Program Description
Vermont State University’s Cannabis Studies Certificate program (CSCP) is a 12-credit interdisciplinary program. Students take courses that provide them with an understanding of the history and role of cannabis in cultures, both past and present, the economic and business aspects of the cannabis industry, and the cultivation, processing, and medicinal effects of cannabis. Issus of public health, policy, advocacy, and criminal justice are also covered in the courses.
The Cannabis Studies Certificate Program is:
Flexible: This program can be an added credential for students pursuing a bachelor’s degree or a stand-alone credential for working professionals seeking expertise in an emerging field.
Dynamic and Career-Focused: Learn how to capitalize on today’s emerging employment opportunities, including professional cannabis businesses, organizations, and enterprises.
Experiential and Multidisciplinary Education: With our required internship you’ll learn first-hand knowledge from professionals and our multidisciplinary approach will teach you the how, the why, and even the why you should care in the first place.
Affordable and Accessible: Just 12 credits, including opportunities to take courses over the summer and a flexible internship, means you can complete the program at your own pace.
Federal aid cannot be used to pay for a standalone cannabis certificate because it is not a federal approved program. If the courses are counting toward a student’s required electives, federal aid can be used to pay. If you have questions about your financial aid eligibility and taking cannabis courses, you can email financialaid@vermontstate.edu.
Program Outcomes
1. Students in the Cannabis Studies Certificate Program gain an understanding of the long and complex nature, history and role of cannabis in human cultures, both past and present; including contemporary Issus concerning public health, policy, advocacy, and criminal justice.
2. In the current age of cannabis normalization and legalization, students will have developed an informed and critical perspective on cannabis and its place in society, be able to separate fact from fiction, and be able to engage knowledgeably and successfully in the cannabis culture, community, and industry.
3. Students are exposed to all business aspects of the cannabis industry in an effort to best understand the marketplace and explore developing an entrepreneurial approach.
4. Students research, develop, and present a PPT presentation to be used as a draft business plan for an enterprise in the cannabis industry.
5. Students completing the CSCP will have an understanding of the science of the cannabis plant, the knowledge and skills with which to cultivate it, and be able to identify and evaluate product type and quality.
6. Through the CSCP Internship, students will gain a real-world experience in a cannabis-oriented organization or company under the direction of a professional in the field, while building a network of connections and enhancing their opportunities for career direction and success.
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