SCA Coffee Skills Program
A modular, hands-on pathway for building practical specialty-coffee knowledge from foundations to advanced professional practice.
Begin with Introduction to Coffee, then choose Barista, Brewing, Green Coffee, Roasting or Sensory Skills.
Specialist modules progress through Foundation, Intermediate and Professional levels; completed certificates can contribute to an SCA Skills Diploma.
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Professional SCA Coffee Education for Every Stage of Your Journey
Train with an authorised SCA trainer through practical, internationally recognised courses—from your first foundations to advanced sensory, technical and sustainability learning.
Choose your learning pathway
SCA Coffee Skills Program
A modular, hands-on pathway for building practical specialty-coffee knowledge from foundations to advanced professional practice.
Begin with Introduction to Coffee, then choose Barista, Brewing, Green Coffee, Roasting or Sensory Skills.
Specialist modules progress through Foundation, Intermediate and Professional levels; completed certificates can contribute to an SCA Skills Diploma.
Explore this programme
SCA Sustainability Program
A practical sustainability pathway for understanding—and acting on—environmental, social and economic priorities across coffee.
Start with Coffee Sustainability Foundation, then explore Coffee Economics, Climate & Coffee, and Compliance, Governance & Reporting.
Build a toolkit for applying sustainability, market, climate and reporting knowledge in real coffee-business decisions.
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SCA Coffee Technicians Program
Hands-on technical education for professionals who install, maintain and repair commercial coffee equipment.
Learn how espresso machines, brewers, grinders and water systems work, and how to diagnose issues safely.
Available here: Water & Preventive Maintenance Foundation—9 hours covering water-quality parameters, maintenance schedules and basic system repairs.
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SCA Q Grader
An advanced quality-evaluation course for experienced coffee professionals working with the SCA Coffee Value Assessment framework.
Strengthen sensory analysis, professional cupping and a shared vocabulary for describing coffee quality.
Complete nine required assessments across six consecutive days to earn the renewable, three-year SCA Q Grader License.
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One introductory course
Introduction to Coffee
Start with a clear overview of coffee from seed to cup, including cultivation, processing, roasting, brewing, and sensory appreciation.
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Introduction to Coffee
One introductory course
From €105,00
Build a confident understanding of the specialty-coffee journey before choosing a technical pathway.
- Trace coffee from origin and processing to roasting and preparation.
- Recognise the role of freshness, brewing variables, and sensory experience.
- Identify the next Coffee Skills course that fits your interests or career goals.
Choose a delivery format on the registration page.
Three progressive levels
Barista Skills
Develop practical espresso, grinder, milk, workflow, and café-service skills from first recipes through to professional quality control.
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Barista Skills — Foundation
Build the practical essentials for consistent espresso, milk preparation, and a confident café workflow.
- Coffee origin and processing basics
- Espresso recipe setup, grinder adjustment, and extraction
- Milk texturing, drink preparation, and core service routines
Choose a delivery format on the registration page.
Barista Skills — Intermediate
Improve consistency and diagnose espresso, milk, flavour, and workflow issues in a busy professional setting.
- Grind, dose, yield, and time adjustments for better extraction
- Milk science, latte art, and beverage quality
- Workflow, sensory evaluation, and practical assessment preparation
Choose a delivery format on the registration page.
Barista Skills — Professional
Lead a high-performing coffee bar with advanced espresso control, sensory judgement, and quality systems.
- Advanced recipe development and troubleshooting
- Service leadership, efficiency, and quality assurance
- Independent decision-making for equipment, flavour and team performance
Choose a delivery format on the registration page.
Three progressive levels
Brewing Skills
Learn how water, grind, recipe, equipment, and method work together to make consistently delicious brewed coffee.
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Brewing Skills — Foundation
Understand the key principles behind manual brewing and make dependable coffee with common methods.
- Core brewing variables: water, grind, ratio, time, and agitation
- Practical use of common manual-brewing equipment
- Basic sensory checks for strength, balance, and extraction
Choose a delivery format on the registration page.
Brewing Skills — Intermediate
Use measurement and sensory feedback to diagnose brews, refine recipes, and repeat good results.
