A Master of Science in Biology from Saint Joseph's University will increase your knowledge of life science topics and refine your skills as an experimental scientist.
Brewing Science Certificate
What is the process of brewing? Is beer brewing chemistry? What is the difference between brewing and fermenting? And how is beer produced? Get these and other brewing questions answered with Saint Joseph’s University Brewing Science Certificate — the region’s first brewing science certification. You can turn your passion for brewing into an exciting, rewarding career or be the owner of your own brewery.
You’ll gain valuable quality control and microbiology management practices in our lab courses and be prepared to lead in the brew science and fermentation field. You will gain valuable knowledge of process, current trends in brewing, and brewery design. Our lab courses offer experience in quality control and microbiology management practices. This education prepares individuals to become leaders in the fields of brewing and fermentation sciences in our lab courses. and be prepared to lead in the brew science and fermentation field.
The Brewing Science certificate program is a post-baccalaureate, 18-credit certificate which trains students for employment in the craft brewing industry through sound class room theory, practical lab applications, and real world internships. In addition, current industry employees will find value in the continued education and job advancement that this formal education can offer. The proposed curriculum is based on a team teaching model, where faculty and industry adjuncts deliver lectures on their various areas of expertise. Courses are designed to fit your needs with flexible evening classes and can be completed in 15 18 months to two and a half years.
What Sets Our Program Apart
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Our team-teaching model combines Saint Joseph’s University faculty and facilities with a network of 20+ partners, instructors and advisors from the brewing industry. You’ll learn best practices for brewery design and layout from leaders in the field as well as understand the fundamental science and process considerations to troubleshoot problems during beer production.
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You’ll gain hands-on experiences at our on-site pilot brew lab and in the field through collaboration brew days and flexible internship locations to match your career objectives.
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You can complete your brewing science coursework in 15 months to two and a half years. Both options are considered part-time programs, giving you flexibility for personal or financial reasons. If you’re enrolled in the 15-month schedule, you’ll take multiple courses in the spring and summer semesters. The 2+ year option allows you to take just one course per semester.
Our Brewing Science Certificate also offers flexibility with evening classes — all classes meet once per week from 6-9 p.m. on Monday or Wednesday evenings each semester. You can also conduct projects in the brewing lab and in the field at partner breweries based on your own schedule.
What Can I Do with a Brewing Certificate?
America’s craft brewing industry is soaring. Microbreweries account for 138,000+ jobs — the best of which require formal, completed training in beer science, according to the Brewers Association. With more than two breweries opening per day across the country, the need for brewing schools and the demand for skilled and trained employees has never been higher.
Graduates enter the marketplace in-demand, gaining positions as brewers, packaging leads and quality control directors. Some have even gone on to open their own breweries. In fact, 99% of our students were offered job opportunities after graduation.
With a graduate certificate in brewing science, you’ll have the opportunity to work with:
- Smaller, locally owned breweries
- International corporations
- Craft breweries
- Microbreweries
- Brewpubs
- Gastropubs
Program Details
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View required courses for this program in the academic catalog. Please contact us if you have any questions about the program curriculum.
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The leaders shaping the brewing culture in and around Pennsylvania also shape the Saint Joseph’s Brewing Science Certificate program.
We’ve engaged in formal partnerships with top local breweries to ensure our students benefit from the expertise of artisans and learn the skills today’s employers need most. Experienced brewmasters and managers advise on the curriculum and, in both classrooms and labs, teach the finer points of what goes into brewing good beer.
Strategic university research partnerships are always welcome. If there is a specific area of research that would benefit your brewery or business, please let us know.
Past Internship Hosts
- Cantillon (Brussels, Belgium)
- Conshohocken Brewing Co.
- Double Nickel Brewing Co.
- Levante Brewing Co.
- Neshaminy Creek Brewing Co.
- Weyerbacher Brewing Co.
- Wicked Weed Brewing Co.
- Heavy Seas Beer.
- Blue Print Brewing Co.
- Crowded Castle Brewing Co.
- 2SP Brewing Co.
- Root Down Brewing Co.
- Guinness (new Baltimore location)
- East Branch Brewing Co.
- Vault Brewing Co.
- New Liberty Distilling
- Yards Brewing Co.
- Moss Mill Brewing Co.
- Stitch House Brewing Co.
- Whitefield Brewery. (Templemore, Ireland)
- Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant
- Philadelphia Brewing Co.
