Specialty Coffee Association
The Specialty Coffee Association is a nonprofit, membership-based organization that represents thousands of coffee professionals, from producers to baristas all over the world.
Why SCA Certification?
SCA's purpose is to foster global coffee communities to support activities to make coffee a more sustainable, equitable, and thriving activity for the whole value chain.
Courses offered under SCA are:
Introduction to Coffee
This Course is ideal for anyone who is new to the coffee industry or just has an interest in this wonderful drink. It charts coffee’s journey from its origins in Ethiopia to the major commodity it is today enjoyed by millions of people around the world. From coffee process, roasting, brewing to tasting, this course gives a general overview of coffee’s supply chain. This half day course also includes a “coffee cupping” which allows you to taste the various flavors of coffee.
Course Duration: One Day (7 hours)
Foundation Barista
This course is designed for anyone who is new in the barista field or wants to upgrade their career by learning the methods of Specialty Coffee. It is also ideal for home baristas, coffee lovers, F&B and coffee shop owners.
The Barista Foundation course focuses on the key skills required to set a grinder, extract espresso as well as foam and texture milk for cappuccinos. This course allows one to gain an introductory understanding of the coffee itself and set a foundation from which to build practical skills for milk technique and latte art, while implementing health and safety practices and customer service.
Course Duration: One Day (7 hours)
Intermediate Barista
This course is ideal for those who have barista skills experience and want to explore how to improve coffee quality, improve their skills and prepare for more complex job functions found in the barista profession. The Barista Intermediate course builds on the concepts and skills introduced in the Foundation Barista course. Through this interactive course, learners will gain a deeper understanding of the coffee itself, specifically the impact of a coffee’s variety, origins and processing methods on flavor; the parameters of coffee quantity, grind texture, water quality and shot time, and their interaction when preparing a brew recipe; drink construction and taste differences; workflow management and efficiency, sensory aspects of the espresso extraction; milk handling and techniques as well as latte art. In addition to coffee preparation, this course also covers key concepts regarding health and safety, customer service and basic business practices.
Course Duration: Two Days (14 hours)
Professional Barista
This course is designed to test advanced skills and detailed knowledge of the science behind processes used by a professional barista and suitable for baristas with 12 months or more of work experience. Successful candidates will have to explore and demonstrate the advanced skills typically expected by a head barista. Participants will learn a sophisticated tasting methodology and descriptive explanation of coffee flavors; gain a detailed understanding of drink ingredients and the techniques available to maximize the quality of the drinks made, understand how to manage the skills of others to produce quality drinks, demonstrate an understanding of how to develop brew recipes and a systematic method of structuring beverage menus, and finally be able to consistently apply the highest standard of latte art and milk steaming techniques. A written exam tests professional course knowledge while a practical exam tests the skills described above based on different working activities carried out during the course.
Course Duration: Three Days (21 hours)
Foundation Roasting
This course gives the learner an understanding of the roasting process, fundamentals of the roasting machine, roast defects, roast profiles which includes the physical changes that take place during the process, and how to control the sensory aspects of the coffee by roasting the coffee light or dark.
Course Duration: One Day (7 hours)
Sensory Foundation
This course introduces participants to sensory evaluation in the coffee industry, covering key aspects such as the human sensory system (taste, smell, and tactile perception) and their role in the coffee tasting experience. It includes learning the sensory lexicon to describe coffee attributes like flavor, aroma, acidity, body, and aftertaste, and mastering the cupping protocol for evaluating coffee quality. Participants engage in exercises to identify flavors, acidity, sweetness, mouthfeel, and body, while understanding how factors like origin, processing, and roast level influence these attributes. The course also emphasizes sensory calibration, helping participants refine their perceptions, minimize bias, and ensure consistent, accurate evaluations.
Course Duration: One Day (7 hours)
Sensory Intermediate
This course is designed for individuals with prior sensory evaluation experience. The intermediate-level program builds on foundational knowledge, exploring advanced flavor analysis, aroma identification, sensory triangulation, and defect recognition. Participants deepen their understanding of flavor compounds, aroma nuances, and the effects of roast levels and brewing methods on coffee. They also learn sensory triangulation for detecting differences between coffee samples and refine their skills in sensory evaluation for quality control. The course focuses on identifying coffee defects, interpreting sensory data, and ensuring consistency in evaluations through calibration and standardized protocols, contributing to more accurate, reliable, and informed decisions in coffee quality.
Course Duration: Two Days (14 hours)
Sensory Professional
This course is an advanced program designed for individuals with extensive experience in coffee sensory evaluation. It covers advanced sensory analysis techniques, flavor science, and sensory panel management, focusing on assessing coffee quality, detecting subtle flavor nuances, and refining sensory descriptions. Participants learn about flavor perception, sensory thresholds, and the role of context in shaping flavor experiences. The course also addresses sensory evaluation in product development, quality control, and assurance, including green coffee and roasted coffee profiling. Additionally, it emphasizes sensory leadership, communication, and best practices for fostering a culture of sensory innovation and cross-functional collaboration within the coffee industry.
Course Duration: Three Days (21 hours)