Sommelier and Wine Certifications for the United States
The Wine School of Philadelphia (WSoP) is one of our premier regional schools. Since 2001, WSoP has offered some of the best wine education programs in America. We are proud to have them in our family of schools and universities. The founder of this school is also a founding member of NWS and continues to be an invaluable mentor to our students.
On this page, students in the WSoP programs can view the requirements for national wine certification, as well as apply for their certifications.
Certification Requirements & Applications
Core Sommelier (L3)
Successful completion of these programs results in sommelier certification. At the Wine School of Philadelphia, these certifications are typically taken together in the Core Wine Program.
If you have completed courses L1-L3, you can apply to have your sommelier pin delivered to you. This fee is to verify your credentials. The pin itself and shipping are free within the continental United States. Please confirm that your name and mailing address are correct when checking out.
Along with earning their L3 (Core) certification, the student must complete a minimum of four Advanced Courses*. There are three levels of Advanced qualifications, depending on the student’s average numerical grade. Please see below for more details.
Along with earning their L3 (Core) certification, the student must complete a minimum of four Advanced Courses*. There are three levels of Advanced qualifications, depending on the student’s average numerical grade.
How to Apply
During the checkout process, we need the following information: Please include the applicant’s name and the school or university they attended in the order notes. If you do not include this information, we will reach out to you before we can complete the application. Please note that the University of Florida and Berkley City College have different application processes, and students from either of those schools should not use this form.
Levels of Qualifications
Advanced Sommelier Qualification
An average Numerical Grade of 75 is required to earn the Advanced Qualification. This level grants the student certification. This level does not include the Advanced Sommelier pin.
Advanced Sommelier Pin
An average Numerical Grade of 85 is required to earn your pin.
Advanced Sommelier Pin and Letter of Distinction
An average Numerical Grade of 95 is required. The average numerical grade is calculated only with those four courses. If a student has completed more than four Advanced courses, they can opt to decide which of the courses to apply towards their Advanced Qualification.*Advanced, Specialist, Scholar, or Masters courses are collectively referred to as “Advanced Courses” The students must have completed their L3 (Core) Certification prior to earning their Advanced Sommelier qualification. The Numerical Grade does not include the numerical grade from your L3 (Core) Certification.
Master in Wine (L5)
Prerequisites
Core Sommelier Certification
Advanced Sommelier Certification
To earn your L5 wine certification, you are required to successfully complete eight required and two elective courses. Certifications taken to earn the Advanced Sommelier pin are included in the ten courses needed for L5 certification.
If you have completed all requirements for L5 Master-level sommelier certification, you can apply to have your sommelier pin delivered to you. This fee is to verify your credentials. The pin itself and shipping are free within the continental United States. Please confirm that your name and mailing address are correct when checking out.
Requirements: Ten Advanced and Master-Level certifications.
You can order a copy here if you need a print (or re-print) of your certification. Before ordering, make sure your name and mailing address is correct in your NWS account. Before checking out, please confirm that you are ordering the proper certification.