Houston City College, known until recently as Houston Community College and still listed as HCC in its catalog, offers three Pastry Arts credentials at its Central Campus: a 17-credit Baker Level 1 certificate, a 41-credit Pastry Arts Level 2 certificate, and a 60-credit Pastry Arts AAS. All three are taught in person.
The Pastry Arts AAS holds accreditation from the American Culinary Federation Education Foundation Accrediting Commission. HCC’s program page also reports graduate counts and an ACF certification rate, and the degree plan includes a separate course on baking for special dietary needs. Details below come from the 2026–27 HCC Catalog and Student Handbook.
Quick Facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| School | Houston City College (formerly Houston Community College) |
| Location | Central Campus, Houston, Texas |
| Credentials | Pastry Arts, A.A.S.; Pastry Arts, C2 (Level 2 certificate); Baker, C1 (Level 1 certificate) |
| Credits | 60; 41; or 17 credits |
| Length | AAS: 2 years full time; C2: 3 semesters; C1: 2 semesters |
| Format | In person |
| Accreditation | Pastry Arts AAS accredited by the ACFEF Accrediting Commission |
Baking and Pastry Program Options
HCC lists all three awards on its Pastry Arts program page, separate from its Culinary Arts credentials. Each degree plan starts in fall and runs through a set sequence of semesters.
Pastry Arts, A.A.S.
The Pastry Arts AAS requires 60 credits over five semesters, including a summer semester after the first year. General education includes Learning Framework, Composition I, Environmental Science, Math for Business and Social Sciences, a humanities or fine arts elective, and a general education elective. Hospitality Human Resources Management and a four-credit Baking for Special Dietary Needs course also appear only in the degree.
Pastry Arts, C2
The Pastry Arts Level 2 certificate totals 41 credits across fall, spring, and summer semesters of 14, 15, and 12 credits. It covers nearly every pastry lab in the degree, plus Learning Framework, Hospitality Human Resources Management, and a capstone supervised study in baking and pastry arts.
Baker, C1
The Baker Level 1 certificate requires 17 credits: 5 in the first semester and 12 in the second. Students take Fundamentals of Baking, Sanitation and Safety, Breads and Rolls, Laminated Dough, Pate a Choux and Donuts, the capstone Pies, Tarts, Teacakes and Cookies, and one approved PSTR elective such as Chocolates and Confections or Cake Decorating I.
Curriculum and Baking Courses
Across the three awards, the 2026–27 catalog lists pastry courses including:
- Fundamentals of Baking; Breads and Rolls
- Pies, Tarts, Teacakes and Cookies
- Laminated Dough, Pate a Choux and Donuts
- Cake Decorating I, plus Cake Decorating II or Wedding Cakes
- Chocolates and Confections; Plated Desserts
- Advanced Pastry Shop; Bakery Operations and Management
- Baking for Special Dietary Needs (AAS only)
- Supervised Study: Capstone Study in Baking and Pastry Arts (C2 and AAS)
After passing Sanitation and Safety, students are eligible to sit for the ServSafe certification exam, according to HCC. The college also notes that a student may earn only one Occupational Skills Award per academic year, though no pastry OSA currently appears in the catalog.
Tuition and Additional Costs
HCC’s 2026–27 tuition and fee breakdown bundles tuition, a general fee, a $25 technology fee, and a $1 student activity fee into one hourly rate: $84.50 in-district, $180.50 out-of-district, and $227 out-of-state. The activity fee is capped at $12 per semester, and every student also pays a $6 recreation fee each semester. Estimates below use the catalog’s semester plans and apply the activity fee cap:
| Program | Credits | Estimated in-district tuition and fees | Estimated out-of-district tuition and fees | Estimated out-of-state tuition and fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pastry Arts AAS (5 semesters) | 60 | $5,094 | $10,854 | $13,644 |
| Pastry Arts C2 (3 semesters) | 41 | $3,478 | $7,414 | $9,320 |
| Baker C1 (2 semesters) | 17 | $1,449 | $3,081 | $3,871 |
Textbooks, supplies, transportation, and living costs are not included. Neither is the added charge for a third attempt at a course. HCC’s taxing district covers Houston ISD, Alief ISD, Stafford MSD, and part of Missouri City; Texas residents outside it pay the out-of-district rate.
According to HCC, students are expected to buy their own tools and materials for class and lab assignments, but the college does not publish a pastry kit or uniform price. The catalog course listings do not show separate PSTR lab fees. The tuition calculator can be used for a single semester.
Admissions and Financial Aid
Students apply to the college, then complete an enrollment checklist that includes transcripts and vaccination records, and meet with an advisor. The Pastry Arts page states that TSI testing is required before first enrollment for the AAS and the Level 2 certificate. The Baker C1 is not covered by that note.
HCC’s list of certificates eligible for financial aid includes the Pastry Arts Baker and Pastry Arts certificates, which can qualify for federal and state aid through the FAFSA or TASFA. The college also points students to Pell Grants, HCC Foundation scholarships, and the Eagle Promise program.
Career Preparation and Transfer Considerations
The program outcomes emphasize baker’s percentages and the metric system, selecting techniques for each formula, designing pastries for special dietary needs, and controlling bakery food and production costs. HCC reports 14 AAS Pastry Arts graduates in 2026 and a 100% ACF certification rate for 2025–26. Its most recent published job placement rate, 78%, covers Culinary Arts and Pastry Arts AAS graduates from 2017–18 to 2019–20.
The Pastry Arts AAS is a workforce degree. Composition I, Environmental Science, and the business math course are standard core titles, but students aiming for a bachelor’s degree should have their target university review each course.
Which HCC Pathway May Fit You?
| Pathway | May fit students who want |
|---|---|
| Baker, C1 | A two-semester introduction to breads, laminated doughs, pies, and tarts, with no TSI requirement noted |
| Pastry Arts, C2 | Most of the pastry lab sequence and a capstone in one calendar year, without general education |
| Pastry Arts, A.A.S. | ACF-accredited training that adds special-diets baking and a general education core |
Questions to Ask Before Applying
- Can I start the pastry sequence in spring, or only in fall as the degree plans show?
- What tools, uniforms, and materials do I need, and what do they cost?
- How do Baker C1 credits carry into the Pastry Arts C2 or AAS?
- Which ACF certification do Pastry Arts graduates usually earn?
- Are any PSTR labs offered in the evening or on weekends?
Program details and costs can change. Confirm current requirements with Houston City College before applying.