UNC Charlotte now has a craft beer program and continuing ed has never been cooler

Yep. You read that right. The University of North Carolina at Charlotte is now offering a continuing education program centered around craft beer.

With Charlotte already craft beer crazed, this makes total sense.

We have so many questions.

What exactly is it?

The main program is called Craft Beer Business Essentials. It offers four required courses along with a recommended, supplemental course. The idea is to give home brewers and entrepreneurs foundational business knowledge, tools and resources to navigate the growing craft beer industry.

If you complete the whole program, you’ll wind up with a Craft Beer Business Essentials Certificate. Not to mention you’ll be a craft beer boss.

Who is it for?

The program is design for anyone including homebrewers, entrepreneurs and other business professionals. However, craft brew enthusiasts take heart. UNC Charlotte also offers a one day class, Beer Basics: Crash Course in Craft. You might not get a certificate for it but you’ll drink some beer and learn a lot along the way.

As a noncredit continuing education program, no application or entrance requirements to UNC Charlotte are required. Interested students can simply sign-up for the classes online.

*The program and classes are only designed for those 21 years and older.

What are the classes?

The curriculum for the Craft Beer Business Essentials Certificate program includes four courses, which can be taken over the span of seven weeks:

(1) Creating and Financing Your Business Plan

This course is about everything from investment strategies to accounting tax fundamentals. Foundational stuff for growing a craft brew business.

(2) Identity Development & Marketing Strategies

Covers branding, product design, marketing strategies, social media best practices and everything marketing related you would need to know.

(3) Brewery Management Fundamentals

Walks students through topics like real estate, staffing and personnel management, and equipment leasing & operations management. Things that keep your brewery running.

(4) Legal Bootcamp for Craft Beer Business

What you need to know about Federal, NC and local laws in regards to licensing, permits, sales, distribution and more.

All certificate courses are offered online with one Saturday face-to-face.

There’s also a recommended course called Beer Basics: Crash Course in Craft.

This class is completed over a Saturday at The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery and it’s interactive (meaning you’ll drink beer). Here’s what you’ll learn about:

• Region and local craft beer history
• Serving basics
• Ingredients and intro into brewing
• Beer types and styles
• Evaluating craft beer flavor
• Food pairing and cooking with beer

Sound pretty cool? You don’t even have to be in the craft beer business program to take this course.

How much does it cost?

The entire Craft Beer Business Essentials Certificate Program can be bundled together for only $1,683. It’s a discounted rate to purchase all the classes together. 

If you’re just interested in the Beer Basics: Crash Course in Craft class, that’s only $190. Alumni can take the class at a discounted rate.

Where do I sign up?

You can find class details, schedules and sign up for the program, here. Don’t forget – sign up for the program this coming spring 2018 and you can get a 15% discount.

Luckily, you don’t have to wait until spring 2018 to partake in some of Charlotte’s finest craft beer.

This Saturday, UNC Charlotte is hosting Oktoberfest as part of their annual homecoming celebration.

Tickets start at $10 and will include samples from breweries such as Birdsong Brewing Co., Cabarrus Brewing Co., Red Clay Ciderworks, Sycamore Brewing and more.

The event is at Hauser Alumni Pavilion and runs from 3-6pm.

Snag your Oktoberfest tickets before Saturday here.

(This content was co-created with University of North Carolina at Charlotte.)