Academy · SCA courses
Every SCA course, taught by someone who has cleared it.
Barista to Q Grader, and now the SCA Coffee Sustainability Program. In Dubai, across the UAE or live online. Persian or English. Small groups.
- 23SCA courses
- 9tracks, one teacher
- 3SCA teaching licences
How the levels work
One day, two days, three days.
Every SCA skills track climbs the same ladder. Each level ends with an SCA exam and certificate, and comes with a course handout and presentation.
- Level 1Foundation · 1 day
The essentials, theory and hands-on practice. No experience needed.
- Level 2Intermediate · 2 days
Deeper theory and more practice, for people working with coffee every day.
- Level 3Professional · 3 days
Precision, analysis and leadership, for trainers, managers and competitors.
The catalogue · 23 courses
Choose a track.
Introduction to Coffee
The gateway. No experience needed.-
Introduction to Coffee
A guided introduction to the world of coffee, exploring its history, producing regions, varieties, processing methods, and the sensory foundations that shape specialty coffee today.
Barista Skills
Espresso, milk and the bar.-
Barista Skills Foundation
A refined introduction to espresso preparation and milk texturing. Covers grind, dose, and extraction control, plus clean workflow and consistency. Builds a strong technical foundation aligned with SCA standards.
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Barista Skills Intermediate
A deeper exploration of espresso dynamics and milk precision. Emphasizes dialing-in, balance, and workflow efficiency under real service conditions. Develops consistency, speed, and sensory awareness in line with professional practice.
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Barista Skills Professional
Advanced control of espresso through profiling, analysis, and refinement. Focused on precision, troubleshooting, and leadership in high-level bar settings. Designed for those pursuing mastery in coffee preparation.
Brewing
Filter coffee, extraction and recipes.-
Brewing Skills Foundation
A clear introduction to extraction and brewing fundamentals — water chemistry, grind size, and ratio — using the V60 as the primary learning tool.
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Brewing Skills Intermediate
A more precise approach to brewing through variable control and recipe development, using the Chemex to explore clarity and balance.
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Brewing Skills Professional
Advanced brewing focused on precision and repeatability — pressure, temperature, and immersion dynamics — explored through the Siphon.
Sensory Skills
Taste, aroma and cupping.-
Sensory Skills Foundation
An introduction to tasting coffee with clarity and structure. Covers basic taste recognition, aroma identification, and SCA cupping protocols. Builds the sensory language required for accurate coffee description.
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Sensory Skills Intermediate
Refines perception through calibration and comparative tasting. Introduces CVA (Coffee Value Assessment) frameworks, developing a structured approach to descriptive and affective analysis. Strengthens consistency in evaluation.
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Sensory Skills Professional
Advanced sensory analysis focused on calibration, bias control, and decision-making. Extensive use of CVA forms alongside methodologies aligned with Q Grading standards, supporting professional-level quality control and sourcing.
Roasting
From green bean to roast profile.-
Coffee Roasting Foundation
An introduction to roasting theory and the transformation of coffee. Covers heat application, roast stages, and their impact on flavour. Establishes core understanding aligned with SCA roasting principles.
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Coffee Roasting Intermediate
A structured approach to roast profiling and consistency. Focuses on data interpretation, control of roast variables, and defect identification. Develops the ability to refine and repeat profiles with precision.
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Coffee Roasting Professional
Advanced roasting strategy focused on flavour development and production control. Integrates sensory feedback with data-driven decisions. Designed for professionals managing quality and consistency at scale.
Green Coffee
Grading, sourcing and buying.-
Green Coffee Foundation
An introduction to coffee origin, species, and processing methods. Covers the fundamentals of green coffee and its influence on flavour. Builds awareness of the coffee value chain.
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Green Coffee Intermediate
Focuses on green coffee evaluation, defect identification, and handling practices. Includes sampling, storage, and quality assessment. Develops practical knowledge for sourcing and quality control.
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Green Coffee Professional
Advanced understanding of sourcing strategies, contracts, and market dynamics. Emphasises long-term quality planning, consistency, and decision-making in green coffee procurement.
Q Grading & CVA
Licensing and calibration for professionals.-
Coffee Value Assessment SCA
An introduction to the Coffee Value Assessment (CVA) framework — the SCA system for evaluating coffee quality through structured sensory and descriptive analysis.
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Q Arabica Grader Licence Course
Six days of theory and practical training, then nine examinations across cupping, sensory skills and green and roasted grading. Pass all nine to earn the SCA Q Arabica Grader licence.
Water & Maintenance
Water for coffee and equipment care.-
Water & Preventive Maintenance Foundation
Water for coffee and equipment care: water parameters and the SCA water values, treatment systems and testing, and a practical preventive maintenance routine for espresso machines and grinders.
Sustainability
The SCA Coffee Sustainability Program.-
Foundation
The starting point of the SCA Coffee Sustainability Program. Environmental, social and economic sustainability across the coffee value chain, from farm to cup. Theory course with SCA certificate.
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Climate & Coffee
How climate change affects coffee and how the industry responds: climate-smart agriculture, water, forests and biodiversity, carbon footprints, mitigation and circular economy. Theory, 2 days.
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Coffee Economics
The financial side of coffee: the C Market and differentials, pricing and price risk, costs of production and farm profitability, value distribution, living income and alternative trade models. Theory, 2 days.
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Compliance, Governance & Reporting
Due diligence and sustainability legislation, governance and power in the coffee value chain, and how to report on sustainability with materiality and good data. Theory, 2 days.
Every certificate here is issued by the Specialty Coffee Association, and recognised wherever coffee is.
A first for the UAE · SCA Coffee Sustainability Program
The UAE’s first SCA Sustainability trainer.
Sustainability is more than the environment. It is also about people, livelihoods and economics. Four theory courses, in person in the UAE or live online worldwide. Start with Foundation, then take the three specialist courses in any order.
- Foundation1 day · Theory
- Climate & Coffee2 days · Theory
- Coffee Economics2 days · Theory
- Compliance, Governance & Reporting2 days · Theory
SCA Q Instructor · serving the whole UAE
Become a Q Arabica Grader, without leaving the UAE.
Maryam is an SCA-licensed Q Instructor and a licensed Q Arabica Grader. She runs the licence course in Dubai and at cupping labs across the Emirates, and prepares candidates before they sit it.
- 6days of training
- 9examinations
- 3years the licence lasts