Program Director
Amy Mumma, MBA
Faculty
John Hudelson, PhD
This Interdisciplinary Program provides students with a broad understanding of the global 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.
In the major, students complete 50 major core credits to acquire a broad base of knowledge and skills related to wine, wine business issues, and the global wine industry. Students also complete a minor, 25 to 36 credits, in one of several complementary academic areas. Students will also gain valuable experience by participating in a required international field experience and an internship with a wine-related business, either in the U.S. or abroad.
Admission Requirements
Students must complete the pre-admission requirements prior to admission into the degree program. An overall minimum 2.5 GPA will be required for admission. Students must fill out an application that includes an essay of motivation and goals. Upon approval of the application, an in-person or telephone interview will be conducted between the advisor for the global wine studies major and the prospective student. Permission of the major advisor is required. Upon admittance to the program students must agree to sign a written statement regarding professional conduct and responsibility.
Student must be at least 21 years old before enrolling in courses that involve tasting wine (GWS 302 - Fundamentals of Viticulture and Enology, GWS 304 - Wine Marketing and Branding, GWS 406 - Professional Wine Analysis, GWS 408 - Advanced Sensory Analysis and GWS 410 - Wine Faults.)
Special Requirements
Students will be expected to spend significant amounts of time outside the classroom on projects, field trips, and assignments. Students must earn a cumulative GPA of 2.7 in the global wine studies core courses.
Financial Obligations
Because this is a self-supported program: no tuition waiver programs apply. Additional course fees and continuing education tuition apply. Tuition for GWS classes may be higher than regular CWU tuition.