WSET Diploma Course Sequence
The one requirement in planning the sequence of your Diploma studies is that you must take (but not necessarily pass*) the Unit 2 exam before any other Unit exams and before any Unit 1 coursework assignments can be submitted. It is possible to take the Unit 2 exam on the same day as other Unit exams, and we usually offer the Unit 2 exam in the morning of the same day as our Unit 4-6 exams for students who choose this option.
In Philadelphia, we offer Diploma classes and exams on the following schedule (see this year's dates):
- September-November: Units 1 and 2 combined course
- December: Unit 2 exam
- January-May: Unit 3 course
- March-May: Unit 2 course (if there is sufficient demand; these students may also attend Unit 1 classes in the fall)
- June: Unit 3 exam
- September-November: Unit 4, 5, and 6 courses
- November: Unit 4, 5, and 6 exams
Planning Your Course Sequence
Within the above schedule and the constraint of taking the Unit 2 exam before or concurrently with any other exam, you have some flexibility in planning your Diploma course sequence. Your Diploma registration is good for three academic years (August-July). In any academic year you can take as many or as few Units as you wish. If all 6 Units are not completed within three years, you can re-register for another three years, giving you a total of six years to complete your studies.
Most students take Units 1 & 2 in the fall and follow up immediately with Unit 3 in the winter/spring, then take Units 4-6 during the second fall of their registration. These students choose to tackle Unit 3 early in the sequence because they see this as the biggest hurdle, plus they're done with it by early June and then have the following Fall to either take Units 4-6 or to work on their coursework assignments (whose new topics will be announced in late spring).
Others choose to delay Unit 3 until their second winter, using the first winter to work on coursework assignments. They then go on to Units 4-6 in the fall of their second year, followed by Unit 3 in the winter/spring.
And others choose to spread out their classes over three years. The only downside to taking it slow is that if it takes you more than three years to pass all Units you will need to renew your Diploma registration for a second three-year period. Students may even attempt to finish all Units in one year, but the downside to that approach is that it's extremely challenging to complete the amount of work required and also pass all the exams within just one year.
Notes and Clarifications about the Diploma Sequence
Due to the timing of WSET's 3-year registration for Diploma students, few students begin their Diploma studies mid-year. However, if enough new students are interested, we will offer Unit 2 classes in the winter. Such classes will not begin until March to ensure that our Advanced Certificate students from the prior fall -- who would not have received their Advanced Certificate results until February -- have an opportunity to enroll for those classes. Unlike the fall classes, these will focus on Unit 2 only. Students in these classes can attend the Unit 1 classes the following fall at no additional cost.
Please note: it is not necessary to pass the Unit 2 exam before taking other Unit exams. If a student failed that exam on the first try, he or she could go on to other Units and re-take the Unit 2 exam at a later date.
Special requirements apply for Diploma candidates who registered and took any exams before the 2003-2004 academic year, due to changes to the Diploma format. If you think you may be one of these transitional students, read more about these changes.