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Industry Fundamentals Certificate Program


Industry Fundamentals Certificate Program Details
The Industry Fundamentals Certificate is designed for professionals of all levels who are new to the spirits industry and want an in depth understanding of the fundamentals of the industry and its regulatory framework. Participants will gain foundational knowledge on the history of the modern spirits industry, the three-tier system, working with control states, state nuances, risk management, sales and marketing legal compliance, brand storytelling, TTB regulations, trade practice and tied-house considerations, supply chain risk, and FDA beverage alcohol jurisdiction.

To complete the program, participants must earn 15 credits as outlined below. The certificate must be earned within 24 months of attending your first course. Participants must also pass an exam to show competency in the domain.

Interest Form
Please fill out this form to indicate that you are beginning a certificate program with DISCUS Academy.

Certificate Tracker
Use this tracker to track your progress through the certificate program. Upon completion of the program, you will be asked to upload the tracker to verify completion of required courses.

Core Courses - Core courses offer the opportunity to deepen your understanding of industry best practices. These courses build upon knowledge gained, allowing participants to apply this knowledge to more complex concepts and industry-specific issues. These courses are required to receive your certificate. The certificate exam will focus on content from these courses.

Electives - (3 credits) The remaining credits can be achieved through Elective courses. Electives allow participants to take a deeper dive into areas of interest, giving you the flexibility to specialize in topics relevant to your career.
Core Courses
It All Goes Back to Prohibition: How the Modern Spirits Industry Was Born
Foundation on the Three-Tier System
Working with Control States
State Nuances
Risk Management
DISCUS Code Virtual Media Summit Series: DISCUS Code 101
Sales & Marketing Legal Compliance Training
Brand Storytelling
Distilled Spirits Regulatory Overview: TTB Regulations Parts 5 and 19
Trade Practice and Tied-House Considerations: What Do They Mean?
Supply Chain Risk
FDA Beverage Alcohol Jurisdiction

Electives
Any available DISCUS Academy course can be utilized to fulfill elective requirements. It is recommended that you take courses which will broaden your knowledge as related to the work you will be involved in within the spirits industry.
Certificate Application Process
In order to earn a domain certificate, applicants must complete the following steps:
  1. Fill out the certificate form to indicate your interest in beginning the certificate program.
  2. Fulfill the domain course requirements as outlined above.
  3. Complete and submit the tracking form below. Your tracking sheet will be reviewed by DISCUS Academy staff to ensure all courses meet the requirements. Upon successful review, applicants will be eligible to take the domain exam.
  4. Take the domain exam and receive a score of 70% or higher. Exam questions will be taken from Core Courses. In the event of a failure, students may retake the exam one week after the failure. A maximum of 2 retakes will be allowed.
  5. Certificates will be available to download immediately after the exam is passed.