Brewing and Distilling and Diploma in Industrial Training

Heriot-Watt University

BSc Brewing and Distilling provides you with the unique opportunity to gain a grounding in engineering and science and explore the mechanisms behind brewing and distilling at an undergraduate level. This is the only undergraduate programme of its kind in the UK, in which you can tailor and develop your STEM knowledge, skills, and background to the drinks and beverage industry and complete an industrial placement.During your undergraduate studies, you’ll learn from a broad curriculum from a wide range of disciplines, including brewing and distilling, biology, process engineering, mathematics, beverage microbiology and biochemistry, food microbiology, bioprocessing, quantitative and qualitative analytical skills, with optional modules in business, accounting and finance, operations management, enterprise, and sustainable development. To develop your brewing and distilling subject knowledge, you’ll explore fundamental topics including, but not limited to, cereal science and technology, yeast science, microbiology, biochemistry, process technology, business studies, management, food safety, quality control and quality assurance, flavour assessment and analytical chemistry. You will develop a sound basis in fundamental scientific and technological principles and learn to apply this in the context of malting, brewing, and distilling. You’ll explore the underlying principles, relevant defining concepts, theories and methods, the current state of knowledge and future development possibilities of the industries, whilst grasping the global, regional, and local contexts of malting, brewing and distilling. You’ll develop knowledge of policy, legislation, ethical, health and safety issues relating to the design, manufacture, marketing and sale of alcoholic drinks which will provide you with a plethora of knowledge and skills which you can directly apply to various roles in industry upon graduation. The drink and beverage industry is continuously growing, and is becoming an increasingly important part of GDP. In Scotland alone, more than 11,000 people are directly employed in the Scotch Whisky industry, with a further 42,000 people indirectly employed by the industry. The growing demand for graduates with an understanding of brewing and distilling, will make you highly employable upon completion of the course. You’ll gain hands-on experience by utilising our on-site brewery, distillery, and rectification laboratory to support your in-depth scientific learning. This will ensure you build the skills and expertise to perform successfully in industry and make you highly employable in all sizes of brewing, distilling and allied industries.Your learning environmentThe BSc Brewing and Distilling programme is taught though a combination of lectures, tutorials, and laboratory practical’s, allowing you to get to know and build relationships with your teaching staff, academics, and peers. You will be assessed by a variety of coursework, exams, and your dissertation, and will receive support and feedback throughout the programme. During your studies, you’ll benefit from and have access to our specialist equipment, software and laboratories used by industry, including our on-site nano-brewery (2 HL), distillery, and rectification laboratory. You will have the opportunity to work on research addressing real-world problems, and work across disciplines to deliver practical solutions with global impact.