California Master Beekeeper Program (UC Davis)

Category: Learning Also called: CAMBP; UC Davis California Master Beekeeper Program; UC Davis Master Beekeeper; E. L. Niño Bee Lab certification program; cambp.ucdavis.edu Last checked: 2026-09-25

What it is

The California Master Beekeeper Program (CAMBP) is a first-party University of California, Davis beekeeping education and certification program. Its official site (cambp.ucdavis.edu) describes its purpose as “using science based information to educate stewards & ambassadors for honey bees and beekeeping.” It publishes a four-level tiered certification (Honey Bee Ambassador, Apprentice, Journey, Master) with printed fees, prerequisites, and evaluation deadlines, plus an à la carte class schedule of remote, in-person, and hybrid classes and a self-paced online course catalog. Official copy says the program is anchored by the team at the E. L. Niño Bee Lab at UC Davis, which works with honey bee and native bee researchers, beekeepers, and volunteers across California, and a home-page banner notes collaboration with UC ANR. It is not a county club and not a hive-equipment retail shop.

Who it’s for

Beekeepers at every level, “a hobbyist looking to start beehives in their backyard, a commercial beekeeper with 10 years experience, and an aspiring beekeeping business owner,” in the program’s own words, who want a curriculum-first, fee-printed, science-based certification pathway. Official copy: “Anyone anywhere in the state can certify,” and registration is always open. New beekeepers start at Honey Bee Ambassador ($50). People with at least a year of beekeeping (a minimum of 20 hours in-hive) can begin at Apprentice ($250). Journey ($250) and Master ($300) build on the earlier levels. Individual public classes (for example $30 remote / $200 in-person) suit people who don’t want to certify. Not a substitute for a local club meeting or for buying woodenware.

Why it’s listed

This is a first-party Learning program with printed dollar fees for all four certification levels, stated prerequisites and evaluation formats, per-level deadlines, a dated fall 2026 class schedule with per-class fees, and a UC Davis Bee Biology Road contact block. It is curriculum- and fee-first, not a blog and not an affiliate landing page.

• Certification levels (Certification Program page, checked 2026-09-25): 1. Honey Bee Ambassador: basic beekeeping theory, no prerequisite, $50.00, written exam, deadline 1 year from registration. 2. Apprentice: well-rounded ability to set up and keep hives, prerequisite a minimum of 20 hours in-hive experience (one year of beekeeping), $250.00, written plus practical exam, 1.5 years. 3. Journey: advanced theoretical and practical knowledge, prerequisite Apprentice certification, $250.00, written plus practical exam, 1.5 years. 4. Master: “ability to generate new knowledge or systems,” prerequisite Journey certification, $300.00, Master Capstone Project and Presentation, 2 years. Process: apply, receive an acceptance email with a payment link, pay, then get access to prep resources and the evaluation scheduler. The written exam is online with a two-hour limit. Apprentice and Journey practical/oral exams can be taken in-person proctored (at locations around the state, typically spring and summer), remote proctored over Zoom, or remote self-administered by video (30 minutes maximum).
• Prep resources included with registration (same page): roughly quarterly virtual orientations, level-specific study guides, unlimited practice exams, live and recorded classes from an “80+ hour curriculum,” a self-paced online course (Apprentice, Journey, and Master only), partner-organization prep programs, 1-on-1 virtual office hours every Wednesday, and a mentor network. Current candidates get class passes for free access to remote classes at their current and previous levels (in-person class pricing varies).
• Sample dated class schedule (Class Schedule + class pages, checked 2026-09-25): HBAL01 Exploring Beekeeping, Sat Oct 17, 2026, 9:00–11:30 a.m., remote, $30.00. JL05 Wax Working, Honey and Hive Products, Sat Nov 7, 2026, hybrid: remote 9:00–11:00 a.m. for $30.00, or in-person 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. at the Laidlaw Honey Bee Research Facility, Davis for $200.00. HBAL06 Planning Year Round Native Plant Pollinator Gardens, Nov 10, 2026, remote. JL07 Technology in the Apiary, Dec 5, 2026, remote. Classes are open to the public, and you need a free site account to register. Course catalog: Honey Bees and Beekeeping for Veterinarians, self-paced online, about 3 hours, $45.00, RACE-approved for 1.5 hours of CE credit.

