Frequently Asked Questions about the WSET Diploma Program

Question:
What is the Diploma in Wine and Spirits?
Answer:
The Diploma is the highest course level offered by the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET®) and is an internationally recognized professional certification. The Diploma Program is a rigorous course of study that covers in great depth the world of wine and spirits from a business, theoretical and gustatory standpoint. The Diploma is viewed universally as the stepping-stone to the ultimate qualification, the Master of Wine.

Question:
Is this a course of study for me?
Answer:
The goal of Diploma study is to develop expert knowledge of the principal wines and spirits of the world and the commercial factors that influence their manufacture and sale using a thorough system for the professional evaluation of wines and spirits. People who take Diploma work in the wines and spirits industry at all levels and capacities or are consumers who are deeply dedicated to wine and wine education. We have found that all students who meet the entry requirements outlined below have great success in the Diploma program provided they expend the appropriate effort to complete the work.

Question:
What are the entry requirements for the Diploma Program?
Answer:
The WSET® Advanced Certificate in Wines and Spirits is a prerequisite to entry in the Diploma Program.

Question:
Are there any exceptions to the Advanced Certificate requirement?
Answer:
No

Question:
I am currently taking Advanced Certificate, what are my options?
Answer:
If the results of your Advanced Certificate examination will be available prior to the start of our next Unit 1 & 2 class (see below) then we suggest that you wait until you receive your results. If the Unit 1 & 2 class begins before you receive your results, and you are very serious about Diploma study, we can admit you as a provisional student. If you do not pass your Advanced Certificate examination you will not be allowed to sit the Unit 2 exam; if you do pass the examination your registration will automatically become official rather then provisional. We will admit provisional students only on a very limited basis.

Question:
How is the Diploma structured?
Answer:
Diploma study is divided into six required units:

Unit 1- The Global Business of Alcoholic Beverages
Unit 2- Wine Production
Unit 3- Light Wines of the World
Unit 4- Spirits of the World
Unit 5- Sparkling Wines of the World
Unit 6- Liqueur Wines of the World

After completion of the six required units of the Diploma students have the option of submitting a dissertation topic and research paper resulting in the awarding of the Honors Diploma.


Despite the fact that Diploma is divided into Units, we encourage students to approach the program as a whole. You begin your participation in Diploma by registering for Units 1 & 2, which are offered as one class, and sitting for the Unit 2 multiple-choice examination. You are also registered for a three-year period in which you may sign-up for the remaining Units and attempt the various assessments associated with the Program as many times as necessary.

Question:
Do people typically finish within the three-year registration period?
Answer:
Most people who complete Diploma do so within two years, unless they have suspended their Diploma studies for personal or professional reasons.

Question:
What are the Diploma examinations like?
Answer:
You are required to pass certain exams for each Unit of Diploma. They are as follows:

Unit 1 - Four Course Work Assignments (research reports) of 1,500 to 2,000 words
Unit 2 - 100 question multiple-choice examination
Unit 3 - Theory examination of 5 written questions and a 12-wine Tasting Exam
Unit 4 - Theory examination of 1 written question and a 3-Spirit Tasting Exam
Unit 5 - Theory examination of 1 written question and a 3-Sparkling Wine Tasting Exam
Unit 6 - Theory examination of 1 written question and a 3-Liqueur Wine Tasting Exam

In the case of Units 1 & 3 it is possible to obtain passes in part, but not all, of your assessments. In this case those passes will be valid for the remainder of your 3-year registration period and you will have to re-take only the portions you did not pass.

Question:
I have other questions about how the Diploma Program operates.
Answer:
To learn all of the details about how the program operates please visit the website for the WSET® and follow the links for Qualifications: Diploma and download the document labeled Diploma Specification. If you still have questions after you have read this document then please give us a call at the Center, 212.239.3055.

Question:
How much does Diploma cost?
Answer:
The quoted fees include all associated study materials and examinations. In-class study includes wines to be tasted and lectures. Students are responsible for the cost of traveling to New York to sit the examinations.

Unit
In Class
Home Study
1&2**

$1,998

$1,348
3

$2,788

$1,068
4

$ 708

$ 368
5

$ 528

$ 318
6

$ 528

$ 318

**Includes three-year Diploma Registration and the WSET® Mentoring Program.Prices are valid for courses and exams offered during the academic year ending July 31, 2008 and are subject to change without notice.


Question:
Are there any additional costs associated with Diploma Study?
Answer:
Unlike the Intermediate or Advanced Certificate courses all of the materials necessary to pass Diploma are NOT included in your study materials package. The point of the Diploma is to explore and do research on the body of knowledge outlined by the study materials. At a minimum you will need access to a well-stocked wine library and the Internet. Required texts include the Oxford Companion to Wine and Understanding Wine Technology.

It is also strongly recommended that students form study/ tasting groups, this will help spread the cost of wine for tasting and foster an exchange of ideas. We advise Home Study students to do the same because tasting is an essential part of Diploma and you are not going to have the benefit of tasting with a class.

Question:
What are the advantages of In-Class study over Home Study?
Answer:
For those who are able to attend classes, the in-class option provides several advantages over Home Study. These advantages include the increased discipline that classes bring to your studies, networking with other students, interacting with experienced students, insights into course topics gained during lectures, wine-tasting instruction, and wine-tasting practice at each class.

Question:
When and where are the Diploma Classes held?
Answer:
For a complete current schedule of Diploma Classes offered by International Wine Center just click on the individual Unit pages. New Students should look at the Unit 1&2 pages for class schedules. Classes are held at International Wine Center, 350 Seventh Avenue, Suite 1201 and typically run from 6:00PM until 9:00PM.

Question:
Are Diploma Classes offered anywhere else in the United States?
Answer:
The information on this page pertains only to classes held at, and offered by, International Wine Center. Two other Diploma centers exist in the United States. One located in Napa Valley, California at COPIA, and the other located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania offered through Philly Wine. Please contact the individual centers for information relating to their Diploma offerings.

Question:
How do I register for the Diploma Program?
Answer:
If you have read all the information on this page as well as the Specification Guide from the WSET® website, then please call us at the Center (212.239.3055) from 9:30AM till 6:00PM and we will be happy to register you for the Diploma.