PROSPECTIVE WSET LEVEL 4 DIPLOMA STUDENTS
ARE YOU READY FOR THE WSET LEVEL 4 DIPLOMA?
The WSET Diploma is a life-changing program that should not be entered into lightly. Students are expected to invest a significant amount of time, energy, and finances into their studies. the most successful students begin the Diploma with the right expectations, a positive can-do attitude, and a thirst for knowledge — are you ready?
ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS
- Candidates must have achieved a passing score on the WSET Level 3 Award in Wines (or WSET Level 3 Award in Wines & Spirits if achieved prior to August 2017).
- Candidates must be a minimum of 21 years of age.
- Candidates must have a high proficiency in the English language. If English is not your first language please see our FAQ page for proficiency requirements.
IF YOU’RE READY TO BEGIN THIS NEXT STEP IN YOUR WINE EDUCATION JOURNEY, THEN YOU’LL WANT TO KNOW THAT YOU HAVE THE TOOLS TO SUCCEED.
OUR GOAL IS TO HELP YOU ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS!
PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION
Student success means more than passing an exam; it means students graduate from the Diploma having made deep, personal connections to a network of industry professionals where they are recognized as having achieved an expert level of wine knowledge, while having grown in their passion and thirst for wine knowledge.
When you study with the Napa Valley Wine Academy you’re partnered with a leading educational team whose industry experience & know-how combine with leading pedagogical practice, giving you the greatest learning experience possible. By providing the best resources available we put you in the driver seat of your own educational journey.
Being in the heart of a major wine hub affords students of the Napa Valley Wine Academy unrivaled access to a wealth of resources. Our mission is to empower you to have the motivation, confidence, and critical learning skills necessary to utilize those resources in the best way possible.
TAKE A LOOK AT SOME OF THE TESTIMONIALS FROM OUR WSET DIPLOMA STUDENTS
TAKE A LOOK AT SOME OF THE RESOURCES YOU’LL UTILIZE TO ACHIEVE SUCCESS:
TOP INDUSTRY FACULTY
As a Diploma student you’ll have access to some of the greatest minds in the wine trade — Masters of Wine, Master Sommeliers, Winemakers, MW candidates, Diploma graduates, WSET Certified Educators, and other leading global wine industry experts.
MASTER OF WINE INSTRUCTORS:
- Christy Canterbury, MW
- Nova Cadamatre, MW – Winemaker
- Matt Deller, MW
- Peter Marks, MW
- Mary Margaret McCamic, MW
MASTER SOMMELIER INSTRUCTORS:
- Tim Gaiser, MS
- Sur Lucero, MS
INTERDISCIPLINARY LECTURERS:
- Brandon Sparks-Gillis – Geologist, MW candidate
- Janet Kampen, MLIS – Instructional Librarian
WINE INDUSTRY FACULTY:
- Gence Alton, dipWSET
- Natalie Breaux, dipWSET – MW candidate
- Geralyn Brostrom, CWE – Italian Wine Central Co-Founder
- Catherine Bugué, dipWSET
- Vanessa Conlin, dipWSET – MW candidate
- Robert Emery, dipWSET – MW candidate
- Daphne Feng, dipWSET – MW candidate
- Csilla Kato, dipWSET – Winemaker
- Curtis Mann, dipWSET – MW candidate
- Christian Oggenfuss, dipWSET
- Kryss Speegle, dipWSET – Winemaker, MW candidate
- Gus Zhu, dipWSET, MS Viticulture & Enology – MW candidate
LEARNING RESOURCES
THE DIPLOMA IS A RIGOROUS COURSE OF STUDY. AS SUCH, STUDENTS HAVE ACCESS TO A DEDICATED SUPPORT TEAM COMPOSED OF:
- WSET Diploma Advisor – provides study-related advice and administrative guidance
- Exam Coordinator – provides guidance on scheduling exams
- WSET Nominated Educator – provides learning & instructional support and exam preparation guidance
- NVWA Chief Educator – provides theory & tasting support and exam preparation guidance
With a team of educators and industry professionals available in our main office 7 days a week, students will always have the educational and administrative support necessary to achieve success.
OUR TEAM OF INSTRUCTORS AND EDUCATION SPECIALISTS HAVE DESIGNED PROPRIETARY STUDY MATERIALS STUDENTS CAN USE BOTH IN AND OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM:
- Expert-led live & recorded webinars on a diverse range of study topics
- Exercises and assignments designed to hone critical-thinking skills
- Mock exam questions
- Analysis reports of past Diploma exams, in addition to WSET-provided Examiner’s Reports & past exam questions
- Bibliographic reference guides
- Instructional guides covering a variety of topics
- Tip sheets for best practices in reading, note-taking, and review to increase memory retention & understanding
- Examination prep guides to increase confidence on exam day
NAPA VALLEY WINE ACADEMY OFFERS A DIVERSE CATALOG OF COURSES, TASTING SEMINARS, WEBINARS, AND EVENTS FOR FREE OR AT DISCOUNTED RATES FOR ENROLLED DIPLOMA STUDENTS:
- Diploma Tasting & Theory Workshop Series
- Business courses & seminars
- Regional certification courses:
- Tasting events, trade seminars, educational webinars
ALL STUDENTS WILL RECEIVE ACCESS TO WSET FEEDBACK TESTS.
For certain units students can practice exam-style questions and receive feedback from a WSET grader to gauge their exam preparedness.
D1 Wine Production: mock exam theory questions
D2 Wine Business: mock exam theory questions
D3 Wines of the World: mock exam of 10 theory questions & 4 tasting note tests
D4 Sparkling Wines: mock exam theory questions & tasting note test
D5 Fortified Wines: mock exam theory questions & tasting note test
D6 Research Paper: no feedback tests for D6
HAVE MORE QUESTIONS?
Learn how the WSET Diploma is structured on our About page & plan a course of study on the Schedules pages.
If you have more questions, take a look at the FAQ page or schedule a call with our Enrollment Advisor.