Indie kids rejoice: A B.C. university will begin offering a certificate in craft beer this fall. Yes, that’s right — craft beer.
Though on the surface it sounds like a frat boy’s dream, Simon Fraser University (SFU)'s Continuing Studies "Craft Beer and Brewing Essentials Certificate" is actually a set of five courses designed to educate students on how to successfully brew and market their own beer.
“The craft beer community is growing very quickly, creating a huge need for quality education,” Adam Chatburn, president of the Campaign for Real Ale Society of B.C. branch in Vancouver, said in an SFU news release on Tuesday.
SFU does already offer a course through the Faculty of Science called the "Science of Brewing," which was introduced last January and was very popular, bringing in nearly 60 students to the class this semester.
Courses in the certificate program, which launches at the university's Surrey campus in October, will cover the science behind brewing, quality assessment, business fundamentals, and ingredient development.
Though this is the first part-time program in the Lower Mainland for students who want to brew, Kwantlen University started offering a diploma in the science of brewing this past fall.
Larry White, the director of non-credit programs with SFU, said the program differs from Kwantlen’s two-year program in a number of ways.
“It is a short program, consisting of five courses that will provide students with an opportunity to explore the fundamentals of the craft beer industry,” he told The Huffington Post B.C. in an email. “It is scheduled part-time in the evenings and on some weekends … making it accessible for those who have other daytime obligations.”
White said this program suits the needs to students who are already working in this booming business, or even those who want to open a brewery but need to know more of the inner workings before going in that direction.
An information session is scheduled for Jan. 27 at SFU Surrey, with a formal launch event to follow at Surrey Central City Brew Pub.
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