In certain pockets of America, a vibrant world of small breweries awaits, offering a diverse array of craft beer experiences. Some are more active in a local market, while others have ambitions of taking the brand national or even international. Not everyone who gets into the creation of craft beer indeed receives a formal education. Plenty of people learn about art forms by watching YouTube videos.
However, it’s becoming more common these days for individuals interested in this hobby and potential business model to learn how to do it in a formal academic setting. This probably would have seemed unheard of half a century ago.
These days, though, the educational model is changing. If you’re a student, and you have a big article or term paper that you need to write, you can find a catalogue from A to Z of apps to write essays for you. One professor at a credible college might rail about the downfall of traditional education because of such tools. However, just as many others will let you craft an essay with the help of AI, assuming you do so while adhering to carefully established classroom rules.
At a time when so much is changing at schools across the country, is it any wonder that individuals can learn about the fine art of fermenting alcohol as an approved field of study? Let’s take a closer look at how many institutions of higher learning are starting to offer programs that will help young people get into the brewmaster’s arts.
Nontraditional Fields of Study Are Becoming the Norm
There are scholastic tools and resources available now for widespread use that would perplex instructors from a bygone era if they could see them. You can use AI to edit a term paper for grammar, spelling, or syntax. You can even visit a site like Studybay if you’d prefer to hire a pro to write your paper for you.
Meanwhile, the gamification of education is becoming common. Online learning is widely accepted, and it works for individuals who can’t attend in-person classes.
In the face of all this change, it makes perfect sense that some colleges would start to offer courses that would have been unheard of not so long ago. You can study:
- Hip hop and how it connects with the African American experience in America
- Mereology
- Popular culture and its evolution
At Loyola, you can get a BS in Hip Hop and R&B. The University of Texas at Austin has a degree where you study memes, with the possible intention of becoming a meme analyst. Incredibly, that’s a real job. Bowling Green State University is where you would go if you want a pop culture degree. With it, you might become an advertising manager or a cultural event planner.
The point is that in the face of some of the programs that are out there, with credible universities offering them, learning about making malted beverages in a classroom setting doesn’t seem that far-fetched at all. You might wonder which schools are offering them, though.
Schools That Offer Classes in Brewing and Fermentation Science
If you’d like to start down this possible career path, there are a few standout programs that should definitely be on your radar. They include:
- UC Davis
- The Siebel Institute of Technology
- Appalachian State University
- Cornell
- Auburn
At first glance, the idea might seem ludicrous. However, once you start to really think about what goes into a career making beer, you’ll see that formal training is actually going to be very much to your advantage.
The Features of These Sorts of Programs
Let us say for a moment that you’re a young person who just graduated from high school. You’re bright, ambitious, and industrious. You’re not just interested in making beer. You also want to learn how to market and sell it.
Therefore, one of the programs we mentioned above can be your entry into a niche that is quite competitive and cutthroat. Think about the market penetration you would require to start turning a profit, regardless of whether you want to make a buck in a local market or a national one. The curriculum you can expect if you go down this path should include:
- Engineering
- Technology
- Science
- Math (STEM) training
You need to learn about the basic ingredients that go into something like a lager or a porter. You must get hands-on training as well. At some point, you need to go from theory to practice.
If the program in which you have enrolled is any good, then the instructors will teach you about the chemistry of the fundamental elements that go into the making of the standard carbonated, alcoholic beverage. You will also learn how each ingredient impacts processing, flavor, and overall quality.
What Else Do These Programs Teach?
You will need to go even deeper if you’re going to get into this niche as a career when you graduate, though. Even if you want an entry-level job in this industry, your boss will probably want you to have an associate’s degree in applied science at a minimum.
That’s not even to start your own company. That might be for you to get your foot in the door as someone doing packaging or maintenance in a brewery.
You will need to learn about zymology. This is the study of the biological process of fermentation and its various practical uses.
At the same time, you should be learning about marketing. That might include an in-depth look at:
- Branding: As the founder or CEO of a company that makes a line of beers, you’ll likely do best when you establish a strong brand identity that appeals to a specific client base.
- Website Design: Every modern company needs a website, and yours should promote the product while looking sleek and cutting-edge.
- Logistics: You will have to learn about not just manufacturing, but packaging and shipping as well.
In short, the best program that prepares you to enter this ultra-competitive field will be one that starts with beer-making best practices but then moves on to the business aspect of what you’re trying to accomplish. The many institutions that are starting to offer these programs understand this. They are more comprehensive and thorough now than they were when they first started.
Additional Factors That Might Lead You Down This Path
The young person who goes to college with this career in mind might also make some valuable personal connections at this point in their life. They might find some kindred spirits with whom they would like to start a company.
If you are surrounded by others who share your passion for making a high-quality product that you plan to sell to the thirsty masses, then you may find a new best friend who has dreams of crafting the perfect IPA, just like you do. If you have a roommate who likes to wax poetic about hops and barley, then maybe you have found your soulmate.
It is likely only the dawn of collegiate-level classes that teach would-be scholars about making beer. This is now a major to be taken seriously.
