About Short Courses
AOCS short courses provide a unique opportunity for professionals in the fats, oils, and related industries to gain in-depth knowledge, sharpen their skills, and stay ahead of industry trends. Held each year just prior to the AOCS Annual Meeting & Expo, these one to two-day intensive courses offer a focused, hands-on learning environment designed to help you advance your expertise and elevate your career.
May 2-3, 2026
Edible Oils Refining
Join us in New Orleans for a focused two-day deep dive into modern edible oil refining. This in-person course builds a strong technical foundation by showing how key unit operations influence product quality, efficiency, and performance in both edible oils and biofuels.
New for 2026, Gil Wang, Director of R&D at Bunge, joins the instructor team, and the program now includes an expanded module on Palm Oil processing, a topic especially relevant in the Gulf Coast region.
May 2-3, 2026
Biobased Surfactants
This in-person, two-day short course provides a clear foundation in biobased and biosurfactant technologies, linking fundamental surfactant science with production pathways, formulation considerations, performance expectations, and regulatory drivers that influence today’s sustainable chemical and consumer products industries.
Preceding the 2026 AOCS Annual Meeting & Expo, this course is designed for professionals across research and development, formulation, manufacturing, regulatory affairs, and sustainability functions.