funds for a student enrolled only in the second eight-week term are held until shortly before that term starts. Odessa does not state whether either baking certificate is Pell eligible, and short programs do not always qualify, so confirm with financial aid. The First Class Free Scholarship covers tuition and fees for the first three credit hours a new student takes at Odessa.
Career Preparation and Transfer Considerations
Pastry chef is one of the roles the college names for its culinary students. The certificates focus on production skills for bakeries, restaurant dessert stations, and custom cake work, and Level II adds a bakery management course for students considering their own business.
For more credentials, the 60-credit Culinary Arts AAS includes an internship and a general education core. The catalog also lists a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences in Leadership and Management with a hospitality management option. Before assuming baking credits will transfer into either program, ask an advisor.
Which Odessa Pathway May Fit You?
| Pathway | May fit students who want |
|---|---|
| Baking Level I Certificate | Breads, pies, plated desserts, and pastry in about one semester |
| Baking Level II Certificate | Cake production, decorating, and wedding cakes, plus bakery management |
| Both certificates | A broader 33-credit baking base without general education |
| Culinary Arts AAS | A cooking-focused degree with an internship |
Questions to Ask Before Applying
- Can I start Level II without finishing Level I?
- How many PSTR sections run each term, and are evening labs offered?
- Is either certificate eligible for Pell Grants?
- What uniform, knife, and tool purchases are required for baking students?
- Does the special program tuition apply to every course in the baking certificates?
Program details and costs can change. Confirm current requirements with Odessa College before applying.