The Sustainable Brewing program is an interdisciplinary four-year curriculum that will help position students to enter the craft beer field in a variety of roles. The goal of this program is to educate students who are intimately familiar with the technical features of brewing, have an appreciation for the rich landscape of an industry that has been part of human civilization for thousands of years, and can comprehend and address the environmental challenges faced by the industry in the 21st century. Required Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) courses for the program will complement a slate of brewing-focused courses, while additional courses in sustainability and other elective fields will provide the breadth of knowledge sought in the industry. The program is supported and advised by an external advisory board with members from the top breweries in the state. Because of the interdisciplinary nature of the program and the large number of credit hours required, students in this program are not required to have a minor.

Program Objectives

• Understand the historical and social forces that were cause and effect of brewing in human civilization.
• Gain first-hand experience going through the process of brewing, “grain to glass”.
• Develop a sensitivity for the ethic of sustainability that will inform decisions about energy demand, efficiency, water use, waste minimization, and local sourcing of materials.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the biochemistry and microbiology involved in fermentation and aging.

Program Coordination

This interdisciplinary major housed in the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability is overseen by an interdisciplinary Program Coordinating Team consisting of representatives from departments and programs with courses included in the program, the CAS Office of Undergraduate Advising, and the CAS Dean’s Office. The Program Coordinating Team will be responsible for supervising and modifying curricula and for student advising.