Beer Brewer Professional Certificate
The ingenuity within us advances Central Virginia's 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 Central Virginia breweries to offer the state’s premier brewing education program in the Richmond region.
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 on the University of Richmond campus and at local breweries on evenings and occasional weekends.
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Modules

Economics & History of Brewing
3 hours

Introduction to Terms & Recipes
3 hours

Introduction to Essential Ingredients
9 hours

Brewing Technology & Process
9 hours

Introduction to Safety & Sanitation
3 hours

Equipment, Packaging & Distribution
3 hours

Microbiology & Quality Assurance
9 hours

Biology of Yeast & Fermentation
9 hours

Introduction to Popular Beer Styles
6 hours

Introduction to Sales & Marketing
3 hours

Licensing & Regulation in Virginia
6 hours
Field Experiences

Brew Day #1 at Local Brewery
3 hours

Tour of a Malting Facility
3 hours

Sales & Distribution
3 hours

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.
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.