Anyone done the UC Davis program?

I know there are other brew schools out there, and I know many of us have thought about going. But is there anybody here on HBT that has actually gone to the program?

If so, I am wondering what the difference is between the certificate and the masters program, (besides the money and time). It almost seems like the eight week certificate program is just a smaller version of the masters. How did either of these programs help (or not help) with job placement and knowledge?

The Owner of one my LHBS has the Masters.

IIUC, he makes a better living as a retailer than he did as a ProBrewer.

I thought about this pretty hard as well (was pretty set on quitting my job and moving to Davis)....

But then I factored in the money. Brewers (even Master Brewers at big craft breweries) don't make much. You will most likely cap out at about 50k and will start out much much less than that.

The only way to make any money in brewing is to have your own brewery, and that is even hard to make money at. If financials are not as big of a concern to you, then go for it. You are most likely not going to get a job as head brewer at Dogfish right out of school; but don't get discouraged. Work your way up from bottle filler to head brewer.

Talk about loving what you do!!!!

Also, check out ProBrewer.com: An Online Resource Serving The Beer Industry. It has a lot of great info on the subject.