Online and Home Study ClassesWe believe that the very best way to learn about wine is to attend classes, where you can ask questions and can taste wines under the guidance of an experienced instructor. However, we do offer online and home study courses for those who do not live near International Wine Center or another WSET®-approved center, and those whose schedules preclude attending classes. We provide the WSET® Intermediate Certificate course and Advanced Certificate course online, and the WSET® Diploma program in a home study format.
ONLINE
IWC offers the WSET® Intermediate Certificate course in an online setting. Students register through IWC and sit the exam at our center in New York City, but take classes in a digital, global classroom. An instructor from the WSET® leads the course, which includes five weekly, interactive classes.
The course is a structured, interactive learning program, but one that offers the freedom of flexible scheduling. Students log-in whenever they like during the week, review the summary of weekly topics, study, complete activities and tasting exercises, post responses and participate in online class discussion.
Upon registration, a student will receive course materials in the mail and an e-mail with instructions on logging into the online classroom. Once in the classroom site, the student will find a course calendar listing the topics covered for each week, the background reading required, activities relevant to each topic, tasting assignments (students must purchase their own wine) and quizzes. The activities and tasting assignments require the student to post their responses on the site. Students can view other students’ responses and the online exchange with the instructor only if they themselves post a response; interaction is critical to success in this course. A mock exam is given in the final week.
Before enrolling students should establish a reliable Internet connection and download software to access PDFs, as many assignments and attachments are posted as PDFs.
Following is a class schedule for Winter and Spring 2010:
Class Schedule 2010
ICOL7 – Start date August 7, 2010. Exam 6 p.m. Sept. 14.
Registration deadline: July 23.
ICOL8 – Start date Sept. 4, 2010. Exam 6 p.m. Oct. 19.
Registration deadline: Aug. 20.
ICOL9 – Start date Oct. 2, 2010. Exam 6 p.m. Nov. 23.
Registration deadline: Sept. 17.
(For a listing of all IWC classes, please visit our Classes page.)
Registration
Registration is $418 (includes course materials, the exam and tax), plus a $10 registration fee and a $10 charge for shipping materials via FedEx. Please call us to register at (212) 239-3055 or download the registration form below and email or fax it to our office. Please note that after the registration deadline, transfers to another course will incur a fee of $125.
Registration Form
Refunds
* If you cancel your place before the registration deadline you will receive a refund of the tuition fee, less a 10% cancellation fee. If we have sent out the materials kit to you, you must return it complete and unused. Registration and shipping fees are not refundable.
* If you cancel after the registration deadline, no refunds apply.
Exam
The fee for the online course includes the exam, and a specific exam date is attached to each class. The exam takes place at International Wine Center in New York City. To withdraw from a scheduled exam, a student must notify the IWC within 15 business days of the exam date. Notice after this cut-off date will result in fees.
To schedule an alternate exam date, please see our list on the Exams page and contact us to register at least 15 business days prior to the desired date. Students have a period of 12 months from the date of course registration to sit the exam. If the exam is not completed within 12 months, another exam fee must be paid.
HOME STUDY
We offer the WSET® Advanced Certificate and WSET® Diploma Program in a home study format. Home Study students receive the same materials as in-class students, along with a list of recommended wines to taste. Telephone support is available from IWC staff.
WSET® Advanced Certificate Course
Our second level program covers the wines and spirits of the world in considerable depth. It is appropriate for those who have taken the Intermediate Certificate, or have a good foundation of wine knowledge and experience in wine tasting.
Course Fee: $488 (includes books and the exam), plus a $10.00 registration fee, $16.50 shipping fee and state tax. Please call our center at (212) 239-3055 to register.
WSET® Diploma Program
Available only to Advanced Certificate holders. Please see the Diploma FAQ for more course information. In brief, Diploma consists of six units of study and assessment; of these, Units 1 and 2 must be studied first. Unit 1, The Global Business of Wine, requires that you sit an exam and write a course work assignment. The Unit 2 exam is a multiple-choice exam on viticulture and vinification. Subsequent exams include blind wine tasting and essays.
Course Fees
All fees are for 2009-2010 study:
Units 1-2, Business of Wine and Viti/Vini, $1,188
Unit 3, Wines of the World, $1,158
Unit 4, Spirits, $458
Unit 5, Sparkling Wines, $388
Unit 6, Liqueur Wines, $388
Registration
Please call us to register at (212) 239-3055 or download the registration form below and email or fax it to our office.
Registration Form
Refunds
* If you cancel your studies you will receive a refund of the tuition fee, less a 10% cancellation fee. If we have sent out the materials kit to you, you must return it, complete and unused, in order to receive credit. Registration and shipping fees are not refundable.
* Your registration is also fully transferable to another person for the same course and session, subject to qualification.
Exams
You must give us three weeks notice to participate in a regularly-scheduled Advanced Certificate exam. Please visit our Exams page for a list of upcoming exam dates. To withdraw from a scheduled exam, a student must notify the IWC within three weeks of the exam date. Notice after this cut-off date will result in fees. Students have a period of one year from the date of course registration to sit the exam. If the exam is not completed within that year, another exam fee must be paid.
Diploma has its own set of exam deadlines, which we will inform you of when you register.
If you live or work within convenient traveling distance to New York City or another WSET center in the U.S., we highly encourage you to enroll for classes instead of Home Study. For a complete list of WSET centers in the U.S., see our page WSET® in America or visit the WSET® website. You must register with the WSET center where you intend to take your exam.