Applications Open for the October 2023 Intake of the Certificate of Advanced Studies in Coffee Excellence
The Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), in collaboration with the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA), has opened registration for the October 2023 intake of the Certificate of Advanced Studies in Coffee Excellence.
Developed by researchers at ZHAW’s Coffee Excellence Center, the postgraduate CAS in Coffee Excellence is an online learning course designed to provide coffee professionals with a multidisciplinary overview of applied sciences within the academic world of specialty coffee. Sanremo Coffee Machines, Sucafina, BWT, Probat, and HACO support this program and its content as research partners.
The program is comprised of three academic modules which cover green coffee, transformation and composition of the bean, and extraction and sensory. The program is delivered exclusively via distance learning and includes virtual classrooms with recognized experts, a self-learning research project for assessment, and new interactive virtual lab sessions where instructors invite students to their labs for hands-on virtual experiments. Each module takes 21 weeks with a workload of 125 hours (6-7 hours per week). Successful applicants earn 15 credits in the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) and are awarded a “Certificate of Advanced Studies in Coffee Excellence” from ZHAW.
Applications are now open for the October 2023 intake. The course is available to people with a university degree and at least two years of professional coffee or related field experience. Persons without a university degree may also qualify with an SCA Coffee Skills Diploma and at least three years of professional experience. Here a short, online admission interview is required. Good written and oral skills in English are required and a basic knowledge of biology and chemistry are helpful.
The first cohort visited World of Coffee Milan in 2022. ZHAW has celebrated 66 graduates in the first year, and 53 are currently attending the course.
If you are interested in asking your questions about the course and having a friendly discussion, join us at EXPO Portland and WOC Athens this year where module facilitators will be in attendance.
Registration is open until September 4, 2023 with a start date of October 2, 2023. You can learn more about the CAS in Coffee Excellence at zhaw.ch.