- Tired Hands Brewing Co.
- Tarboro Brewing Co.
Course Instructors
- Adam Bartles – Chief Operating Officer – Denali Brewing Co.
- John Paul Maye – Technical Director – S.S. Steiner
- Roger Barth – Author of The Chemistry of Beer
- Christopher Leonard – Brewmaster – Heavy Seas Beer
- Ben Bailey – Quality Assurance Manager – Troegs Brewing Company
- Tim Hawn – Brewmaster – BrewDog USA
- Justin Low - Head Brewer - Doylestown Brewing Company
- Steve Galliera - Associate Director of Engineering, Maintenance - Merck
- Brian McConnell - Brewmaster - Sterling Pig Brewery
- Bob Seaman - Director of Innovation and Product Development - Yuengling
- Steve Welsh - Director of Plant Operation - Yards Brewing Company
- Marisa Egan – Chemist – Victory Brewing Company
- Franklin Winslow – Brewmaster – Tarboro Brewing Company
- Andrew Foss – Head Brewer – Human Robot
- Michael Misstishin – Environmental Engineer – Yuengling
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The tuition for Brewing Science Certificate is $1,000* per credit for the 2023-2024 academic year.
*Pricing does not include room and board; health insurance; or any professional, clinical or transportation fees. Visit our Tuition & Fees page for a detailed cost breakdown.
We also offer benefits for veterans.
Why Study Brewing Science in Philadelphia?
Nestled among the city's many reputable breweries, Yards, Conshohocken, and Victory to name just a few, Philadelphia and its surrounding counties are home to more than 90 craft breweries, making it an ideal location to begin a career in brewing science. Pennsylvania is the second largest producer of craft beer in the country; and, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Pennsylvania ranked among the states with the highest employment per brewery. Among the city’s many reputable breweries include Conshohocken Brewing, Yards Brewing Company, Victory Brewing Company and Philadelphia Brewing Company. Additionally, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Pennsylvania ranked among the states with the highest employment per brewery.
Brewing Science Certificate Admissions Information
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You must meet the following requirements to be considered for admission to the brewing science certificate:
- Have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university or college. Biology, chemistry, physics or engineering degrees are beneficial but not required. Alternative degrees are welcome to apply.
- Practical brewing experience will be advantageous but is not required for admission
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- Apply online.
- Submit official college transcripts from all colleges attended. If you attended Saint Joseph’s, we will obtain this transcript for you.
- Submit a 1000-word statement of purpose describing your interest, experience and commitment to graduate study in brewing science.
- Submit a resume
The supplemental information can be uploaded on the application website after submission or emailed to gradstaff@sju.edu.
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You’re encouraged to submit your application early for priority review. Accepted students will be notified as soon as a decision is made. Typically, a decision will be received within a few weeks of application completion.
Start Terms: Fall Only
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
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Absolutely. Saint Joseph’s brewing science certificate program focuses on the underlying science of the process; troubleshooting critical control points; and practicing hands-on, quality control methods in our labs. You’ll learn valuable skills needed for ensuring consistent beer at your current brewery. You might even help start a quality control lab at your brewery as some past graduates have done. Plus, with over 20+ industry instructors and advisors, you'll continue to build your industry network.
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Absolutely. Our past graduates have come from a variety of demographics and career backgrounds. Some students are looking to apply their science background to brewing. Some students are looking to transition to a new field. Flexibility in our course content, particularly the brewing science project and the internship, will allow you to tailor the program to your career objectives.
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Yes. Your degree may be in finance, photography, German, etc. Many of our successful graduates have come from non-science backgrounds.
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No, the GRE or GMAT is not required for admission.
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No. In order to train the best new employees for the brewing industry, we require hands-on experience in our laboratory courses and our pilot brewery. In addition, we strive to promote personal interactions between industry instructors and our students to facilitate networking opportunities.
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Both options are considered part-time programs. The 1+ year schedule increases in course number in the spring and summer semester, while in the 2+ year track, students only take one course per semester. This option was designed to give students flexibility for personal or financial reasons. Classes meet from 6-9 p.m. on Monday or Wednesday. Please contact the program director to view a suggested coursework schedule.
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Students will have to decide their intended track while registering for their initial Fall semester. If they decide to take the two-year track and register for only one class in the Fall, they will have the option to change their decision when registering for subsequent semester courses with the addition of the missed class in the following Fall semester. The program is flexible enough to decide throughout the course of the program.
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