- Recipe development across brewing methods
- Strength and extraction measurement
- Water, grinder, and process adjustments for flavour quality
Choose a delivery format on the registration page.
Brewing Skills — Professional
Design and manage advanced brewing systems with a focus on repeatability, quality control, and professional standards.
- Advanced brewing analysis and recipe design
- Water treatment and equipment performance
- Quality systems for a high-volume or specialist coffee setting
Choose a delivery format on the registration page.
Three progressive levels
Green Coffee
Follow coffee from producing countries to roasteries, building knowledge of quality, sourcing, logistics, and buying decisions.
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Green Coffee — Foundation
Explore cultivation, processing, quality, storage, and the basic commercial journey of green coffee.
- Coffee-growing regions and post-harvest processing
- Core green-coffee quality and defect concepts
- Storage, transport, and trade fundamentals
Choose a delivery format on the registration page.
Green Coffee — Intermediate
Build practical buying and quality-evaluation skills for sourcing coffee in a professional context.
- Sample assessment and green-coffee quality evaluation
- Contracts, logistics, and supply-chain considerations
- Sourcing choices informed by quality and commercial priorities
Choose a delivery format on the registration page.
Green Coffee — Professional
Develop a strategic approach to sourcing, quality assurance, and long-term green-coffee management.
- Advanced sample analysis and sourcing strategy
- Risk, quality, and commercial decision-making
- Building reliable buying and supplier relationships
Choose a delivery format on the registration page.
Three progressive levels
Roasting Skills
Understand roasting science and move from safe, consistent fundamentals to advanced profile design and production quality.
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Roasting Skills — Foundation
Learn the essential language, safety, and science behind roasting coffee with control and purpose.
- What changes during roasting and why it matters
- Core roasting equipment, safety, and process steps
- Basic roast colour, development, and sensory evaluation
Choose a delivery format on the registration page.
Roasting Skills — Intermediate
Use heat, time, colour, and sensory feedback to build more consistent roast profiles.
- Heat transfer, roast curves, and profile adjustment
- Colour measurement and repeatability
- Roasting decisions connected to flavour and brewing performance
Choose a delivery format on the registration page.
Roasting Skills — Professional
Create and manage advanced production-roasting systems that deliver clear quality targets at scale.
- Advanced profile design and quality control
- Production planning, consistency, and defect reduction
- Using sensory and data to guide roast-development decisions
Choose a delivery format on the registration page.
Three progressive levels
Sensory Skills
Train your palate and evaluation process so you can describe coffee clearly and make dependable quality decisions.
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Sensory Skills — Foundation
Build a practical sensory vocabulary and use structured tasting to recognise core coffee qualities.
- How taste, aroma, and flavour shape coffee perception
- Structured cupping and sensory vocabulary
- Simple quality evaluation and communication
Choose a delivery format on the registration page.
Sensory Skills — Intermediate
Strengthen your calibration, discrimination, and communication skills for professional tasting and quality work.
- Comparative tasting and flavour identification
- Leading useful tasting sessions and recording results
- Connecting sensory findings to quality improvement
Choose a delivery format on the registration page.
Sensory Skills — Professional
Lead advanced sensory practice and turn evaluation results into clear quality and product decisions.
- Panel calibration and advanced sensory methods
- Designing robust evaluation systems
- Translating sensory data into actionable quality standards
Choose a delivery format on the registration page.
Foundation course
Coffee Sustainability Foundation
Build a clear understanding of sustainability across the coffee value chain and the tools that support practical action.
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Coffee Sustainability Foundation
Foundation course
From €130,00
Understand sustainability challenges, shared responsibility, and practical action across the coffee value chain.
- Who it’s for: Coffee professionals and business leaders who want a practical foundation in sustainability.
- Duration: Course schedule confirmed on request
- Assessment: Assessment requirements are confirmed when you request a place.
Choose a delivery format on the registration page.
Specialist course
Coffee Economics
Explore markets, pricing, farm profitability, value creation, and practical approaches to a more equitable coffee economy.
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Coffee Economics
Specialist course
From €200,00
Understand coffee economics, markets, financial decisions, and commercial realities across the value chain.
- Who it’s for: Coffee professionals and business owners who want to understand the economics of coffee.
