Who is it for?

The Global Wine Studies degree is for anyone with an interest in pursuing a career in the wine industry. The program prepares graduates for careers in winery and vineyard management, wine merchandising, wholesale, retail, e-commerce, distribution, marketing, import/export, hospitality, entrepreneurship, consulting, and more.

Benefits

The Global Wine Studies degree provides you with unmatched knowledge of professional wine analysis, wine business issues, and the global wine industry. Having this background enables you to immediately enter the wine industry with an understanding of the trade, not only with a local perspective, but with a national and global one as well.

As a graduate of the program, you will have strong wine business skills and global wine knowledge, including:

The fundamentals of viticulture and winemaking
Knowledge of climates, soils, grape varieties, and wines of the world
Professional tasting techniques for the assessment and evaluation of wine
Costs and price structures of wine from the field to the marketplace
Global trade structures in the wine industry
Wine merchandising, branding, marketing, and public relations

A Unique Degree

Central's Global Wine Studies degree is unlike any other in the nation, and we are confident it will become a flagship program, internationally recognized for its excellence.

Major: A wide range of classes are offered as part of this major. Some of those classes are:

Major wine regions of the world
Marketing and branding
International wine trade
Professional wine analysis
Wine faults
Viticulture and enology

Minor: The program also requires a minor. Eight different minors are available to personalize your degree program and complement your career interest area:

International studies
Foreign languages
Spanish
Tourism management
Communications
Organizational communications
Administrative management
Retail management and technology

International Field Experience: You will participate in an international field experience in one of the world's great wine producing regions.

Internship: You will gain valuable industry experience in a requred internship with a wine-related business.

Growing Demand

The United States is experiencing its largest wine boom in history, and the industry needs additional qualified professionals in order to keep pace with such rapid growth. The wine industry currently employs 1.1 million people across the nation, including more than 15,000 in Washington State. Thousands of new hires will be needed over the next several years.

CWU's World Wine Program, with its new, four-year major, Global Wine Studies, is helping meet those demands.

Since its inception in 2003, Central's World Wine Program has seen a dramatic increase in enrollment. Its educational programs for students, consumers, and industry professionals have reached thousands of people from around the world.

Program Faculty

Amy Mumma, curriculum coordinator for Central’s World Wine Program, is also an instructor and advisor for the new Global Wine Studies major. She holds an MBA in wine studies from the Bordeaux Business School in France, the Advanced Certificate from the Wine and Spirit Education Trust of London, the Diploma of Tasting from the Université de Bourgogne in Dijon, France, and a bachelor’s degree in foreign languages and international affairs from the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington. A highly sought-after speaker and lecturer, Mumma, who won the prestigious Professional Wine Woman Award in 2005, is internationally recognized for her wine expertise and expansive knowledge of the worldwide wine industry.

Dr. John E. Hudelson, assistant professor of Global Wine Studies, brings a world of experience to the CWU World Wine Program. He has worked as a viticulture researcher at Cornell University’s Agricultural Experimental Station, served as V.P. of Operations for the Hudson Valley Wine and Grape Association, been the chemist of a large U.S. winery, and taught at several colleges in the Northeast. Furthermore, John has been a vineyardist for 21 years. Having lived and worked in Europe, Africa, South America, and the U.S., he brings a unique global perspective to the classroom.

Application & Eligibility

Students must apply and be formally admitted to the major. Applications may be picked up on campus in Bouillon Hall, room 206. To have an application packet mailed to you, call 509-963-1754.

Complete the pre-admission course reuirements
Have a minimum, overall grade point average of 2.5
Write an essay of your motivation and goals to submit with your completed application
Take part in a one-on-one interview with an advisor from the major
You must be twenty-one years old before enrolling in courses that involve tasting wine

Complete eligibility information is available in the application packet.

Because Global Wine Studies (GWS) courses are self-support, no tuition waiver programs apply. Tuition for GWS courses is higher than regular CWU tuition. Additional course fees may also apply.