Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa is one of the California community colleges that states a programmatic accreditation for baking. According to the 2026–27 catalog, the Advanced Baking and Pastry certificate and Associate in Science degree are accredited by the American Culinary Federation Education Foundation Accrediting Commission. Both also require two directed-practice courses of 108 hours each, the first in the OCC bakery and the second at an approved institutional or commercial facility.
Three baking credentials appear in the catalog: a 12–13 unit Baking and Pastry-Basic Certificate of Achievement, a 40–41 unit Advanced Baking and Pastry Certificate of Achievement, and a 60-unit Advanced Baking and Pastry A.S. The catalog publishes a semester-by-semester sequence for each one.
Quick Facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| School | Orange Coast College (Coast Community College District) |
| Location | Costa Mesa, California |
| Credentials | Baking and Pastry-Basic Certificate of Achievement; Advanced Baking and Pastry Certificate of Achievement; Advanced Baking and Pastry A.S. |
| Units | 12–13, 40–41, or 60 units |
| Format | Campus-based; the baking courses are mostly kitchen lab hours |
| Length | Two semesters (Basic); four semesters (Advanced certificate and A.S.), per the catalog sequences |
| Accreditation | The catalog states ACFEF accreditation for the Advanced certificate and A.S. |
| Financial aid | Advanced certificate and A.S. are marked Financial Aid Eligible; the Basic certificate is marked Not Financial Aid Eligible |
Baking and Pastry Program Options
All three awards are listed under Culinary Arts in the catalog and described on the college’s Culinary Arts and Baking/Pastry page. Both certificates are Certificates of Achievement, the state-approved type that appears on a transcript.
Baking and Pastry-Basic Certificate of Achievement
The Basic certificate totals 12–13 units: Sanitation and Safety (listed as a program prerequisite), Principles of Baking 1, Principles of Baking 2, Food and Beverage Cost Control, and a nutrition course of 2 or 3 units. The catalog sequence places four courses in the first semester and Principles of Baking 2 in the second.
Advanced Baking and Pastry Certificate of Achievement
Sixteen courses make up the Advanced certificate at 40–41 units. Beyond the two baking principles courses, it adds Principles of Artisan, Principles of Pastry Arts, Culinary and Baking for Specialty Diets, Culinary Principles 1, Pantry, two directed-practice courses, and hospitality management courses in cost control, menu planning and purchasing, foodservice operations, and leadership. The published sequence runs four semesters of 12, 12, 8, and 8 units.
Advanced Baking and Pastry Associate in Science
The A.S. degree requires the full Advanced certificate plus OCC’s A.S. general education and enough electives to reach 60 units. Food and Beverage Cost Control counts toward both the major and general education, and the catalog allows the Cal-GETC pattern as a substitute. The degree sequence covers two years.
Curriculum and Baking Courses
The catalog lists lecture and lab hours for each Culinary Arts course. Baking and pastry coursework includes:
- Principles of Baking 1 (2 units; 9 lecture and 81 lab hours): ingredient function, yeast and quick breads, cookies, shortened cakes, pies, custards, and recipe conversion
- Principles of Baking 2 (2 units; 9 lecture and 81 lab hours): puff pastry, foam cakes, European tortes, meringues, cake decorating, chocolate handling, and pate a choux
- Principles of Artisan (3 units; 9 lecture and 135 lab hours): pre-ferments, levains, sourdough rye, straight doughs, and bakers’ percentages
- Principles of Pastry Arts (3 units; 9 lecture and 135 lab hours): chocolate and confections, sugar work, marzipan, decorated cakes, and plated desserts
- Culinary and Baking, Specialty Diets (2 units): ingredient replacement and recipe modification for medical, personal, or religious diets
- Directed Practice for Baking and Pastry 1 and 2 (2 units and 108 hours each): quantity production in the OCC bakery, then on-the-job training at an approved facility
Course descriptions require the hospitality department’s dress standards. Prerequisites shape the order: Principles of Baking 1 requires Sanitation and Safety or concurrent enrollment, and the catalog lists Pantry and Principles of Baking 1 as prerequisites for Principles of Baking 2. Pantry is not among the Basic certificate’s required courses, so Basic students should confirm that requirement with a counselor.
Tuition and Additional Costs
The catalog’s Fees and Expenses page gives 2026–27 rates. California residents pay an enrollment fee of $46 per unit. Non-residents pay that fee plus $428 per unit in non-resident tuition and a $28 per unit capital outlay fee, or $502 per unit. Each fall or spring semester also carries a $28 health service fee and a $2 student representation fee.
| Program | Credits | Estimated in-state tuition and fees | Estimated out-of-state tuition and fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baking and Pastry-Basic Certificate of Achievement (two semesters) | 12–13 | $612 | $6,084 |
| Advanced Baking and Pastry Certificate of Achievement (four semesters) | 40–41 | $1,960 | $20,200 |
| Advanced Baking and Pastry A.S. (four semesters) | 60 | $2,880 | $30,240 |
Each estimate multiplies units by the per-unit rate and adds $30 in health and representation fees for every semester in the catalog sequence. The certificate rows use the lower unit totals of 12 and 40; choosing the 3-unit nutrition course adds $46 for residents or $502 for non-residents. Figures are before financial aid and leave out the $30 College Service Charge, which is billed each semester but can be waived on request, the $48 parking permit, books, uniforms, tools, and living costs.
Material fees are listed in the class schedule rather than the catalog, and no uniform or tool kit price is published.
Admissions and Financial Aid
Admission follows the college’s general process. The OCC application page says applicants qualify with a high school diploma, a California Certificate of Proficiency or GED, or by being at least 18 and able to benefit from instruction. OCC uses one combined summer and fall application. The catalog lists no separate application for the baking awards.
Financial aid status differs by award. The Advanced certificate and the A.S. carry a Financial Aid Eligible label in the catalog, while the Basic certificate is labeled Not Financial Aid Eligible. Ask the Financial Aid Office how the California College Promise Grant applies to enrollment fees for Basic certificate courses.
Career Preparation and Transfer Considerations
The catalog ties the Basic certificate to entry-level jobs as a baker or pastry cook and the Advanced awards to roles such as head baker, assistant pastry chef, and pastry chef. The program page adds that students in the accredited advanced programs may earn American Culinary Federation certification upon graduation. On campus, the Captain’s Table is a student-operated restaurant in the College Center run by Culinary Arts and Food and Beverage Management students.
Every Culinary Arts course in the baking sequence is marked for CSU transfer credit. The A.S. itself is an occupational degree, and the catalog advises meeting with a counselor to confirm that course choices match transfer goals.
Which Orange Coast College Pathway May Fit You?
| Pathway | May fit students who want |
|---|---|
| Baking and Pastry-Basic Certificate of Achievement | Two baking principles courses plus sanitation, nutrition, and cost control in about two semesters |
| Advanced Baking and Pastry Certificate of Achievement | An ACFEF-accredited sequence with artisan bread, pastry arts, two directed-practice courses, and management coursework, without general education |
| Advanced Baking and Pastry A.S. | The Advanced certificate coursework plus general education for a 60-unit associate degree |
Questions to Ask Before Applying
- Which semesters are Principles of Artisan and Principles of Pastry Arts offered, since some courses run once a year?
- Does Principles of Baking 2 require Pantry for Basic certificate students?
- What material fees, uniforms, and tools are required for the baking labs?
- Where have recent students completed Directed Practice for Baking and Pastry 2?
- Which aid options are open to students in the Basic certificate, which is not financial aid eligible?
Program details and costs can change. Confirm current requirements with Orange Coast College before applying.