- Duration: Course schedule confirmed on request
- Assessment: Assessment requirements are confirmed when you request a place.
Choose a delivery format on the registration page.
Specialist course
Climate & Coffee
Examine the environmental challenges facing coffee and strategies that support resilient farms, landscapes, and businesses.
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Climate & Coffee
Specialist course
From €185,00
Explore the relationship between climate change and coffee, including impacts, mitigation, and adaptation.
- Who it’s for: Coffee professionals who want to understand climate risk and practical resilience.
- Duration: Course schedule confirmed on request
- Assessment: Assessment requirements are confirmed when you request a place.
Choose a delivery format on the registration page.
Specialist course
Compliance, Governance & Reporting
Build the knowledge to respond to evolving sustainability requirements and make transparent, accountable business decisions.
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Compliance, Governance & Reporting
Specialist course
From €200,00
Learn the principles of governance, compliance, transparent reporting, and responsible coffee-business practice.
- Who it’s for: Coffee businesses and professionals managing sustainability requirements and reporting.
- Duration: Course schedule confirmed on request
- Assessment: Assessment requirements are confirmed when you request a place.
Choose a delivery format on the registration page.
Foundation course
Water & Preventive Maintenance
Build the practical knowledge to manage water quality and carry out routine maintenance on coffee equipment.
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Water & Preventive Maintenance
Foundation course
From €200,00
Build practical knowledge of water quality, treatment, equipment care, and preventative maintenance.
- Who it’s for: Coffee technicians and equipment users responsible for water quality and routine maintenance.
- Duration: Course schedule confirmed on request
- Assessment: Assessment requirements are confirmed when you request a place.
Choose a delivery format on the registration page.
Advanced professional course
SCA Q Grader
Develop the skills to evaluate, describe, and communicate coffee quality through a globally recognised professional pathway.
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SCA Q Grader
Advanced professional course
From €1.200,00
Prepare for rigorous sensory calibration, cupping, coffee evaluation, and the Q Grader pathway.
- Who it’s for: Experienced coffee professionals preparing for the SCA Q Grader pathway.
- Duration: Course schedule confirmed on request
- Assessment: Assessment requirements are confirmed when you request a place.
Choose a delivery format on the registration page.
1. Choose your pathway
Start with the topic that matches your current role, experience, and professional goals.
2. Train and practise
Learn through a mix of practical training, theory, and guided feedback.
3. Complete your assessment
Meet the course requirements to earn your certificate and progress in your pathway.
SCA Skills Diplomas
Explore your SCA diploma pathway
Choose a career pathway, then open it to see the certificates you need to complete.
Service & leadership
Café Diploma
For café professionals and managers building confident service, workflow, and quality systems.
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Service & leadership
Café Diploma
For café professionals and managers building confident service, workflow, and quality systems.
View pathway detailsHide detailsBuild a complete, role-focused portfolio across espresso service, brewing, roasting, sensory skills, sustainability, and equipment care.
Café Diploma course details
Open any course to see what you will learn, the expected duration, and the available registration route.
Barista Skills — Foundation7 hours
Start with the complete foundation needed to work confidently behind an espresso bar. You will connect coffee knowledge with practical service routines, learning how to set up a grinder, prepare espresso to quality standards, steam and texture milk, and produce introductory latte art.
- Understand how coffee origin, variety, and processing can influence the cup.
- Set a grinder, dial in espresso, and assess the resulting drink.
- Practise milk handling, basic latte art, cleaning, health and safety, and customer service.
- Complete a written assessment covering the Foundation learning outcomes.
Barista Skills — Intermediate14 hours
Build on essential barista skills with a closer look at the variables that shape flavour, quality, and speed of service. This level is designed for working baristas who want to diagnose espresso, improve drink consistency, and manage a more demanding coffee bar workflow.
- Explore how origin, variety, and processing affect coffee flavour and drink construction.
- Control dose, grind texture, water quality, and shot time when developing an espresso recipe.
- Analyse extraction, refine milk technique and latte art, and improve workflow efficiency.
- Demonstrate your knowledge through written and practical assessment, including calibration and drink preparation.
