SCA Barista Skills course · Downtown Los Angeles Espresso, milk & the rhythm of the bar.
Barista Skills is the Specialty Coffee Association’s hands-on espresso bar course: setting your grinder, milk texturing and latte art, health and safety, customer service and the basics of running a bar. We teach it at Foundation (7 hours), Intermediate (14 hours) and Professional (21 hours) levels at Soro Coffee, 601 Wilshire Blvd in downtown Los Angeles — in English or Korean, taught by Rock Kim, an Authorized SCA Trainer (AST) and licensed Q Instructor.
At a glance
- Levels
- Foundation, Intermediate and Professional
- Length
- Foundation 7 hours · Intermediate 14 hours · Professional 21 hours
- Exams
- Written and practical exams at every level, audited by the SCA
- Certificate
- An SCA certificate for each level you pass
- Diplomas
- Foundation counts toward the SCA Café and Sustainable Coffee Diplomas; Intermediate and Professional toward the Café Diploma
- Taught by
- Rock Kim, an Authorized SCA Trainer (AST) and licensed Q Instructor
- Language
- English or Korean
- Where
- Soro Coffee, 601 Wilshire Blvd, downtown Los Angeles
Three levels
Foundation to Professional.
Each level ends with written and practical exams, assessed by your trainer and audited by the SCA.
01
Foundation
Your first steps behind the espresso bar, and a good way to decide whether to go further. No experience needed.
- Basic espresso drinks
- Cleaning routines
- Brewing and service fundamentals
- Counts toward the SCA Café and Sustainable Coffee Diplomas
02
Intermediate
For baristas already working in coffee who have the basic skills down.
- Extraction control
- Consistent milk texturing
- Workflow behind the bar
- Counts toward the SCA Café Diploma
03
Professional
Specialist knowledge at a high level — the kind that shows employers you’re ready to work in the field.
- Quality control
- Custom drink recipes
- Advanced latte art
- Counts toward the SCA Café Diploma
Questions
Good to know
Do I need barista experience?
Not for Foundation, which starts with basic espresso drinks, cleaning routines and service fundamentals — no experience needed. Intermediate and Professional are for people who already work in coffee and have the basic skills down.
How long is the Barista Skills course?
Foundation is 7 hours, Intermediate 14 hours and Professional 21 hours — the SCA’s standard length for each level.
Is it SCA-certified, and what are the exams?
Yes. Barista Skills is part of the Specialty Coffee Association’s Coffee Skills Program and is taught by an Authorized SCA Trainer (AST). Each level ends with written and practical exams, assessed by the trainer and audited by the SCA. Pass them and you receive the SCA certificate for that level.
Which SCA diplomas does it count toward?
Barista Skills Foundation counts toward the SCA Café and Sustainable Coffee Diplomas; Intermediate and Professional count toward the Café Diploma. The diplomas are cumulative — you earn them by combining certificates across courses and levels.
Will I learn latte art?
Yes. Milk texturing and latte art are part of Barista Skills: consistent milk texturing is a focus at Intermediate, and advanced latte art is part of Professional.
Can I take it in Korean?
Yes. Classes can be taught in Korean as well as English — just tell us which you’d prefer when you inquire. There’s also an academy page in Korean (한국어).
Next step
Ask about the next class
Send an inquiry and we’ll get back to you by email. Class dates are set based on demand. Or email education@sorocoffee.com.
More SCA courses at Soro