I recently got accepted into the UC Davis Master Brewers program myself...here's my background:
Graduating in June 09 with a BS in Chemical Engineering from UC Riverside
3 years of an internship doing air quality research and analysis
1 year of an internship researching platinum nano-crystals for use as a catalyst in proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells
~1yr experience home brewing (includes reading and research)
3 month internship at a local micro brewery
interesting that I would find this to be my first post on this forum, especially bumping a month old topic, but I felt the need to give my 2 cents...
Anyways...since gaining acceptance into this program I have felt the need to do as much thinking about whether or not it is truly worth doing it...I mean aside from the financial obligations this is a dream I have had for the past 2 years!
UC Davis is led by two of the biggest world authorities on beer...Michael Lewis and Charles Bamforth and this program is not only world renowned by in the top three of brewing schools in the world...
Now considering the fact that you will not only be studying what happens when brewing but before, during, and after (like the engineering side of things) this course is intense and not for the average home brewer (no offense, but I spoke for Charles Bamforth in person and this was his analysis, not mine)
Anyways...all things considered this course is $14,300 and worth every cent IMO just because of the network, letters of rec, and environment one will be immersed into...this is something that will be there for you always and is internationally recognized.
The figures posted here for master brewers are all taken from statistics from the early 2000's (ie 2003-2005) and since then salaries/wages have increased to accommodate for the massive change in the standard of living...I have not heard of a since master brewer (in CA at least) that makes less than $45K but then again, that is subject to those stubborn people who know people, who know people, who say master brewers don't make $45K...you know it's really who you ask and where they're located...
Now I don't plan on becoming a master brewer, I plan on opening up my own place (as does everyone) but in all seriousness, this program can save on major costs when plannign on starting your own place because the knowledge obtained here (or at any master brewers course for that matter) can give you the insight that a normal home brewer can't fathom...it's an entirely different world (as I have come to see) going from 5-10 gallon batches to 7 or 14bbl microbrew systems...It's not necessarily a bad thing to do a trial by error type education system, but it is not very cost effective and against my nature as an engineer...
Anywho...for me, it's always been the network and the name game...being at UCR I see it more than ever, I need an f'ing resume booster, something that makes me more impressive than the average Joe, and this is just the thing...so for all you novice dreamers, expert brewers, Joe "Beer" Smith's, these kinds of programs are great...and I'd imagine a lot of ppl would say I'm in the dark because I haven't even started the program yet, well I've been to the UCD campus, spoken to a plethora of students and professors, and to be quite honest, yes, mine is an educated guess, but a good outlook from a non-biased perspective...
I'll let you guys know how it goes next June!
Until then...
Keep on brewin'