Beer Brewer Professional Certificate

Immerse yourself in the NoVA craft brewing industry!

Innovation & training advance Northern Virginia's beer brewing industry.

Virginia is well known for its craft brewing industry. When Governor Youngkin recognized August 2022 as Craft Beer Month in the Commonwealth, the proclamation noted that the number of breweries in Virginia has grown 500% since 2012 and that the Virginia craft beer industry ranks #1 in the South for breweries per capita and #17 in the United States. The growing brewing industry needs qualified workers.

In response, the University of Richmond has partnered with Tucked Away Brewing and other craft brewing suppliers to offer the state’s premier brewing education program in Northern Virginia.

UR’s Beer Brewer Professional Certificate

Our Beer Brewer Professional Certificate is designed for those seeking to enter into the craft beer industry, or to advance an existing brewing industry career. The six-month program includes 11 instructional modules and 4 hands-on field experiences.

Instructional modules cover the following topics:

  • Introduction to Brewing
  • Brew Science & the Brewery Processes
  • Brewing as a Business

You’ll complete the program with brewing skills and recipes along with insider knowledge from instructors who work in local breweries. Field experiences provide you the hands-on skills needed to succeed in the craft brewing industry, and also provide industry contacts.

You don’t have to leave your current job to enter the program — classes are offered in person in regional breweries on evenings and occasional weekends.

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Modules

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Economics & History of Brewing

3 hours

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Introduction to Terms & Recipes

3 hours

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Introduction to Essential Ingredients

9 hours

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Brewing Technology & Process

9 hours

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Introduction to Safety & Sanitation

3 hours

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Equipment, Packaging & Distribution

3 hours

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Microbiology & Quality Assurance

9 hours

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Biology of Yeast & Fermentation

9 hours

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Introduction to Popular Beer Styles

6 hours

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Introduction to Sales & Marketing

3 hours

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Licensing & Regulation in Virginia

6 hours

Field Experiences

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Brew Day #1 at Local Brewery

3 hours

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Tour of a Malting Facility

3 hours

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Sales & Distribution

3 hours

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Brew Day #2 at Local Brewery

3 hours

Brewing Collaboration

Students in the Beer Brewer Professional Certificate program collaborated with Three Notch'd Brewing RVA Collab House to brew Pumpkin Spiced Latte, a pumpkin-spiced amber ale conditioned with locally roasted Rostov Mocha Java coffee.

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    Brewing Pumpkin Spiced Latte
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    Brewing Pumpkin Spiced Latte
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    Brewing Pumpkin Spiced Latte
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    Brewing Pumpkin Spiced Latte
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    Brewing Pumpkin Spiced Latte
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    Brewing Pumpkin Spiced Latte
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    Brewing Pumpkin Spiced Latte
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    Brewing Pumpkin Spiced Latte
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    Brewing Pumpkin Spiced Latte
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    Brewing Pumpkin Spiced Latte
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    Brewing Pumpkin Spiced Latte
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    Brewing Pumpkin Spiced Latte
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    Brewing Pumpkin Spiced Latte
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    Brewing Pumpkin Spiced Latte
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    Brewing Pumpkin Spiced Latte

School of Professional & Continuing Studies

The School of Professional & Continuing Studies in Richmond, Va., is one of five schools at the University of Richmond. The Beer Brewer Professional Certificate is the state’s first professional certificate to address the workforce development needs of Virginia’s thriving craft brewing industry. The University of Richmond is the only top-25 private liberal arts college in the nation to include a division dedicated to adult students and working professionals.