Texas Master Beekeeper Program

Category: Learning Also called: TMBP; Texas Master Beekeeping Program; Texas A&M AgriLife Master Beekeeper Program Last checked: 2026-09-22

What it is

The Texas Master Beekeeper Program (TMBP) is a first-party beekeeper training and certification program administered by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. The program-requirements page calls it a five-year training program with four levels — Apprentice Beekeeper, Advanced Beekeeper, Master Beekeeper, and Master Craftsman Beekeeper — and says no one may skip a level, including students from other Master Beekeeper programs. Coursework for the entry levels is a 10-week virtual course; exams are in person. The home page also points new keepers at a separate Beekeeping 101 4-hour online course (no prerequisites and no waiting list printed there) that is not the certification exam. It is not a county club and not a hive-equipment retail shop.

Who it’s for

Beekeepers who want a Texas A&M AgriLife certificate path, starting at Apprentice. The Apprentice course page says no prior experience is required to enter the coursework; the exam requires at least one bee year of hands-on colony care (minimum May–August), with first-year keepers directed to fall testing September through November. Advanced requires the Apprentice rank for at least one year, the Advanced 10-week course, and 30 documented public service hours. Master requires one year each at Apprentice and Advanced, at least three years as a practicing beekeeper, a declared major, and public-service credits as printed on the Master requirements page. Program requirements: there is no age limit, and the exam may be too difficult for children under 12. 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 course fees, exam pass marks, level time minimums, a 2026 live-session schedule, fall 2026 exam listings, and a College Station office address — curriculum-first, not a blog and not an affiliate landing page.

• Program shape (Program Requirements — checked 2026-09-22): four levels; Apprentice about one year (can be faster) but the student must be managing bees for at least one bee season (May–August) before the entry exam; Advanced and Master a minimum of one full year each; Master Craftsman a minimum of two years. Exams are written and practical (Apprentice practical includes an in-hive portion; Advanced has written and practical; Master is described as written only). Pass mark on the level pages checked: 70% on each required portion. Guaranteed exams twice a year, spring with the Brenham Bee School and fall with the TBA Fall Convention, plus AgriLife bee-specialist locations named as Overton, Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio when necessary. Contact for other sites: [email protected].
• Tuition (Apprentice and Advanced requirement pages — checked today): 10-Week Apprentice Level Course $75, and the page says that price includes the in-person exam. 10-Week Advanced Level Course $75, exam included. Master requirements page checked the same day did not print a course dollar amount; none is invented here. Home page describes Beekeeping 101 as a 4-hour online beginner course with no prerequisites and no waiting list, and did not print a dollar price.
• 2026 schedule still on official pages (checked today): AgriLife Extension course page “Texas Master Beekeeper Course: Apprentice Level,” publication date January 14, 2026, lists weekly live virtual sessions Mondays, 9 a.m.–noon, February 16–April 20, 2026, recordings available, prerequisites none. That page’s price line prints “See Agrilife Learn” rather than $75; the $75 figure is on the TMBP Apprentice requirements page. Apprentice events block: TMBP Fall 2026 Exam – College Station, September 25, 9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m., and TMBP Fall 2026 Exam – Fort Bend (the Fort Bend card did not print a separate clock time in the text fetched with the College Station card).
• Office (footer on the pages above): Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, 600 John Kimbrough Boulevard, Suite 509, 7101 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843-7101. Phone (979) 314-8200. Fax (979) 845-9542. Email [email protected].
• Caveats still printed on 2026-09-22: Apprentice and Advanced pages say handbook chapters are digital inside the 10-week courses and “sometime in 2026 we will have hardcopies of the entire handbook available for purchase.” Advanced public-service line still says hours go on the “New TMBP Public Service Hour portal (launching ~February 2026)” and that more tracking information “will be provided soon.” Extra Advanced hours cannot carry into higher levels. Master public-service rules on the Master page differ by exam era (15 credits for exams starting Fall 2025, with an older 10-credit path described for earlier exams).

Fees, pass marks, the February–April 2026 session dates, the September 25, 2026 exam listing, and the handbook / portal sentences above are what the official pages showed on the check date. They can change. Use the live requirements and course pages before registering.

Official URL

Program home: https://masterbeekeeper.tamu.edu/

Apprentice requirements ($75 course): https://masterbeekeeper.tamu.edu/requirements-3/

Advanced requirements ($75 course): https://masterbeekeeper.tamu.edu/requirements/

Master requirements: https://masterbeekeeper.tamu.edu/requirements-2/

Program requirements: https://masterbeekeeper.tamu.edu/program-requirements/

AgriLife Apprentice course page (2026 Monday sessions): https://agrilifeextension.tamu.edu/asset-external/texas-master-beekeeper-course-apprentice-level/

Location

Office of record: 600 John Kimbrough Boulevard, Suite 509, 7101 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843-7101. Phone (979) 314-8200. Fax (979) 845-9542. Entry courses are printed as virtual / online; exams are in person (College Station and Fort Bend were the fall 2026 cards on the Apprentice page, plus the Brenham and TBA convention exams and other Texas sites named on the program-requirements page).

This is a university extension classroom / exam program. Do not treat the John Kimbrough address as a club meeting hall or a woodenware store.

Notes

• Category is Learning. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension certification (Apprentice–Advanced–Master–Master Craftsman). Not Equipment and not a Local club.
• The $75 Apprentice and $75 Advanced course fees (exam included), 70% pass marks, May–August bee-year rule, Monday 9 a.m.–noon sessions dated February 16–April 20, 2026, September 25, 2026 College Station exam, College Station office, and the still-printed handbook / public-service-portal sentences are transcribed from official masterbeekeeper.tamu.edu and AgriLife Extension pages checked on 2026-09-22 and may change. No Master-level or Beekeeping 101 dollar price was printed on the pages checked.
• First-party program image saved beside this listing as texas-master-beekeeper.png (Chapter 1 “Welcome to TMBP” graphic from the program site).
• Not affiliated with Beekeeping Plaza.
• No Beekeeping Plaza contact, purchase, booking, or publication action was taken.

FAQ

Q: What does the Apprentice course cost, and what score is required?
A: Apprentice requirements (checked 2026-09-22): 10-week course $75, and that price includes the in-person exam. Written and practical exams each require 70%. You may start the course with no prior experience; the exam requires at least one bee year (minimum May–August). The AgriLife course page’s own price line says “See Agrilife Learn” and lists Monday sessions February 16–April 20, 2026, 9 a.m.–noon. Confirm the live registration page.

Q: What are the next levels, and is there a Master course price?
A: Advanced requirements: hold Apprentice at least one year, take the 10-week Advanced course ($75, exam included), document 30 public service hours, and pass written and practical exams at 70%. Master requirements: one year each at Apprentice and Advanced, at least three years keeping bees, a declared major, public-service credits, and a written exam at 70%. That Master page did not print a course dollar amount on 2026-09-22. Master Craftsman is described as a minimum of two years. Program home also mentions a separate Beekeeping 101 4-hour online course with no price printed there.

Q: Is this a local bee club or a supply shop?
A: No. This listing is Learning — the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Texas Master Beekeeper Program, office at 600 John Kimbrough Boulevard, Suite 509, College Station. For a county association see Local clubs; for hive and gear retail see Equipment.