Barista Skills — Professional21 hours
Designed for experienced baristas moving into leadership, this advanced level connects coffee science with the systems that make excellent service repeatable. You will learn to evaluate flavour precisely, develop robust recipes and menus, and guide others to deliver a consistently high standard.
- Use a structured tasting approach to describe coffee flavour and identify opportunities to improve a drink.
- Develop espresso recipes, evaluate ingredients, and build a purposeful beverage menu.
- Strengthen team training, quality control, advanced milk steaming, and high-level latte art.
- Complete written and practical assessments based on professional barista responsibilities.
Brewing — Foundation7 hours
Learn the core principles that turn a recipe into a consistent, enjoyable cup.
- Use essential brewing equipment safely and accurately.
- Build and follow reliable recipes for common manual methods.
- Understand extraction, strength, and the relationship between coffee, water, and grind.
Brewing — Intermediate14 hours
Move beyond recipes to diagnose flavour and adjust the variables that control cup quality.
- Measure and adjust strength and extraction using practical tools.
- Compare brew methods and tailor recipes for different coffees.
- Explore water, grind, dose, time, and temperature as a connected system.
Brewing — Professional21 hours
Develop advanced brewing capability for designing quality systems, recipes, and service standards.
- Apply advanced extraction and water-chemistry knowledge.
- Use sensory feedback to design and refine brewing recipes.
- Build quality-control processes for professional brewing operations.
Roasting — Foundation7 hours
Understand what happens during roasting and how to operate a roaster safely with a basic profile.
- Recognise the physical and chemical changes that happen during a roast.
- Use basic profiles and colour targets to guide roasting decisions.
- Practise core machine operation, safety, and production routines.
Sensory Skills — Foundation7 hours
Build the sensory vocabulary and cupping habits needed to evaluate coffee with confidence.
- Identify core taste and flavour attributes.
- Learn professional cupping setup and protocol.
- Understand the basic principles of sensory evaluation.
Coffee Sustainability — Foundation12 hours
Build a practical understanding of sustainability challenges and opportunities across coffee.
- Understand key environmental, economic, and social relationships.
- Identify major sustainability challenges across the value chain.
- Use practical tools to support more responsible decisions.
Water & Preventive Maintenance — Foundation9 hours
Understand water quality and preventative care as foundations for reliable equipment and better coffee.
- Explore water treatment and its impact on coffee and equipment.
- Build practical preventative-maintenance routines.
- Recognise how maintenance protects performance and product quality.
Production & quality
Roastery Diploma
For professionals managing roast consistency, quality control, and production from green coffee to profile.
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Production & quality
Roastery Diploma
For professionals managing roast consistency, quality control, and production from green coffee to profile.
View pathway detailsHide detailsDevelop the technical and sensory knowledge needed for a consistent, quality-led roasting operation.
Roastery Diploma course details
Open any requirement to see what the course covers and register for the matching option.
Brewing — Foundation7 hours
Learn the core principles that turn a recipe into a consistent, enjoyable cup.
- Use essential brewing equipment safely and accurately.
- Build and follow reliable recipes for common manual methods.
- Understand extraction, strength, and the relationship between coffee, water, and grind.
Green Coffee — Foundation7 hours
Gain a practical introduction to how green coffee moves from producing country to roastery.
- Follow cultivation, harvesting, processing, drying, shipping, and storage through the supply chain.
- Recognise the foundations of growing, processing, grading, and trade.
- Practise basic green-coffee assessment and portfolio thinking.
Roasting — Foundation7 hours
Understand what happens during roasting and how to operate a roaster safely with a basic profile.
- Recognise the physical and chemical changes that happen during a roast.
- Use basic profiles and colour targets to guide roasting decisions.
- Practise core machine operation, safety, and production routines.
Roasting — Intermediate14 hours
Develop stronger control over roast development, heat transfer, colour, and repeatability.
- Control roast profiles more deliberately across different coffees.
- Use colour and development data to assess a roast.
- Understand heat transfer and its practical impact on flavour and consistency.
Roasting — Professional21 hours
Master advanced profile design and production quality systems for a professional roastery.
- Design profiles for distinct coffee and product goals.
- Manage production roasting and consistent batch quality.
- Use quality control to improve repeatability, efficiency, and final flavour.
