Brewing Certificate
Program & Courses
Study at one of the oldest brewing programs in the nation. And whether you learn online or in person at our state-of-the-art August A Busch III Brewing and Food Science Laboratory (which has access to the lab with an optional bootcamp), you will see why UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education has such a well-respected national and international reputation.
Brewing Certificate Program & Courses
Study at one of the oldest brewing programs in the nation. And whether you learn online or in person at our state-of-the-art August A Busch III Brewing and Food Science Laboratory (which has access to the lab with an optional bootcamp), you will see why UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education has such a well-respected national and international reputation.
735%
Increase for job postings in the brewing industry from 2017 to October 2022
EMSI Burning Glass (Lightcast)
8,764
Craft breweries in the U.S. in 2020—the amount nearly doubled between 2015 and 2020
Brewers Association for Small and Independent Craft Brewers
Master Brewers Certificate Program
Enter the brewing industry and rise to the highest levels of leadership within it. You’ll develop an in-depth understanding of brewing science and brewing engineering to become a head brewer/brewmaster, work in quality assurance or packaging, or as an entrepreneur. This is one of the first programs of its kind and one of the most respected programs in the country. Available in person or online.
Our graduates work at breweries locally, nationally and internationally—like Heineken, Widmer Brothers Brewing, Sudwerk Brewing, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, Dogfish Head, Deschutes Brewery, Big Sky Brewery, InBev and 21st Amendment Brewery.
What You'll Learn
- Grain handling, malting, malt analysis and their effects in brewing
- Brewhouse processes and the control of wort quality
- Yeast and fermentation processes and their effects on beer quality
- Finishing, stabilization and packaging technology
- Flow of fluids in pipes and through pumps in a brewery setting
- Heat transfer and the effects of insulation and fouling on efficiency
- Theory and practice of carbonation, including mixed gas technology
- Theory and practice of refrigeration in the brewery
- Beer flavor and sensory science
Length
- In Person: 15 weeks. This is a full-time program that meets Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., from March to June.
- Online: 18 months. This is a part-time program with each course taking 10-12 weeks. Note that there is an optional weeklong bootcamp at our state-of-the-art August A Busch III pilot brewery and Sierra Nevada Brewing Science laboratory.
Cost
- In Person: $16,000 plus certificate registration fee and textbooks
- Online: $13,200 plus certificate registration fee and textbooks
- Scholarship and other funding options may be available.
- VA Benefits are eligible.
Prerequisites
While a degree is not required for acceptance to this program, college-level work in the subject areas listed below is required for success in the program. All minimum prerequisites must be completed in advance of applying. Incomplete applications will not be considered for admission. You must be able to provide transcripts documenting the following: :
- The math requirement:
- Mathematics: pre-calculus
- At least two other subjects:
- Biological sciences: microbiology, cell physiology or biochemistry
- Chemistry: general, organic, inorganic or analytical
- Physics: heat and mechanics or process control
- Engineering: topics in mechanical or chemical engineering
Practical brewing experience is a plus, but is not required for entrance to the program. Those who cannot document successful completion of the minimum academic prerequisites will not be admitted to the program. Such students should prepare at least one year before entering the Master Brewers Certificate Program by taking appropriate courses at a local college.
Thinking about taking courses to satisfy these prerequisites and wondering what to take? Unsure whether your previous coursework meets the requirements? You can connect with us for assistance.
Hear how Kevin Wright’s experience helped him pursue a successful career in the brewing industry.
Brewing Short Courses
Take your craft to the next level with comprehensive brewing courses for novice and experienced home brewers, as well as brewing industry professionals. Offerings span one- and two-day introductory courses, week-long intensive courses and online courses. Examples of courses offered at times throughout the year include:
Webinar Series
- Advanced Wort Production: Milling, Mashing & Lautering
- Beer Recipe Development and Scaling: From Small to Large
- Brewing on a Budget: Quality Control
Beer Quality Series (Online)
- Color and Clarity
- Flavor
- Foam
- Freshness
- Quality Systems
Experiential Workshops
- Introduction to Practical Brewing (5 days)
- Brewing Microbiology (3 days)
Interested in a free sample lesson or info session? Connect with us!
About Our Faculty
Learn from the best in the business—instructors who are academic experts in brewing science and brewery engineering, as well as considerable real-world experience.
Jonathan Hughes, Ph.D., is the director of brewing and sensory science at UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education and the microbiology instructor for the Master Brewers Certificate Program. He entered the brewing industry in 2013, when, as a graduate student in microbiology at UC Davis, he founded the QA/QC laboratory at Heretic Brewing Company in Fairfield, California. Before joining Continuing and Professional Education, Hughes served as the quality assurance manager at Heretic while teaching introductory brewing and microbiology classes at Sacramento State University and UC Davis.
Glex Fox,  Ph.D., joined UC Davis in 2019 as the new Anheuser-Busch Endowed Professor of Malting & Brewing Science. He obtained his Ph.D. from Southern Cross University in the area of barley genetics related to barley and malt quality. Fox has conducted research with some of the world’s largest beer companies. His current research interests include understanding the broad composition of malt and its impact on processing and flavor. In 2018, he was elected a fellow of the Institute of Brewing & Distilling.
Thomas Stull  is the head brewer of Sudwerk Brewing Co. in Davis, Calif. He holds a B.S. in economics from George Mason University and is a graduate of UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education's Master Brewers Certificate Program. He has been with Sudwerk Brewing Co. since 2009. Stull is a recipient of the UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education Outstanding Service Award.
A top-tier
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Ranked 1st in the nation for diversity, inclusiveness and internationalization
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Ranked 1st in the nation in agriculture
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Ranked 10th best university in America, by value
Money
Ranked 5th nationally among public universities
Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education College Rankings
We first opened our doors in 1908 as the University Farm, the research and science-based instruction extension of UC Berkeley. As the century evolved, our mission expanded beyond agriculture, and in 1959 UC Davis was designated as the seventh general campus in the University of California system. We are a top-tier research institution (R1-classified) and known worldwide for our expertise in agriculture. UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education (CPE) is the workforce development arm of UC Davis. For more than 60 years, CPE has helped working professionals upskill, reskill and advance their career.
Experience what it’s like to become an Aggie with one of our programs or courses.