Oregon Master Beekeeper Program

Category: Learning Also called: OMB; Oregon Master Beekeeper; OSU Extension Master Beekeeper; OSU Honey Bee Lab Master Beekeeper Program Last checked: 2026-09-21

What it is

The Oregon Master Beekeeper Program is a first-party cooperative beekeeping education pathway between the Oregon State University Honey Bee Lab and the Oregon State Beekeepers Association, published on OSU Extension (extension.oregonstate.edu/mb). Participating beekeepers advance through successive levels — Apprentice, Journey, and Master — with online modules, mentoring (Apprentice), field practice, exams, and community service. A stand-alone ‘Getting Started with Bees’ certificate sits beside the pathway for beginners. The program’s primary goal, per official pages, is to improve and maintain the health of honey bee colonies throughout the region. It is not a county club and not a hive-equipment retail shop.

Who it’s for

New and experienced beekeepers in Oregon (with program presence also noted for Washington and Idaho on scholarship / Getting Started pages) who want a mentored, curriculum-first pathway with published fees and level requirements. Beginners with little or no experience can start with Getting Started with Bees ($250); Apprentice expects 18+ and roughly 2+ years experience or a Getting Started certificate, plus hive access and mentor matching. Journey and Master require prior OMB certification and owning at least one colony. 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 tuition for each level, certification requirements, Corvallis Honey Bee Lab contact address, and sequential Apprentice → Journey → Master structure — curriculum/schedule-first, not a blog and not an affiliate landing page.

• Program overview (MB hub — checked 2026-09-21): cooperative effort of OSU Honey Bee Lab and Oregon State Beekeepers Association; levels Apprentice, Journey, and Master; plus stand-alone Getting Started with Bees (no waiting list; join anytime). Contact block: Department of Horticulture / Honey Bee Lab, 4017 AG Life Sciences Bldg, Corvallis, OR 97331; phone 541-737-1875; [email protected].
• Published fees (level pages — checked today): Getting Started with Bees — $250; Apprentice — $350 ($100 for those who already earned a Getting Started certificate); Journey — $375 (includes program materials, exams, and field-day access; non-refundable); Master — $375 (same inclusions; non-refundable). Scholarship page: Getting Started scholarships can reduce enrollment to $50 (textbook included); some reduced awards note $25 printing/supply residual — confirm the live scholarship page.
• Apprentice requirements (Apprentice page — checked today): 9 online modules (+ bee-sting/anaphylaxis module), open-book exam, 6 education points, 4 mentor-signed field worksheets, 4 hive-maintenance log entries, complete within 2 years; ~16 hours self-paced Canvas training; required textbook The Beekeeper’s Handbook (Sammataro & Avitabile, 5th ed., student-supplied). Challenge path for beekeepers with 5+ years current experience. Packets/certificates mailed to U.S. and Canada addresses only.
• Journey / Master (level pages — checked today): Journey — open-book written exam 90%+, practical exam 80%+ per section (in-hive and lab, typically Corvallis / OSU campus), 30 public-service points, 12 Guided Study responses, 3 successive years colony ownership/logs, anaphylaxis/EpiPen video; expected within 3 years. Master — research-article critique, Capstone Project, pests/disease proficiency, a new proficiency area, 100 public-service points, oral exam (scheduled yearly in Corvallis when students are ready). Journey/Master enrollment: contact [email protected] for registration/payment link.

Dates, fees, mentor availability, exam seats, and scholarship caps above are what the official pages showed on the check date. Catalog offerings change. Use the live OSU Extension MB pages before treating any figure as fixed.

Official URL

Program hub: https://extension.oregonstate.edu/mb

Apprentice Beekeeper Level ($350 / $100): https://extension.oregonstate.edu/mb/apprentice-beekeeper-level

Journey Beekeeper Level ($375): https://extension.oregonstate.edu/mb/journey-beekeeper-level

Master Beekeeper Level ($375): https://extension.oregonstate.edu/mb/master-beekeeper-level

Getting Started with Bees ($250): https://extension.oregonstate.edu/mb/getting-started-bees-certificate-program

Scholarship Program: https://extension.oregonstate.edu/mb/scholarship-program

FAQs: https://extension.oregonstate.edu/mb/frequently-asked-questions

What Makes Our Program Unique?: https://extension.oregonstate.edu/mb/what-makes-our-program-unique

Location

Primarily online coursework (Canvas) with in-person mentoring (Apprentice) and Journey/Master practical/oral exams typically on the OSU campus, Corvallis, Oregon. Program office printed on the hub: 4017 AG Life Sciences Bldg, Corvallis, OR 97331; 541-737-1875.

This is a Learning / university Extension pathway address, not a Local club hall and not an Equipment retail counter.

Notes

• Category is Learning. Curriculum- and fee-first OSU Extension / Honey Bee Lab Master Beekeeper pathway (Apprentice–Journey–Master + Getting Started). Not Equipment and not Local clubs.
• Printed Apprentice $350 ($100 after Getting Started), Journey $375, Master $375, Getting Started $250, Corvallis Honey Bee Lab address, and level requirements are transcribed from official extension.oregonstate.edu/mb pages checked on 2026-09-21 and may change.
• First-party program photo saved beside this listing as oregon-master-beekeeper.png (from the OSU Extension MB hub image asset).
• Not affiliated with Beekeeping Plaza.
• No Beekeeping Plaza contact, purchase, booking, or publication action was taken.

FAQ

Q: What do the levels cost?
A: Official level pages (checked 2026-09-21): Getting Started with Bees $250; Apprentice $350 ($100 if you already hold a Getting Started certificate); Journey $375; Master $375. Journey/Master fees are printed as non-refundable and include materials, exams, and field-day access. Confirm live pages before registering.

Q: Do I need prior experience, and are mentors required?
A: Getting Started: little/no experience; no hive or assigned mentor required. Apprentice: 18+, typically 2+ years experience or a Getting Started certificate, hive access, and an assigned mentor when available (contact list if no mentor in area). Journey/Master require prior OMB certification and owning at least one colony. Experienced keepers (5+ years) may challenge Apprentice certification.

Q: Is this a local bee club or a supply shop?
A: No. This listing is Learning — Oregon State University Extension’s Master Beekeeper Program (with OSU Honey Bee Lab / Oregon State Beekeepers Association). For a county/regional meeting club see Local clubs (e.g. MABA); for hive/gear retail see Equipment (e.g. GloryBee, Betterbee).