Why Craft Beer Education?

According to the Brewers Association, a craft brewery is small, independent, and traditional. America's appetite for craft beers is growing like never before - sales of craft beers grew more than 15% in 2015, from $19.6 to $22.3 billion!  As of March 2016 there were in excess of 4,000 breweries in the United States, the highest number in U.S. History.  Washington State is home to more than 300 breweries, ranking it second nationally behind California.

With 5,005 craft breweries operating across the nation in late 2016, there is a definite need for professionals in the field – Craft breweries currently employ an estimated 121,843 full- and part-time workers in a variety of roles including many manufacturing jobs, all of which contribute significantly to the U.S. economy. A major challenge for this growing industry is finding properly qualified employees for their growing businesses. Not only are brewers needed, but also graduates from other academic disciplines who have an understanding of the craft beer industry.

CWU Craft Brewing's goal is to help provide the knowledgeable professionals to this ever growing industry, which now represents (as of March 2016) a 12 percent market share of the overall beer industry.

Who is this program for?

• Current CWU undergraduates seeking a certificate to supplement their degree.
• Current CWU undergraduates seeking a degree or to double-major.
• Incoming freshmen and transfer students seeking a degree in Craft Brewing.
• Craft brewing professionals looking to further develop their skills.
• Working professionals seeking a career change.

Our Students

Graduates of both the Craft Brewing Certificate and Bachelor of Science Degree are diverse and hail from around the world. They have gone on to work as cellar workers, assistant brewers and head brewers at breweries throughout the United States. Some have even launched their own successful craft breweries. To learn more about our alumni, visit our Craft Brewing Alumni section.

CWU Craft Brewing
400 E University Way
Ellensburg, WA 98926-7433
Ph: 509-963-1386
Fax: 509-963-1690

For general inquiries, please email Katie Olson: Katie.Olson@cwu.edu
For student advising & curriculum, please email Dr. Steve Wagner: WagnerS@cwu.edu