Beer Brewer Professional Certificate

Overview

The University of Richmond School of Professional & Continuing Studies, in collaboration with community partners in Central Virginia and the Tidewater region, offers the state’s premier professional beer brewing training for those interested in entering and advancing in the craft beer industry.

Our 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 regional suppliers, breweries and distributors. Students who complete the certificate program will be well prepared to enter the craft brewing industry in a variety of roles.

Online Information Sessions

Regional Cohorts

Although our curriculum is common across our regional cohorts in Central Virginia and Tidewater, individual programs partner with local organizations, institutions and breweries to provide each regional cohort its unique experience. If you live or work in an area overlapped by our regions, feel free to apply to the program most convenient to you. You’ll receive the same education and resources, with local flavor, regardless of your cohort.

Central Virginia (RVA) Charlottesville to Williamsburg on I-64, Fredericksburg to the Tri-Cities on I-95
Illustration: Iconic Richmond buildings Cohorts Start in Fall & Spring
Coastal Virginia (Tidewater) Newport News to Suffolk on I-664, Hampton to Chesapeake on I-64
Illustration: King Neptune Statue Cohorts Start in Fall & Spring
Northern Virginia DC to Fredericksburg on I-95, to Gainesville on I-66
Illustration: Dulles International Airport Cohorts Start in Fall & Spring

Curriculum Updates

In response to feedback from students and graduates of the program, we’ve rolled out the following curriculum improvements:

  1. Reducing time to completion from 9 to 6 months and required class time from 90 to 75 hours.
  2. Reinforcing intentionally reflective learning opportunities using program notebooks.
  3. Replacing the internship requirement with 4 small-group, intensive field experiences.
  4. Increasing hands-on experiences, eliminating repetitive coursework and incorporating meaningful hybrid learning opportunities.

These updates respond to feedback and provide a continuous improvement approach for ongoing program development and expansion.