Great comments all!

As a great believer in education and lifelong learning, I applaud anyone
for furthering their education in beekeeping.

I agree that the issue is about the term "master."  In other fields,
"master" implies a decade or more of serious experience.

In my beginners classes, I invite all to come shadow/"help" as we work bees
each day (one person at a time).  The point that I make is that in a single
day, they can get as much experience going through the hundred or more
hives that we often go through each day as they will in years at home.

One thing that can only be learned in the field is to get the "feel" of
reading the bees, which can only be gained by experience.

Another thing is to be corrected on bad habits and tiny details that you
are unlikely to learn in class--I've seen "master" beekeepers at work whom
I wouldn't allow to touch one of my hives!

And finally, a commercial beekeeper can show you how to deal with screw
ups, mishaps, and disasters without breaking stride.  Beekeeping is easy
when everything goes as planned or by the book.  It is the practical model
of how to handle the unexpected that one can only learn from a lifetime of
learning from one's mistakes and nature's challenges.
-- 
Randy Oliver
Grass Valley, CA
www.ScientificBeekeeping.com

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