Kalamazoo Valley Community College expands Sustainable Brewing program for students across the country

Kalamazoo Valley Community College is expanding its successful Sustainable Brewing program for students outside of Kalamazoo, Michigan to participate in. The program first launched on campus in 2015, and is now being offered online beginning with the Fall 2025 semester thanks to a new course format that allows for 100% virtual coursework supplemented by in-person experiences at the student’s brewery of employment.

According to an article on Kalamazoo Valley Community College’s website, Aaron Ross, an instructor in the Sustainable Brewing program, was quoted as saying of the expansion, "We have been building this program for two years. We are excited to offer our students even more opportunities within our program to provide them with multiple options for careers."

The new online program is the first of its kind in the state of Michigan and will offer students the ability to earn an occupational trades studies associate degree in as few as four semesters. The program also offers an 18-hour certificate of achievement and a 30-hour certificate program.

Throughout the program, students will learn hospitality, business, and beer production skills. The program offers two pathways for completion, designed to be flexible and accessible for all students. The first option allows for virtual coursework that will be supplemented by weekly in-person lab sessions that will take place at the Marilyn J. Schlack Culinary and Allied Health Building in downtown Kalamazoo, and the second option, which will be more accessible to students in other areas of the country, relies on virtual coursework with “lab experiences” being built into the student’s everyday work at their current brewery of employment.

Program instructor Brian Lindberg said, "It has been incredible to see our program grow. We have many students who have seen success from their time at Kalamazoo Valley. We look forward to seeing how providing this online course option will bring in even more passionate students ready to kick-start their careers."

Since the program’s initial launch in 2015, it has proven to be successful in its numerous alumni who have gone on to work in the beverage industry, and in the program’s award and competition wins in the U.S. Open College Beer Championship and in the Great American Beer Festival.

For more information about Kalamazoo Valley Community College, visit the school’s website.