KALAMAZOO, MI — Western Michigan University and Kalamazoo Valley Community College are teaming up to offer the nation's first higher education programs in sustainable brewing.

The programs will be offered starting in fall 2015, both colleges announced Friday.

The sustainable craft brewing program will allow students to earn an associate degree at KVCC, then transfer to WMU to earn a bachelor of science degree. KVCC students can transfer to WMU's bachelor program, or WMU can enroll in the KVCC program during their first two years. The program will require 96 credit hours, including the 30-hour KVCC certificate.

The program's curriculum was developed with input from an external advisory board that includes 10 of Michigan's top craft brewers including several in West Michigan, according to a WMU press release.

The program is a science-based program that will help craft brewers address environmental issues, too, said Edwin A. Martini, WMU College of Arts and Sciences associate dean.

"Water use and water recovery are among the top issues among craft brewers around the nation," Martini said in a press release. "WMU brings the resources of a research university and a national reputation in water research and sustainability to the table and KVCC's food science and culinary arts expertise is providing the entry point and first credentials for students."

The program studies the science of brewing and includes chemistry, biosciences, physics and environmental science. Other courses include sustainability, sales and marketing and the relationship between food, beverages and culture throughout history.

Mike Babb, a former Coors brewer who now teaches brewing at the Siebel Institute of Technology in Chicago helped develop the curriculum and wil, continue to consult with KVCC.

Brewing will be taught on KVCC's new healthy living campus in downtown Kalamazoo in a teaching brewery designed to incorporate sustainable brewing practices. The program will include hands-on experience and internships.

"The growth of the brewing industry has been accompanied by growth in ancillary and support industries such as distributors, hops farms and malting houses," says Dean McCurdy, associate vice president for Food and Community Sustainability at KVCC, said in a press release. "We plan to position Kalamazoo as an education destination for this rapidly growing employment and entrepreneurial phenomenon."

Michigan craft brewing has a $1 billion economic impact, making Michigan 10th in the country for craft beer. Nationally, craft beer accounts for 8 percent of beer sales.

The programs have been in planning for almost a year. WMU is involved in research with small brewing operations in the areas of general sustainability and yeast fermentation, and one faculty member is performing hops analysis for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. At WMU, the work will involve more than a dozen departments across three colleges.

Both KVCC and WMU's boards approved the certificate program and associate degree in December. A statewide higher education review panel approved it Thursday.

Dave Sippel, Arcadia Brewing Co. director of brewing operations, is working as an advisor to the colleges on the programs.

"We have the unique opportunity to develop a program that is specifically designed to fit the needs of today's craft brewers," Sippel said in a press release.

"Whether a student's aim is to work in a production brewery or own their own brew pub, the sustainable craft brewing program has been designed to prepare students for real-world brewing and management experiences. As the international craft brewing industry continues to grow, we will continue to put pressure on our natural resources. With this in mind, a special emphasis is being placed on the variety of sustainable practices that breweries can employ to reduce the pressure that they put on their municipalities and the environment."