The Difference Between the Master Beekeeper Program & the Bee College

What's the difference between the Master Beekeeper Program and the Bee College? We're glad you asked!

The Master Beekeeper Program is designed specifically for beekeeper education. Only beekeepers can participate - you must be a registered beekeeper with the Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (click here to register with FDACS), and you must have owned bees (at least one hive) for at least one year.

The Master Beekeeper Program consists of four levels of advancement:

1. Apprentice Beekeeper
2. Advanced Beekeeper
3. Master Beekeeper
4. Master Craftsman Beekeeper

Attaining the level of Master Craftsman Beekeeper is comparable to receiving a Master’s Degree from a university. In order to advance from one level to another, you must complete a written examination and a practical examination. Additionally, each level has specific requirements; for example, one level may require that you demonstrate and document public service credits, like speaking to a youth group or becoming an officer in a local beekeeping organization. More detailed information about the requirements for each step of advancement is available from the Master Beekeeper Program Requirements document [88KB pdf].

The Master Beekeeper Program is an ongoing program, and participants continually work towards advancing to the next level by reading books, demonstrating public service credits, participating in research projects, preparing for the next exam, etc. In order to enter the program, you must begin by taking the written and practical examination for the Apprentice Beekeeper level.

On Thursday, March 13th (the day before the UF Bee College begins) there will be a series of lectures given as a review for the Apprentice Beekeeper level exams. The examinations themselves will be given at 2:00pm (practical exam) and 7:00pm (written exam) on Thursday, March 13th. It is highly recommended that participants prepare on their own for the exams by reading books from the suggested reading list given in Appendix E of the Master Beekeeper Program Requirements document [88KB pdf].

The University of Florida Bee College occurs on Friday, March 14th, and Saturday, March 15th. It is an educational event geared toward anyone interested in honey bees—from the total novice to the experienced commercial beekeeper. No prior bee knowledge is necessary! The Bee College consists of two days of lectures in the morning and workshops in the afternoon. There will be two tracks happening at the same time—the beginner’s track and the experienced track. For example, on Friday at 8:15 AM in the beginner’s track lecture, Dr. Jim Tew is speaking on honey bee biology; meanwhile, also at 8:15 AM in the experienced track lecture, Dennis van Engelsdorp is speaking on CCD. The rest of the detailed schedule is available from this website:

• Beginners Track
• Experienced Track

The Bee College is not part of the Master Beekeeper Program — they are separate entities with separate purposes.

Return to top