UC San Diego Extension, the professional education and public service division of UC San Diego, announces the launch of a professional brewing program, effective summer 2013. The program has been developed in response to the rapid growth of the craft brewing industry in the San Diego region, and in consultation with an advisory board of leading San Diego brewers. Courses will focus on providing students with the essential knowledge and hands-on experience necessary to work in a professional brewing environment.
“The combination of craft, technology and entrepreneurship makes this a great fit for us. We’re designing a program which is flexible, but at the same time rigorous—and very practical,” said Peter Thomas, Associate Director for Arts, Humanities, Languages and Digital Arts at UC San Diego Extension. He also notes, “There is an energy and enthusiasm in this industry which I’ve found contagious. The input from local professional brewers has been generous and invaluable.”
There is a strong connection between UC San Diego and the local brewing industry. Chris White, President and Co-Founder of San Diego’s White Labs, one of the leading yeast providers to breweries throughout the U.S., received his Ph.D. from UC San Diego. Yuseff Cherney, Head Brewer and Co-Founder of Ballast Point, one of the largest and most respected craft breweries in San Diego, is himself a graduate of UC San Diego and has been teaching brewing for several years for the (now closed) Crafts Center at UC San Diego, where Chris White was one of his first students. Both White and Cherney are on the Advisory Board for the developing program, and Cherney will teach the introductory course for the program which will start in July.
UC San Diego Extension is hosting three information sessions for the program on April 11, June 6, and August 8. Visit extension.ucsd.edu/brewing or call (858)534-9999 to register.
Information obtained via UCSD Extension press release.