Comparing the Best Coffee
Education and Certification Programs
Many who are interested in coffee will at some point consider one of the globally recognized coffee training programs. Good study and training programs are available for hobbyists as well as aspiring and established professionals in the world of coffee. Here is an overview of the available options.
There are three internationally active organizations in the coffee education and coffee certification space, each of them offering a different learning approach and study outcome, but all three are backed by impressive boards of globally known and respected coffee executives. Beyond these three organizations, there are multiple other providers offering coffee education, including schools particularly focused on barista training.
1. Masters of Coffee
Masters of Coffee is the youngest certification program among the three we review here, offering a two-level system leading to the Certified Coffee Specialist (Level 1) and Master of Coffee (Level 2) designations. The program allows beginners as well as beverage professionals to reach or expand a comprehensive level of coffee knowledge. Similar to the sommelier certifications in wine, Masters of Coffee covers knowledge and tasting capability, promoting both skilled connoisseurship and communication.
Level 1, the Certified Coffee Specialist (postnominal: CCS), is a remote-study program providing a complete introduction to all important facets of coffee. An illustrated study guide is provided upon enrollment, and the 100-question online exam can be scheduled anytime. With a total fee of $595, the CCS program is the most affordable and direct path to earning a life-long professional title carrying high credibility, and conveying a wide set of relevant coffee knowledge. The program is suitable for candidates anywhere in world, removing location hurdles of access.
Ambitious candidates can move on to Level 2, pursuing the Master of Coffee (postnominal: MC) title, where they must demonstrate intense dedication to coffee in an onsite exam taking place annually in Los Angeles.
2. Specialty Coffee Association (SCA)
For many years, the coffee-dedicated non-profit SCA has delivered its reliable coffee skills programs through a network of independent trainers in select training locations that are spread out globally. Most of the courses take place in an immersive in-person format, but distance learning options are available by some providers. The sessions utilize many of the best coffee practices and strict standards the SCA has developed over decades.
Candidates generally attend a series of full-day course modules to receive the Coffee Skills Diploma, but they do not receive a professional title or postnominal. Program prices differ by training center, usually exceeding $2,000 to reach the diploma eligibility. In addition, the SCA currently charges a certificate issuance fee of $330.
Through their differentiated types of course modules, SCA courses are suitable for dedicated hobbyists as well as coffee professionals.
3. Coffee Quality Institute (CQI)
CQI is home of the highly regarded Q Grader exam, a coffee quality assessment training that appears particularly designed for members of the coffee trade who assess bean quality professionally. The obligatory on-site training and examination usually stretches over 6 full days.
A graduated Q Grader is a highly trained and calibrated coffee taster who can evaluate coffee applying strict quality criteria and tasting protocols. The protocols and criteria are fairly consistent with SCA equivalents. Q Graders may carry the designation for 3 years, but they then lose the title unless they successfully pass a re-examination.
Similar to the SCA infrastructure of training centers located in several countries, CQI courses are delivered by independent trainers who often overlap between these two organizations. A typical course cost –for example at an established training center in California– is currently priced at $2,150, but fees vary by provider and location.
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You may join Masters of Coffee to become a Certified Coffee Specialist (CCS) here: