SPCS relaunches Beer Brewer Professional Certificate program in Northern Virginia
In response to the needs of the regional brewing industry and feedback from former students, we’re pleased to announce that we’re relaunching our revamped Beer Brewer Professional Certificate program in Northern Virginia.
The updated program in Northern Virginia includes updated field experiences, reduced classroom hours and a modified curriculum along with a dedicated brewing partner.
We’ve rolled out a number of curriculum improvements while reducing time to completion from nine to six months and required class time from 90 to 75 hours. We’ve reinforced intentionally reflective learning opportunities using program notebooks and replaced our original internship requirement with four small-group, intensive field experiences. And we’ve increased hands-on experiences, eliminating repetitive coursework and incorporating meaningful hybrid learning opportunities.
We also have new brewery partners for classes, which allows for more flexible learning options. Most classes are held in partner facilities along the Route 28 corridor from Manassas to Sterling. Our primary in-person class location will be Tucked Away Brewing in Manassas, while select classes will be held at a partner facility in Alexandria and online.
The Beer Brewer Professional Certificate program guides students through the entire craft brewing business, from procuring high quality ingredients and raw materials through the proper handling, processing, packaging and distribution of the final product. The program highlights local, sustainable practices by partnering with Northern Virginia suppliers, breweries and distributors.
This program prepares students to enter the craft brewing business with both focused coursework and practical field experiences. Courses cover the history, practice, and secrets of beer brewing along with methods for distributing beer and managing a brewing business. Field experiences combine observation with intentional hands-on work in local breweries to understand and experience the beer brewing process.
Visit the relaunched Northern Virginia program at spcs.richmond.edu/novabrewer. Applications are now open for the Fall 2023 cohort. The deadline to apply is September 29.
You can learn more about the program at our Online Information Session on September 27, just in time for the application deadline.