Sensory Skills — Foundation7 hours
Build the sensory vocabulary and cupping habits needed to evaluate coffee with confidence.
- Identify core taste and flavour attributes.
- Learn professional cupping setup and protocol.
- Understand the basic principles of sensory evaluation.
Sensory Skills — Intermediate14 hours
Strengthen your ability to identify flavour, compare samples, and lead practical sensory activities.
- Develop more accurate flavour identification.
- Run sensory tests and structured tasting sessions.
- Use sensory data to support coffee-quality decisions.
Sensory Skills — Professional21 hours
Lead professional sensory programs that support quality, training, and product development.
- Plan and lead advanced cuppings and sensory panels.
- Design testing programs for a business or quality team.
- Train others to use a consistent sensory language.
Coffee Sustainability — Foundation12 hours
Build a practical understanding of sustainability challenges and opportunities across coffee.
- Understand key environmental, economic, and social relationships.
- Identify major sustainability challenges across the value chain.
- Use practical tools to support more responsible decisions.
Water & Preventive Maintenance — Foundation9 hours
Understand water quality and preventative care as foundations for reliable equipment and better coffee.
- Explore water treatment and its impact on coffee and equipment.
- Build practical preventative-maintenance routines.
- Recognise how maintenance protects performance and product quality.
Sourcing & evaluation
Coffee Trade Diploma
For professionals sourcing and evaluating green coffee, making buying decisions, and working across the supply chain.
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Sourcing & evaluation
Coffee Trade Diploma
For professionals sourcing and evaluating green coffee, making buying decisions, and working across the supply chain.
View pathway detailsHide detailsBuild the knowledge to assess green coffee, make informed buying decisions, and communicate quality across the trade chain.
Coffee Trade Diploma course details
Open any requirement to see what the course covers and register for the matching option.
Brewing — Foundation7 hours
Learn the core principles that turn a recipe into a consistent, enjoyable cup.
- Use essential brewing equipment safely and accurately.
- Build and follow reliable recipes for common manual methods.
- Understand extraction, strength, and the relationship between coffee, water, and grind.
Green Coffee — Foundation7 hours
Gain a practical introduction to how green coffee moves from producing country to roastery.
- Follow cultivation, harvesting, processing, drying, shipping, and storage through the supply chain.
- Recognise the foundations of growing, processing, grading, and trade.
- Practise basic green-coffee assessment and portfolio thinking.
Green Coffee — Intermediate14 hours
Build stronger skills in quality evaluation, contracts, logistics, and the physical assessment of green coffee.
- Explore agronomy, seasonality, processing, storage, markets, certifications, and transactions.
- Grade by size, identify defects, and compare samples by process, species, and variety.
- Connect quality differentiation with green-coffee contract requirements.
Green Coffee — Professional21 hours
Prepare for senior green-coffee responsibilities, from sourcing strategy to sample analysis and purchasing decisions.
- Assess climate, farm management, processing, quality risks, and production costs.
- Work with market signals, contracts, supplier assessments, and targeted purchasing plans.
- Create consistent sampling standards and make evidence-led buying decisions.
Roasting — Foundation7 hours
Understand what happens during roasting and how to operate a roaster safely with a basic profile.
- Recognise the physical and chemical changes that happen during a roast.
- Use basic profiles and colour targets to guide roasting decisions.
- Practise core machine operation, safety, and production routines.
Sensory Skills — Foundation7 hours
Build the sensory vocabulary and cupping habits needed to evaluate coffee with confidence.
- Identify core taste and flavour attributes.
- Learn professional cupping setup and protocol.
- Understand the basic principles of sensory evaluation.
Sensory Skills — Intermediate14 hours
Strengthen your ability to identify flavour, compare samples, and lead practical sensory activities.
- Develop more accurate flavour identification.
- Run sensory tests and structured tasting sessions.
- Use sensory data to support coffee-quality decisions.
Sensory Skills — Professional21 hours
Lead professional sensory programs that support quality, training, and product development.
- Plan and lead advanced cuppings and sensory panels.
- Design testing programs for a business or quality team.
- Train others to use a consistent sensory language.
Coffee Sustainability — Foundation12 hours
Build a practical understanding of sustainability challenges and opportunities across coffee.
