Food/Nutrition Policy Programs & Electives

[readyornot]

Hi all,

I am planning to apply to MPP/MPA programs this fall, and would like to focus on schools that either offer concentrations/specializations in food and nutrition policy, or at least offer some electives in it. Does anyone have suggestions on programs to look at? All I can think of to do right now is google, and I am only coming up with the UMass Amherst program, and I don't necessarily think that school would be a good fit for me. Anyone come across any nutrition/food electives in their searching?

Thanks!

[lottesnk]

If you were to ask this question to an MPP/MPA admissions director, he/she probably would encourage you to take courses in other colleges within the university as I believe food policy is still an emerging field that traditional public policy schools have been slow to adopt into the curriculum. The only food policy programs that I'm aware of are Tufts School of Nutrition Science and NYU Steinhardt School in Food Studies. To find schools with electives, maybe check out public health programs and universities with schools of agriculture such as the University of Maryland or UC Davis.

Also, I would search this topic in the public health forum.

Good luck! And keep me posted on what you find as I am interested in this specialization, too.

Edited July 8, 2011 by josephine2012

[lottesnk]

If you were to ask this question to an MPP/MPA admissions director, he/she probably would encourage you to take courses in other colleges within the university as I believe food policy is still an emerging field that traditional public policy schools have been slow to adopt into the curriculum. The only food policy programs that I'm aware of are Tufts School of Nutrition Science and NYU Steinhardt School in Food Studies. To find schools with electives, maybe check out public health programs and universities with schools of agriculture such as the University of Maryland or UC Davis.

Also, I would search this topic in the public health forum.

Good luck! And keep me posted on what you find as I am interested in this specialization, too.

Georgetown MPP also has a research center for produce safety (produce safety project).

[readyornot]

Georgetown MPP also has a research center for produce safety (produce safety project).

Thanks for the tip! I'm also going to look into universities that have public health schools too I think, not so much for the MPH program, but if they allow you to take electives cross-department (ex. Berkeley)

[mppgal55]

UMass-Amherst has a program in food policy. See: http://www.masspolicy.org/acad_mppa_food.html. I applied to their MPPA program for the FY 2010 cycle (not for food policy specifically, though) and they were very generous with their aid packages. It is a smaller program, but I've seen grads in the DC workforce with solid job placements.