THE SCA EXPLAINED
HOW TO Get Certified.
COFFEE DIPLOMAS.
HOW TO BECOME AN AST.
The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) is not always easy to navigate. Perhaps you have questions about the Coffee Skills Program (CSP) or want to earn a Coffee Skills Diploma (100 CSP Points).
Maybe, you want to become an Authorized SCA Trainer (AST) so that you can run SCA courses as well.
It’s easy to get lost in the acronyms. I’m here to help you navigate and discover the value of the SCA for you.
Let’s do this! ~ Adam
i am fULLY CERTIFIED TO INSTRUCT you in ALL x5 MODULEs
The Specialty Coffee Association has a methodical process for certifying coffee professionals and trainers. I have taken and hold certification in all modules and levels.
In order to help you grow, I personally invested 7 years and over $250k USD to build a small roastery with 2 cafes and a training center in Wuhan, China. At that time I was with the SCAE consulting and training Chinese clients.
In 2015 the Specialty Coffee Association of Europe (SCAE) was highly sought after in China where I delivered most of my courses in Mandarin, Chinese 你要上中文课吗？: )
Since 2015 I have trained hundreds of learners in both English and Chinese online, offline and hybrid.
Once you join a course with Adam and the ROCC Coffee Community, you are part of a dynamic Playground where we seek to make life better together.
In 2018 the SCAE and SCAA merged to form one body - the SCA. The SCA is built on the course structure of the SCAE with many additions and benefits from the SCAA Pathways curriculum. The courses and requirements have changed many times in recent years and the SCA learning programs are better than ever.
As an AST I have worked hard to adapt for learners in distant locations without access to trainers or courses to fit their work-life needs.
The SCA merger was dramatic, but nothing compared to what Covid-19 brought. Over several policy decisions in 2020, the SCA opened Introduction and x5 Foundations courses to be delivered entirely online. Intermediate and Professional SCA courses can also be completed in hybrid combination formation. www.howtocoffeepro.com was born!
Read on and join the newsletter (link) to get course discount codes, learn about upcoming in-person certifications and special equipment and coffee offers in The Lab.
Let’s grow in coffee together!
we can work A plan for you!
I look forward to helping you LEARN and get certified with my courses at www.HowToCoffeePro.com. You can find me through the SCA Course Calendar or you can join courses at HowToCoffeePro and then we can add you to the official courses at the SCA.
The SCA Coffee Diploma
THe coffee diploma is for those who earn 100 points.
It is commonly misunderstood, that you do NOT need a Coffee Diploma to become an AST. However, most AST’s hold a Coffee Diploma as a result of taking so many courses and earning certification at the highest, professional levels. Using the chart below, you can carve out your own path for: learning, acquiring points and possibly becoming an Authorized SCA Trainer.
For example, you could choose to take ONLY Barista Foundation (5), Intermediate (10) and Professional (25). After completing Professional level courses you can then apply for the AST course to become a trainer (link here). This means you can be a Barista AST to trainer ONLY Barista Skills courses, but you would not have a Coffee Skills Diploma since you only hold 5+10+25 = 40 CSP Points
Another student may love learning broadly and choose to take Introduction, all x5 Foundations, both Green and Roasting Intermediate + Professional levels. That student has earned 15 (Intro) + 5x5 (Found) + 2x10 (Int) + 2x25 (Pro) = 110 CSP Points. They have earned a CSP Coffee Diploma! but they do not wish to proceed (at this time) to become an AST trainer.
One day in the future they can do so for both Green and Roasting, if they choose.
SCAE, SCAA and SCA
Are you part of the Heritage SCAA program?
Many students were left in lurch or questioning when the SCAE and SCAA merged to combine curriculum under the newly designed CSP - Coffee Skills Program. The diagram below highlights how various “Advanced” pathways and courses may have been converted to the SCA Intermediate or Professional levels.
