Alvernia University in Pennsylvania Announces Online Cannabis Certification Program in Partnership with the Cleveland School of Cannabis
The certification program offers various courses for gaining skills to enter the state’s growing industry.
Image | adobe.stock/miss irine
In an April 28, 2025, news release, Alvernia University, located in Reading, Pennsylvania, announced the launch of a new cannabis certificate program, the Alvernia Cannabis Academy (1). The online, non-credit program offers courses for workforce-aligned training to prepare students for the state’s growing cannabis industry.
“As part of our mission as a comprehensive regional university, Alvernia is committed to developing innovative academic programming that meets the needs of the region’s workforce,” stated Alvernia vice president for Graduate and Adult Education Gaetan T. Giannini, EdD., in the news release. “The Alvernia Cannabis Academy expands access to professional education in one of the fastest-growing industries in the commonwealth and reflects our commitment to providing flexible, career-focused options for all learners.”
The creation of a legal, adult-use cannabis industry in the state is estimated to generate up to $2.8 billion in sales annually, as well as support 45,500 jobs within the first year, according to FTI Consulting, the press release noted, also citing the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) data stating that Pennsylvania has more than 440,000 medical cannabis patients as of 2024 (2,3).
The Cannabis Academy platform is delivered through the University’s Accelerate AU, which offers various training programs focused on providing skills and partnerships for employment in growing industries (4).
The program offers self-paced courses in product development, cultivation, extraction, dispensary operations, and regulatory science (5). Courses are delivered through video instruction, assignments, and digital tools. The three certificate courses are categorized as Cannabis Cultivation Certificate Program, Science of Certificate Program, and Cannabis Dispensary Certificate Program. Those who are looking to change careers and enter the cannabis industry, entrepreneurs, as well as professionals in pharmacy, agriculture, chemistry, medicine, horticulture, and technology are examples of people encouraged to enroll in the program.
The program was developed in partnership with the Cleveland School of Cannabis (CSC), which has also partnered with Onondaga Community College in New York. “This partnership with Alvernia University enables us to expand the reach of our expert-led curriculum to new learners who want to be part of this dynamic industry,” stated Tyrone Russell, president of the Cleveland School of Cannabis. “We’re proud to work alongside a university that values ethical leadership, community engagement and student-centered learning.” As noted by the Cannabis Academy, the CSC is the only school accredited by an accreditor recognized by the United States Department of Education.
After completing the courses, students receive a certificate issued jointly by both Alvernia University and CSC.
Alvernia University is the first in Berks County, PA to offer an academic program related to the cannabis industry, the news release also noted.
References
- Alvernia University. Alvernia University launches Cannabis Academy to meet growing workforce demands https://www.alvernia.edu/news/2025/04/alvernia-university-launches-cannabis-academy-meet-growing-workforce-demands (accessed April 29, 2025)
- FTI Consulting. Estimating the Economic Impacts of an Adult Use Cannabis Market in Pennsylvania https://responsiblepa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/FTI-PA-Adult-Use-Market-Economic-Impacts-Presentation.pdf (accessed April 29, 2025)
- Marijuana Policy Project. Medical Cannabis Patient Numbers https://www.mpp.org/issues/medical-marijuana/state-by-state-medical-marijuana-laws/medical-marijuana-patient-numbers/ (accessed April 29, 2025)
- Alvernia University. Accelerate AU https://www.alvernia.edu/academics/accelerate-au (accessed April 29, 2025)
- Alvernia University. Cannabis Academy https://www.alvernia.edu/academics/academy/cannabis-academy (accessed April 29, 2025)
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