Food Security Undergraduate Certificate
The Food Security undergraduate certificate prepares students to address food security issues faced by households, communities, or nations. The certificate is a great additive for students who want to develop the skills and knowledge to provide reliable access to safe, affordable, and nutritious food.
Program Overview
With a combination of courses in food science, agricultural business, and agricultural leadership, students pursuing the Food Security undergraduate certificate learn about local and national or international food supply, safety, and acquisition systems. The certificate complements majors in agriculture, economics, nutrition, policy, sociology, etc., but also provides an access point to non-degree seeking students.
Why study Food Security?
Gain Additional Skills
Adding a Food Security certificate to your education expands your knowledge toward food security challenges and develops skills to address one of the greatest issues of a growing population. You will learn about global and sustainable food systems, food economics, food policy, how food is packaged and preserved, and more.
Solve Real-World Problems
By 2050, the world’s population is expected to exceed nine billion people, dramatically increasing demand for food, fiber, clean water, and sustainable natural resource management. It is more crucial than ever that students are educated in food security and prepared to create solutions, especially for more vulnerable populations.
What can you do with a certificate in Food Security?
Those who choose to add a Food Security certificate typically pursue jobs in the non-profit sector, agriculture and sustainability, government and public policy, or international development. Specific roles include: hunger relief program manager, agriculture extension agent, food policy analyst, humanitarian response coordinator, and more.
Featured Courses
FDSC 150* – History and Culture of Food
Impact of people and historical events on the production, distribution, and consumption patterns of food. The role of food as an indicator of cultural, societal, and historical changes around the world. Major technological advances in food processing and their impact on the globalization of the food supply.
FDSC 241 – Food Preservation and Packaging
Principles, methods, and equipment used for preservation of foods including refrigeration, freezing, concentration, dehydration, thermal processing, and food packaging.
AREC 332* – Food Policy
Economic rationale for and effects of policies and programs relating to food production and consumption, including hunger and nutrition, safety, labeling, advertising, organic production, and local food systems.
AGNR 480* – How to Feed the World
Human population growth will require food production to double by 2050. Explore ways our global society might sustainably increase food production, in ways that protect our environmental resources while maintaining food security and food justices. Aspects include socio-political, business, technology, cultural, religious, and natural sciences in various learning formats ranging from group discussions to guest lectures. Students are expected to develop potential solutions towards solving the world’s food and environmental crises. May be used as capstone option for international agriculture and international resources minor.
Admissions and Aid
Learn more about admissions and aid by visiting the links below.