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Certificate in Food Studies

Requirements for the Food Studies Certificate

Offered through the Department of Humanities and Cultural Studies, the Certificate in Food Studies is designed for majors in any field who wish to gain an interdisciplinary knowledge of the relationships between humans and their food, especially focusing on the sociocultural relevance of food and food systems. Food Studies is a growing field that offers students the opportunity to be interdisciplinary in their methodological approach, while studying a subject that is of tremendous social, personal, ethical, environmental, and global significance.

Dr. Callahan and her Food Studies course were included in a 2016 episode of University Beat. You can watch the entire episode here.

Read more about the Food Studies program in this profile in USF Magazine.

Total Certificate Hours - 15 hours

Core Courses - 3 hours

HUM 3309 Introduction to Food Studies
Elective Courses - 12 hours

An additional 12 credit hours of coursework must be selected from the categories of Culture & History and System & Environment

Group 1 - Culture & History (6 hours)

Courses in this category examine the cultural, historical, psychological, ethical, and ideological factors involved in domestic and/or international patterns and practices of food production and consumption. Courses may address historical shifts (industrialization, for instance), cultural rituals, race and ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic class, labor and social justice movements, food security, media analysis, aesthetics, and art.

Students must successfully complete two courses from the following list or another suitable course chosen with the direction and approval of the certificate director and/or certificate advisor. Prerequisites are labeled PR.

AMS 4804 Major Ideas in America*
AMH 3341 American Food and Drink History
ANT 4185 Ancient Diets (PR: ANT 3101)
ANT 4467 Food, Health, and Culture (PR: ANT 3101)
ANT 4465 The Anthropology of Food (PR: ANT 2000 or ANT 2410)
HUM 4930 Selected Topics in the Humanities*
HUM 4940 Internship in the Humanities*
ITT 4531 Italian Food in Film
REL 4108 Religion and Food
SYD 4512 Sustainable Consumption (PR: SYG 2000)
SYP 4420 Consumer Culture (PR: SYG 2000)

* variable topics courses and must be approved by the certificate director and/or the certificate advisor.

Group 2 - Systems & Environments (6 hours)

Courses in this category examine the biological, ecological, geographic, economic, and political factors involved in domestic and/or international patterns and practices of food production and consumption. Courses may address commodity chains, regulatory systems and policy, food safety, principles and practices of sustainable agriculture, applied urban farming, resource consumption, biodiversity, and migration patterns.

ANT 4403 Environmental Anthropology (PR: ANT 2410)
BSC 1005 Biological Principles for Non-Majors (FKL Life Sciences course)
DIE 3310 Community Nutrition (PR: HUN 2201)
EVR 4033 Environmental Regulation (PR: 2861)
FOS 4041 Food Quality and Composition (PR: HUN 2201)
GEO 4265: Soil Genesis and Classification (PR: GEO 2200 or GLY 2010 or CI)
HSC 4573 Foundations of Food Safety
HUN 3126 Food and Culture
HUN 3296 Nutrition and Disease (PR: HUN 2201)
MCB 4223 Food Microbiology (PR: MCB 3020/L)
PHC 3320 Environmental Health Science

Additional Certificate Requirements

Students must declare their intention to be awarded the Certificate by notifying the Humanities and Cultural Studies Undergraduate Advisor at least one full semester prior to graduation.

GPA Requirement
A cumulative GPA of 2.5 in the certificate coursework is required.

Grade Requirement
Courses must be taken on a letter-grade basis.

Other Requirements
HUM 3309 is an approved Global Citizens Project (GCP) course and can be used toward the the 6 credit hours needed to qualify for the Global Citizens Award.