Beekeeping Certificate Program

Master Beekeeping Pathway

Our signature program will give you all the knowledge and skills you need to be an informed, well-rounded beekeeper. The three courses in this pathway are taken in sequence, and successful completion of the full pathway will earn you a spot in our directory of Master Beekeepers! The Master Beekeeping Pathway is perfect for all beekeepers, and is highly recommended by reputable apicultural organizations and former participants alike! By participating in this program, you will be joining a thriving community of beekeepers and scientists from around the world.

Prerequisites

No prior beekeeping experience is required to begin this pathway! However, as you will progress, you must demonstrate successful beekeeping practices and scientific acumen, which will involve working with a hive, various pieces of beekeeping equipment, and a microscope, as well as conducting research. Some course materials are not provided and must be purchased separately. For basic learning requirements, visit our FAQ.

Location and Schedule

Every course in this pathway is fully online, so you can take it anywhere in the world!

These courses are offered regularly throughout the year to allow you to take them in sequence. You can take as much (or as little) time in between each course as you’d like, but to maximize your chances of success we suggest the following timeline:

After completing the Apprentice Level, we recommend that you spend some time beekeeping and successfully overwinter a hive before taking on the Journeyman Level. After completing the Journeyman Level, we recommend that you take a year to develop your skills before attempting the Master Level. In total, this schedule will put you on track for completion within roughly two years.

This is our general timetable and estimated workload for the courses in this pathway (note that these may vary from year to year and from person to person):

Certificates, CEUs, and Credits

Successful completion requirements, certificates, CEUs, and other awards vary between courses in this pathway.

You can pay an additional credit registration fee to receive Biology credits for every course on this pathway through the University of Montana Extended Credit model: