BREWCP Requirements

• U of A
• Certificate of Proficiency in Brewing Science
• About the Program
• BREWCP Requirements

The Certificate of Proficiency in Brewing Science Program is comprised of six credit hours of required courses, three hours of internship or special problems work, and six hours of electives left up to the student. Students should see the BREWCP checksheet (PDF) to see determine which electives best suit their academic or professional goals. 

Required Courses

FDSC 2723. Introduction to Brewing Science. 3 Hours.

An introduction to the biology and chemistry of fermentation, with an emphasis on beer brewing. Styles, flavors, and quality characteristics of beer will be discussed. The history, legal aspects, and economic impacts of homebrewing as well as craft and industrial brewing will be covered. Coursework is expected to integrate lectures and guest presenters with supplemental reading assignments. This course will not include beer tasting, therefore there are no age restrictions for enrollment.  Prerequisite: (CHEM 1123 or CHEM 1073) and BIOL 1543. (Typically offered: Spring)

BIOL 2723L. Microbial Fermentation Laboratory. 3 Hours.

An inquiry-based introductory lab course that explores the biology and chemistry of brewing, with a focus on brewing microbiology. Laboratory 6 hours per week. Students must be 21 years of age or older on the first day of class. Prerequisite: BIOL 1543 or BIOL 1584. Pre- or Corequisite: FDSC 2723. (Typically offered: Fall)

Required Internship or Special Programs/Research Hours

Internship

Students could participate in an approved three credit hour internship with a brewing industry partner. A three credit hour internship should involve approximately 120-130 hours of work with the partner. The internship need not be completed in a single semester, although that is acceptable. At the end of the final semester of the internship, students would have to present a written and oral report of the work performed and lessons learned.

Special Problems or Research Hours

Students could complete three credit hours working on a practical research problem under the supervision of a faculty member in FDSC, BISC, CHEM, BENG, or CHEG. The topic of this work should be approved for relevance to the certificate before the work begins and reviewed if it changes substantially during the course of the work. Work that involves industry partners is particularly encouraged. At the end of the final semester of the work, students would have to present a written and oral report of the work performed and lessons learned. Credit hours and work done for an honors degree can satisfy this requirement, but if honors work is used, it must include at least one credit hour in three different semesters.