RICHLAND, Wash. – Aspiring brewers have a new opportunity to enhance their knowledge through a unique program offered by Washington State University Tri-Cities’ Viticulture and Enology Department.
The Brewing Certificate Program caters to both amateur and professional brewers, focusing on the art and science of brewing. The program was created following community feedback. The Washington Brewers Guild also assisted in finding industry experts for the program.
Jean Dodson Peterson, founding chair of the Viticulture and Enology Department, emphasized the program’s comprehensive approach.
“It’s great to see a program that can really address the whole lifecycle of a particular product, and this program really does that well,” said Dodson Peterson.
The program offers a non-credit professional certificate and is designed to take participants throughout the entire process of brewing.
“We think about where and how the hops are being sourced, how things are brought into the brewery, what manufacturing in that space looks like all the way through to compliance, bottling, safety and marketing out the door,” said Dodson Peterson.
The year-long program runs asynchronously, allowing participants to review modules at their own pace. However, it is not limited to online work. Enrollees will visit various facilities across the region for a hands-on experience.
“We’ll bring them to malting facilities or into the hot brewing fields, or into a lab like this one, where they can practice those skills to make sure that everything is making sense,” said Dodson Peterson. “[They’ll] get a chance to fine tune it and then create this sense of support with other people that are going through that experience with them.”
Beyond gaining industry knowledge, the program aims to support the local fermentation industry.
“We really think about job growth and opportunity. We are investing back in who we are in Washington and what makes Washington State special. And to me, that’s really the agriculture that happens here. It’s these craft wineries and breweries,” said Dodson Peterson.
For those interested in joining the inaugural class this year, Dodson Peterson says the department is offering 40% off for enrollment. That brings the cost of the one-year program down to $3000. You can learn more about the program as well as how to sign up by clicking here.
