Personal enrichment courses are here
Beer-tasting sessions are the first taste of an exciting new lineup coming in 2025
For more than seven decades, people have been enhancing their credentials and boosting their careers with the University of Delaware’s continuing education programs.
Now it’s time for experience-craving adult learners to engage in a new type of education that will enable them to primarily focus on having fun while acquiring some knowledge at the same time.
UD’s Division of Professional and Continuing Studies (UD PCS) is preparing to launch a number of “personal enrichment” short courses that give students quick and affordable ways to expand their skills, explore interesting topics or just enjoy a learning experience that leans a bit toward the lighter side.
The first of these quick-hit courses launches this spring, with four classes offered periodically through 2025: Virtual Beer Tasting and Appreciation was designed for enthusiasts who would like to deepen their understanding of the diverse flavors and endless styles of today’s craft-brew world.
Taught by veteran brewmaster Brad Adelson, each 90-minute session challenges participants to buy a few bottles of brews specified by the instructor, then sit down together via Zoom to sample, assess and enjoy the camaraderie. Learners are able to enroll in one—or all—of four scheduled tasting sessions, set for Feb. 6, May 1, Aug. 7 and Nov. 6, for $50 per session or $125 for the full, four-session, “Four-Pack” bundle. The first tasting session, set for Feb. 6, will be offered free of charge
The sessions are designed to be similar to a “wine tasting,” but with an expert by your side as you sip.
“With anything you drink, the more you know about the history, the ingredients, the process, the more passion you’ll feel,” said Adelson, who is also the instructor for the popular UD PCS Foundations of Brewing Science and Brewery Operations Certificate course, which starts Feb. 19.
Learners who have previously completed Adelson’s certificate program can grab a Four-Pack bundle for the reduced price of $100. And people who sign up for the bundle can take the 10-week online Foundations of Brewing Science and Brewery Operations course at a special rate of $795— a $200 reduction off the list price. Discounts are available for UD employees, students and alumni, groups, and members of the military.
The $200 discount is also available for the first 10 who register for the Foundations of Brewing Science and Brewery Operations course using the discount code “CHEERS.”
Adelson will set the tasting bar high for his budding beer judges: Tastings will follow the same style guidelines used to certify competition experts. “Having that knowledge not only makes it more fun, it boosts people’s appreciation for the craft,” Adelson said.
Participants who sign up for all four sessions will get to enjoy the whole year’s worth of seasonal beers, including stouts, spring beers (pilsners, pale ales, IPAs), summertime sips and — naturally — Oktoberfest/ pumpkin brews.
“My goal is to show them that this is just as sophisticated as wine, and that we can approach it the same way we do wine. It’s just as respectable,” the brewmaster said. “In wine tasting, they talk about the terroir of the grapes, the history of the vineyards, and that injection of passion really lends itself to a great drinking experience.
“Beer is just as complex, if not more so.”
UD PCS is working to supplement its personal enrichment course lineup for fall 2025, guided in part by the adult learners who helpfully respond to annual surveys, said Jane Shire, coordinator for noncredit programs at UD PCS.
“We also want to be really responsive to trends and cultural shifts because we have the flexibility to create courses based on what’s going on at the moment,” she said.
Interest was especially high for several areas listed in the survey, so stay tuned for potential topics like personal health and wellness, foreign language learning, or even gardening and landscaping.
“We’re going to be looking at those possibilities soon,” Shire said. “It’s exciting.”
