Making Glazes, Make Sense: The Ultimate Glaze Chemistry Guide
Unlock the mysteries of ceramic glazes with our most comprehensive glaze course to date! This isn’t just another glaze class; it’s the definitive guide to mastering glaze chemistry, designed for all levels of students – beginner, intermediate, and advanced learners are all welcome.
Course Overview
Making Glazes, Make Sense is a course focused on the science behind glazes. No more myths and legends about how glazes work, only facts and science. ​The course provides information and science to help everyone utilize glazes in ways that will help them take control of their materials and make their studios the best they can be.
This immersive, 16-week long course will teach you literally everything you need to know about glazes, transforming your understanding from basic application to in-depth chemical mastery. We build upon all the core topics of “Understanding Glazes” and expand significantly, adding four extra weeks of critical content, including deep dives into Color, Application, Health & Safety, and Firing.
By the end of this course, you’ll gain:
-
A profound understanding of glaze chemistry: From raw materials to molecular structures, you’ll comprehend the science behind stunning glazes, including the nuances of color development.
-
The ability to formulate your own glazes from scratch: Move beyond recipes and learn to design glazes, controlling every aspect of their appearance, performance, and application.
-
Expert troubleshooting skills: Diagnose and fix common glaze problems with confidence and precision.
-
Enhanced creative freedom: Unlock a new world of artistic possibilities through informed glaze choices, original formulations, and a mastery of application techniques.
-
Increased confidence in your glazing practice:Â Feel empowered to experiment, innovate and safely handle glaze materials with a solid foundation of knowledge.Â
Sample Video
Course Outline
- Introduction to the course
- Introduction to glazes
- Geology
- Chemistry
- Glass Formers
- Alkali Metals
- Alkaline Earths
- Seger and Stull
- U.M.F. CalculationsÂ
- DurabilityÂ
- BoronÂ
- Special EffectsÂ
- Glaze Flaws
- Color
- Application
- Health & Safety
- Firing
- 5 – Optional Lab Experiments curated to accompany the lectures
Enrollment
We have 3 great options to choose from!
Full Course Experience
Offered every Jan, April, July + OctÂ
$700
Next class with Matt’s expert guidance begins January 1, 2026 with 4 months of access.
If you want to experience the full course that includes everything:
- Matt’s expert guidance for 4 months
- On demand lectures – watch as many times as you like
- Optional curated lab experiments that accompany the lectures for an in depth learning experience
- Live bi-weekly online Q&A discussions with Matt and the other students on Tuesdays 10am, Wednesdays 2pm and Thursdays 10am. EST/NYC Time
- Access to Course Discussion pages to ask questions about class content
- Patreon option for continued access
- Certificate of Completion
Cost:Â $700 (free 3 month payment plan available at checkout)
The class session will officially begin January 1, 2026 but you can enroll now to save your spot!
Self Guided Lectures + Labs
Coming in January 2026
$500
Includes 4 months of access to the on demand lectures and hands on lab experiments.
If you want the lectures + the labs:
- 4 months of self guided access
- On demand lectures – watch as many time as you like
- Optional curated lab experiments that accompany the lectures for an in depth learning experience
- Patreon option for continued access
- Certificate of Completion
Cost:Â $500 (free 3 month payment plan available at checkout)
Note this option does not include Matt’s guidance or the live Q&A discussions. Only the on demand lectures and labs are included. Â
Self Guided Lectures Only
Coming in January 2026
$400Â
Includes lifetime access to the on demand lectures.
If you want the lectures only:
- Lifetime self guided access
- On demand lectures – watch as many time as you like
- Certificate of Completion
Cost:Â $400
Note this option does not include Matt’s guidance, lab experiments or the live Q&A discussions. Only the on demand lectures are included. Â
Course Announcements
Lecture Slide Notes – Now Available!
Level up your online learning with Matt’s official lecture notes!  These comprehensive notes are the slides behind Matt in the videos.  They cover all the main topics discussed in the videos, providing a valuable resource for review and study.  These notes will transform your learning experience as you’ll have all the key information at your fingertips.Â
Instructor
Meet Your Instructor Matt Katz
Matt Katz has been teaching for years at world class institutions including The New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University, Rhode Island School of Design and Harvard University.
Course Reviews
What Students are Saying
Coming Soon!Â
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to Your Most Pressing Questions
What experience level is this class for?
Our classes are designed for makers of all levels. We’ve had professionals with 50 years of experience and we’ve had folks take our classes after having one studio class at their local community college. Everyone comes out truly understanding glazes.
Are you going to talk about…
Let me stop you there. We are going to talk about EVERYTHING.
Temperatures? Yes? Atmosphere? You better believe it. Materials? No way around it. At the end of this course, you will have a thorough understanding of ALL aspects of clays.
Why should I take this class?
I’ve got books. Books are great, but books are a supplement and a reference in education. The reason why school is still lecture classes, is because audio/visual learning is still the most powerful educational tool.
When I first started studying glazes I got a book, and I read every word…and I understood about 1% of it. The experience of listening and looking helps us to truly UNDERSTAND a subject.
I work at temperature X, is this class relevant to me?
Yes, we talk about glazes as a whole. All firing temperatures are interrelated. We’ll teach you all of the how’s and why’s of all glazes.
