The David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics has announced it will be offering a bachelor of science in food studies beginning in the fall 2014 semester.

Students will learn about the food industry in areas including food science, organic production, local food movement and several other subject areas, according to the Falk College website.

The major was created in response to student demands and a surge in food studies programs nationwide, Rick Welsh, a professor and director of undergraduate programs in food studies, said in an email

“There is growing societal interest in, and student demand for, information on food systems at the local, national and global levels,” he said. “More people want information on how the current system is developed and the social, economic, environmental, political and nutritional and other health outcomes associated with it.”

SU will become the 16th institution in the U.S. to offer a food studies program, according to the Association for the Study of Food and Society.

The 120-credit major includes five areas of study: Falk College requirements, a liberal arts core, a food studies core, a food studies area of concentration and electives. The curriculum will include 21 credits of core food studies courses and 14-16 credits in food studies concentration, according to the Falk College website.

The major will be based on a combination of other universities’ curriculum and Falk’s, Welsh said.

“There is course content we offer that is offered elsewhere. However, we are unique in that we combine food politics and governance with community food systems and gastronomy,” he said.

Students will be actively involved in the community and other regional food-oriented organizations, Welsh said.

“We are exploring opportunities at The Food Bank of Central New York, Renzi’s Food Service, Cornell Cooperative Extension and many other organizations,” he said.

Falk anticipates steady increases in enrollment in the food studies program over time, and hopes to have a few hundred (students in the major) within 5-6 years, Welsh said.

As enrollment increases, Bellows anticipates that the content of the program and faculty may change, but the fundamental approach to preparing students will not.

Sam Stern, freshman public relations major, said the new program is a good addition to the university and will help diversify the campus.

“I think it’s important that we understand the logistics of the food industry,” he said. “It’s definitely important to continue to add more majors and more programs to help bring diversity to the university.”

The addition of the food studies major will also come with the addition of a food studies minor. Students take courses covering production, consumption, distribution, gastronomy and food policy. The minor in food studies requires the completion of six courses, two of which are mandatory and four electives, according to the Falk website.

While the goal of the major is to provide “a thorough understanding of food systems, politics and economies from production to consumption locally, nationally and globally,” Falk College also wants to develop students who will obtain jobs upon graduation, Welsh said.

Said Welsh: “A goal for students in the major is to obtain marketable skills that can be employed in food industry, government agencies and the not-for-profit world.”

Published on February 24, 2014 at 12:07 am

Contact Justin: jmatting@syr.edu | @jmattingly306