- Understand key environmental, economic, and social relationships.
- Identify major sustainability challenges across the value chain.
- Use practical tools to support more responsible decisions.
Water & Preventive Maintenance — Foundation9 hours
Understand water quality and preventative care as foundations for reliable equipment and better coffee.
- Explore water treatment and its impact on coffee and equipment.
- Build practical preventative-maintenance routines.
- Recognise how maintenance protects performance and product quality.
Sustainability & impact
Sustainable Coffee Diploma
For professionals leading practical sustainability work across the coffee value chain.
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Sustainability & impact
Sustainable Coffee Diploma
For professionals leading practical sustainability work across the coffee value chain.
View pathway detailsHide detailsCombine coffee quality knowledge with the tools to understand, implement, and evaluate meaningful sustainability practice.
Sustainable Coffee Diploma course details
Open any requirement to see what the course covers and register for the matching option.
Brewing — Foundation7 hours
Learn the core principles that turn a recipe into a consistent, enjoyable cup.
- Use essential brewing equipment safely and accurately.
- Build and follow reliable recipes for common manual methods.
- Understand extraction, strength, and the relationship between coffee, water, and grind.
Green Coffee — Foundation7 hours
Gain a practical introduction to how green coffee moves from producing country to roastery.
- Follow cultivation, harvesting, processing, drying, shipping, and storage through the supply chain.
- Recognise the foundations of growing, processing, grading, and trade.
- Practise basic green-coffee assessment and portfolio thinking.
Green Coffee — Intermediate14 hours
Build stronger skills in quality evaluation, contracts, logistics, and the physical assessment of green coffee.
- Explore agronomy, seasonality, processing, storage, markets, certifications, and transactions.
- Grade by size, identify defects, and compare samples by process, species, and variety.
- Connect quality differentiation with green-coffee contract requirements.
Green Coffee — Professional21 hours
Prepare for senior green-coffee responsibilities, from sourcing strategy to sample analysis and purchasing decisions.
- Assess climate, farm management, processing, quality risks, and production costs.
- Work with market signals, contracts, supplier assessments, and targeted purchasing plans.
- Create consistent sampling standards and make evidence-led buying decisions.
Roasting — Foundation7 hours
Understand what happens during roasting and how to operate a roaster safely with a basic profile.
- Recognise the physical and chemical changes that happen during a roast.
- Use basic profiles and colour targets to guide roasting decisions.
- Practise core machine operation, safety, and production routines.
Sensory Skills — Foundation7 hours
Build the sensory vocabulary and cupping habits needed to evaluate coffee with confidence.
- Identify core taste and flavour attributes.
- Learn professional cupping setup and protocol.
- Understand the basic principles of sensory evaluation.
Coffee Sustainability — Foundation12 hours
Build a practical understanding of sustainability challenges and opportunities across coffee.
- Understand key environmental, economic, and social relationships.
- Identify major sustainability challenges across the value chain.
- Use practical tools to support more responsible decisions.
Climate & Coffee16 hours
Explore the environmental challenges affecting coffee and the actions organisations can take.
- Connect climate change, carbon, circularity, biodiversity, and resource management.
- Explore climate-smart agriculture and resilience strategies.
- Review standards, innovations, and practical approaches to environmental sustainability.
Coffee Economics16 hours
Understand coffee markets, pricing, and approaches to more resilient economic outcomes.
- Explore the C market, production costs, and farm profitability.
- Examine value creation, trade models, and economic inequality.
- Consider sustainable pricing, certification, and living-income approaches.
Compliance, Governance & Reporting12 hours
Examine how governance, due diligence, and reporting shape sustainability decisions.
- Understand legislation, power dynamics, and organisational governance.
- Integrate sustainability into decision-making processes.
- Develop reporting and materiality-assessment skills.
Water & Preventive Maintenance — Foundation9 hours
Understand water quality and preventative care as foundations for reliable equipment and better coffee.
- Explore water treatment and its impact on coffee and equipment.
- Build practical preventative-maintenance routines.
- Recognise how maintenance protects performance and product quality.
Diplomas are earned over time by completing the specified SCA certificates and assessments. Requirements may change; confirm your plan before enrolling.