The Graduate Certificate Program requires a minimum of 18 semester credit hours to be taken in a prescribed sequence across over 3 semesters of study (see below).
Each of the following courses is required for graduation in the sequence set out below:
Fall Semester
HOSP7116 (3) Brewing Materials (Grains, Hops, Climate, Growing and Harvesting)
HOSP7126 (3) Science of Brewing 1 (Materials, Malting, Mashing and Wort)
Spring Semester
HOSP7136 (3) Science of Brewing II (Racking, Yeast, Fermentation and Conditioning
HOSP7146 (3) Facilities and Operations - Plant, Machinery, OSHA, Technology
Summer Semester
HOSP7106 (3) Business of Brewing
*HOSP7916 (1-3) Practicum in Brewing Science
*Please note that you can register for 1-3 hours per semester in order to accumulate the 120 hours of industry experience required to complete the Practicum in Brewing Science course requirement. All 120 hours must be documented.
The Auburn Creed was written by George Petrie in 1945 and it serves as a guiding statement for Auburn’s faculty and students. The Creed begins by stating “I believe that this is a practical world and that I can count only on what I earn. Therefore, I believe in work, hard work.” The Practicum in Brewing Science lives up to this statement by asking students to work hard on a very practical project within a commercial brewery.
The practicum is an opportunity for students to put into action the concepts and processes that they have learned in previous courses. The faculty works with each student to identify a brewery to serve as the host for the practicum. In close consultation with the brewery staff, the faculty and the student devise a meaningful industrial project. By working under the mentoring of the brewery staff to complete the project, students gain valuable “hands-on” experience. Projects are expected to not only serve as learning mechanisms for the students but also to be beneficial to the host breweries.
Students must spend a minimum of 120 hours on their practicum.
All students are required to complete an industrial project over the course of their Practicum. This must be agreed to in advanced consultation with the Course Director and interested supervising faculty member. The project must be of relevance to the company that the student is completing their practicum hours with, and relate to either the science or business aspects of brewing. Students will be required to submit their project for final grading at least three weeks prior to graduation.
This distance education program marries traditional educational approaches with real world application leading to a state of the art interactive learning experience. To this end, the program has partnered with Oskar Blues Brewing and the Alabama Brewing Industry to showcase best practices in all aspects of the brewing industry. The distance learning approach combines traditional power point presentation with high quality video representations of best industry practice. The online learning environment will afford the student seamless transition from classroom based instruction to in-the-field application making for a much more rewarding and beneficial learning experience. Additionally each faculty member will be available weekly for one-to-one interaction and study advice.
This course provides students with an introduction to the modern day brewing industry, its historical development and organization and the full range of strategic and operational challenges faced in developing, launching and operating an effective and efficient brewery. Students prepare a business plan for a brewery over the course of the semester.
This course focuses on the materials used in the brewing industry including, but not limited to, malt, wheat, hops, and adjuncts.
A comprehensive analysis of the science of beer brewing covering production of sweet wort from milling of grain to mashing and saccrification, the wort boiling biochemistry including hop as well as adjunct ingredient addition and utilization, yeast selection and character based on biology and genetics and finally fermentation. Quality analysis and predicted outcomes as a consequence of selection of ingredients and methods are also discussed.
A comprehensive analysis of the science of beer brewing, following from Brewing Science 1, covering the effects of environment and yeast selection on fermentation and maturation of fermented wort to beer including post-fermentation adjunct addition, carbonation methods, filtration, high gravity brewing, cask ale production and process quality, flavor and control. This includes analysis of flaws and spoilage as well as their causes. Discussion and management of brewing microbiology is also discussed.
This course provides students with important knowledge and skills required to successfully develop, maintain, manage and operate the facilities and specialized equipment required in modern day brewing. As the number of both home and commercial brewers have increased, there is a distinct need to provide these individuals with the skills necessary to successfully operate their brewing plants. This course helps to prepare those individuals interested in both commercial and home brewing.
This course focuses on the application of theory in a fully commercial brewing setting. Students are required to source a professional practicum opportunity with a commercial brewer and gain first-hand experience of the various aspects of the brewing process.
For additional information please address all inquiries to:
Martin O'Neill, PhD
Program Director
Nutrition, Dietetics and Hospitality Management
328 Spidle Hall
Auburn University
Auburn, Al 36849
O: 334 844 3264
E: moneill@auburn.edu
