[Cloverdale]

The Apprentice Beekeeping Level is open now, online course, at University of Montana. Courses are taught by Dr. Jerry Bromenshenk, Scott Debnam & Phillip Welch, widely regarded as one of the nation's premier honey bee research teams. The first of 3 levels, the last being Master Beekeeper.

 

[Jackam]

$325

 

[Cloverdale]

Well worth the money in my opinion if you are looking for more in-depth learning with the goal of Master Certification. Deb

 

[ifixoldhouses]

So one could have never owned a bee in their life, and take this course and be a master?
There are minimum years beekeeping required, and community service credits before one can take the next step in my state association. I have to have kept bees 2 years, and do 5 credits, like teach a bee school, publish an article, volunteer at the zoo, or state fair, and then I could take the journeyman test. I'd say there are cheaper options out there, NC State has something similar

https://entomology.ces.ncsu.edu/apiculture/bees/

 

[Cloverdale]

So one could have never owned a bee in their life, and take this course and be a master?
There are minimum years beekeeping required, and community service credits before one can take the next step in my state association. I have to have kept bees 2 years, and do 5 credits, like teach a bee school, publish an article, volunteer at the zoo, or state fair, and then I could take the journeyman test. I'd say there are cheaper options out there, NC State has something similar

https://entomology.ces.ncsu.edu/apiculture/bees/

Sheesh, doesn’t anyone look at the Course requirements and the syllabus AND the credentials/experience with honey bees/beekeeping of the Professor? I guess you can do what you want. There are obviously better courses than others out there. Thank God we live in a Democracy where we can pick what and where we want to learn. I personally took the Apprentice level a few years ago and still learned stuff, and will take the Journeyman’s this coming year if I have the nerve. My goal isn’t to be a master.
As for the money, compare it to the beer, cigarettes, junk food etc. that people spend their money on, I think it’s a good deal.

 

[Cloverdale]

So one could have never owned a bee in their life, and take this course and be a master?
There are minimum years beekeeping required, and community service credits before one can take the next step in my state association. I have to have kept bees 2 years, and do 5 credits, like teach a bee school, publish an article, volunteer at the zoo, or state fair, and then I could take the journeyman test. I'd say there are cheaper options out there, NC State has something similar

https://entomology.ces.ncsu.edu/apiculture/bees/

It seems the linked course you shared above says “no prior experience necessary”.

 

[wildbranch2007]

Sheesh, doesn’t anyone look at the Course requirements and the syllabus AND the credentials/experience with honey bees/beekeeping of the Professor?

I find for the last few years people would really like someone to read stuff for them, then give them a synopses, and then they argue with you and tell you that you are wrong.:lookout:

 

[ifixoldhouses]

It seems the linked course you shared above says “no prior experience necessary”.

Yeah, it's just online classes, no titles applied, I did read where the Montana one says you have to overwinter one colony, and they suggest you take a year break between Apprentice and journeyman. I don't see where anyone from the class is going to travel to your location and verify you have bees though. So one could take this course with no bees and be a master I guess.

Here's the link so everyone doesn't have to google it. https://www.umt.edu/sell/programs/bee/about.php

 

[Cloverdale]

I guess when it comes to bees, you want to do your best for them. Who wants a college level class about an insect if you don’t have them? I guess one could try and cheat, but who wants that on their conscience? Cornell has a Master course, too, but it by no means has the experience of Dr Bromenshenk teaching you. It might be a few hundred cheaper for the total course. Then there is EAS. I don’t know if there is a cost or not.

 

[ifixoldhouses]

yeah, its all good for the education, I just wouldn't put much weight behind that online title is what I'm saying.

 

[Cloverdale]

I agree, I don’t need a title at all, but some do, it adds credibility. Well, if you look at the Master beeks who took the course, quite a few are well known. Rusty Burlew of Honey Bee Suite did that one, along with Pat Bono of NY Bee Wellness. Bill Hesbech well known contributor on Bee-l, etc. Jerry Bromenshenk trained honey bees for the US Army to “sniff” out certain types of bombs, also creator of the Citizen Science project Bee Health Guru amongst other stuff. Yikes, I’m on a soap box! I’m stepping down now, nice discussion.

 

[beemandan]

Twenty years ago I was a student at the University of Georgia. One elective I took was Entomology 4300, Bee Biology and Management, taught by Keith Delaplane. It wasn’t an online class and it had a weekly lab…mostly in the beeyard. In my memory it cost around $600. The same class today would be about $1000 based on the current cost per credit hour. My point is that a college level course isn’t cheap.
On the other hand one can go to YouTube and for free watch videos presented by strangers without credentials and learn about the wonders of fgmo fogging. And after buying bees every year for three or four years….$325 might seem like a bargain.

 

[edzkoda]

Guess you could go in with no bees and b.s your way through, or you could go in meet other folks that are willing to share info and maybe get some good out of it. Sort of like life itself, some folks complain every day and others really enjoy it.

 

[ifixoldhouses]

Twenty years ago I was a student at the University of Georgia. One elective I took was Entomology 4300, Bee Biology and Management, taught by Keith Delaplane. It wasn’t an online class and it had a weekly lab…mostly in the beeyard. In my memory it cost around $600. The same class today would be about $1000 based on the current cost per credit hour. My point is that a college level course isn’t cheap.
On the other hand one can go to YouTube and for free watch videos presented by strangers without credentials and learn about the wonders of fgmo fogging. And after buying bees every year for three or four years….$325 might seem like a bargain.

I get all my info from that Booger hill bee channel

I have read alot from Rusty at Honeybee suite as well, good info there.

 

[JWPalmer]

Not all master beekeeper programs are created equal. I have heard that the ones offered by EAS and U of M are among the best. Virginia's program is supposed to be modeled on the EAS one and is a series of exams, self study is expected. VA also requires six years of experience before you are eligible to take the master beekeeper exam. I would pay to be taught vs having to figure out where to find everything I needed to know.

 

[beemandan]

I get all my info from that Booger hill bee channel

Ha!