SCA Coffee Skills Program: Sensory Skills Professional

Sensory Skills Professional – SCA Certificate Course

📅 Co-hosted by ASTs Brit Horn & Eric Musil – Thursday, Sept. 25 – Saturday, Sept. 27 9 am – 4 pm | 🕘 3 Full-Day Course

This expert-level course is designed for seasoned coffee professionals aiming to lead sensory programs, conduct advanced analysis, and contribute meaningfully to product development and quality assurance. As the highest level in the SCA Sensory Skills pathway, Sensory Skills Professional emphasizes advanced sensory science, applied statistics, and the integration of sensory methodologies in commercial settings. This course is on the current pathway to a Q-grader License for the remainder of 2025.

Participants will engage deeply with the Coffee Value Assessment System (CVAS), applying its principles to real-world sensory challenges. Through hands-on experiments and guided analysis, students will refine their use of descriptive and affective testing tools, conduct multivariate sensory evaluations, and design custom sensory panels for product and market research.

This course is ideal for professionals in R&D, roasting, green coffee sourcing, quality control, or anyone leading sensory training or calibration programs within their organization.

🌟 What You’ll Learn:

• Apply multivariate sensory testing techniques and statistical analysis

• Build and manage effective sensory panels

• Conduct product development testing (e.g., preference mapping, category scaling)

• Use CVAS tools for professional sensory reporting and decision-making

💡 Topics Covered:

• Advanced Sensory Physiology & Perception

• Experimental Design for Sensory Testing

• Statistical Tools for Sensory Data (ANOVA, PCA, etc.)

• Sensory Program Implementation

• Professional Use of CVAS Forms in Research & QC

🍴 Additional Details:

• 3-day intensive course, includes advanced cupping sessions and statistical analysis workshops

• Final Assessment: 90-minute written exam + multi-part practical exam

• Includes certificate fee, lunch, refreshments, and all materials

• Recommended for those with Sensory Intermediate certification and extensive cupping experience

Learn more about the entire SCA Coffee Skills Program on their website.

Pacific Coffee Research offers CSP certification courses in 5 modules on a semi-regular basis, with Introduction to Coffee, Sensory Skills, and Green Coffee available year-round.

Have questions? Feel free to send us an email!

Workshop Cancellation Policy

We understand that plans can change, and we strive to be as accommodating as possible. However, due to the preparation required for each workshop, materials procurement, and class size minimums, the following cancellation policy applies:

• For  cancellations with at least 72 hours’ notice, participants are eligible for a 50% credit of the workshop fee. This credit may be applied toward any future workshop within 12 months of the original workshop date.

• For cancellations with less than 24 hours’ notice, no credit or refund will be provided.