2 UW Campuses Will Soon Offer Certificates In Fermentation

University of Wisconsin campuses in Madison and Milwaukee will soon launch undergraduate certificate programs in fermentation.

Students interested in making fermented foods and beverages like beer, wine, cheese and sauerkraut will soon be able to pursue the subject at either campus.

Jim Steele, a professor of food science at UW-Madison, is helping launch the school’s new program. He said that there’s been a lot of growth in the craft beer and wine industries, and that the degrees will help young people get jobs in the field.

“Many of our students have an entrepreneurial slant to the way that they see their futures, and this really provides a way for people with an entrepreneurial background as well as a science background to be able to put those together with the creativity required in those fields,” said Steele.

The winemaking community in Wisconsin has lobbied hard for fermentation programs at state universities in recent years, saying a new professionally trained workforce would greatly benefit the industry, which has been growing at breakneck speed. The number of wineries in Wisconsin grew nearly 20 percent in 2012 alone, according to the Midwest Wine Press.

Ryan Prellwitz, the president of the Wisconsin Grape Growers Association, said the programs are a chance for the state to produce future leaders in the industry.

“We have an opportunity to provide well-educated students to the wineries and breweries and distilleries of the upper Midwest,” Prellwitz said.

The UW-Madison program is expected to launch in the fall of 2015.

Correction: This article originally described the program as an “advanced degree.” Graduates of the program actually receive a certificate, not a degree.