Fees, levels, deadlines, class dates, and venues above are what the official pages showed on the check date. Catalog offerings change. Use the live CAMBP pages before treating any figure or seat as available.

Official URL

Program home: https://cambp.ucdavis.edu/

Certification Program (levels, fees, evaluation): https://cambp.ucdavis.edu/certification-program

Classes overview (class passes): https://cambp.ucdavis.edu/classes

Class Schedule (fall 2026): https://cambp.ucdavis.edu/classes/class-schedule

Class Catalog: https://cambp.ucdavis.edu/class-catalog

Exploring Beekeeping, Oct 17, 2026 ($30): https://cambp.ucdavis.edu/classes/class-schedule/exploring-beekeeping-10

Wax Working, Honey and Hive Products, Nov 7, 2026 ($30 remote / $200 in-person): https://cambp.ucdavis.edu/classes/class-schedule/wax-working-honey-and-hive-products-2

Course Catalog: https://cambp.ucdavis.edu/course-catalog

Honey Bees and Beekeeping for Veterinarians ($45): https://cambp.ucdavis.edu/course-catalog/bee-vet-course

About / contact: https://cambp.ucdavis.edu/about

Location

The program is statewide and hybrid. Written exams and many classes are online. Practical exams can be taken in person at proctored apiaries around California or remotely. In-person classes on the dated 2026 schedule meet at the Laidlaw Honey Bee Research Facility, Davis. Program contact printed on the official About page: 1 Bee Biology Rd, Davis, CA 95616; (530) 754-2097; [email protected].

This is a Learning / university certification and class program address, not a Local club hall and not an Equipment retail counter.

Notes

• Category is Learning. This is a curriculum- and fee-first UC Davis tiered certification (Ambassador $50 / Apprentice $250 / Journey $250 / Master $300) with public à la carte classes. It is not Equipment and not Local clubs. It is distinct from the Learning programs already listed (Montana, Cornell, UF IFAS, Penn State, Oregon, Texas, CSU Extension, Purdue): a different state, a different university, and its own fee schedule.
• The four-level fees, prerequisites, evaluation formats and deadlines, prep-resource list, Wednesday office hours, the Oct 17 / Nov 7 / Nov 10 / Dec 5, 2026 class cards with $30 / $200 fees, the Laidlaw facility venue, the $45 bee-vet course, and the 1 Bee Biology Rd contact block are transcribed from official cambp.ucdavis.edu pages checked on 2026-09-25 and may change. The site footer showed “Last update: September 12, 2026.” The Classes overview says most classes run about 3 hours, while the Class Catalog says about 2 hours. Both are quoted as printed.
• First-party program seal saved beside this listing as california-master-beekeeper-program.png (from the official cambp.ucdavis.edu site-logo asset CAMBP_2019.png).
• Not affiliated with Beekeeping Plaza.
• No Beekeeping Plaza contact, purchase, booking, or publication action was taken.

FAQ

Q: What does CAMBP certification cost, and what are the levels?
A: Official Certification Program page (checked 2026-09-25): Honey Bee Ambassador $50 (no prerequisite; written exam); Apprentice $250 (at least 20 in-hive hours / one year of beekeeping; written plus practical); Journey $250 (Apprentice required; written plus practical); Master $300 (Journey required; capstone project and presentation). Registration is always open. Apply, get accepted, then pay. Confirm the live page before paying.

Q: Can I take a single class without certifying?
A: Yes. The Classes overview (checked 2026-09-25) says classes are open to the public, with remote, in-person, and hybrid options. Sample fall 2026 cards: Exploring Beekeeping, Oct 17, 2026, remote, $30; Wax Working, Honey and Hive Products, Nov 7, 2026, $30 remote or $200 in-person at the Laidlaw Honey Bee Research Facility in Davis. You need a free site account to register. Certification candidates get free remote-class passes at their level.

Q: Is this a local bee club or a supply shop?
A: No. This listing is Learning: UC Davis’s E. L. Niño Bee Lab–anchored certification and class program. For a county or regional meeting club see Local clubs (e.g. Minnesota Hobby Beekeepers Association, Cabarrus County Beekeepers). For hive and gear retail see Equipment (e.g. Blue Sky Bee Supply, HillCo).