MSc in Food Policy

Master of Science

PG Cert in Food Policy

Postgraduate Certificate

PG Dip in Food Policy

Postgraduate Diploma

Master of Science, Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma

MSc in Food Policy, PG Cert in Food Policy, PG Dip in Food Policy

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Students to take the following compulsory modules.

Compulsory

Students to take the following core modules.

Core

Taught Modules

Students to take the following dissertation module.

Dissertation Modules

Programme Structure

The Programme is designed to give you an opportunity to study Food Policy in depth and to appeal to people from a wide variety of experience, expertise and professions. This broad range is deliberate, as Food Policy sits at the intersection of many other disciplines. The ethos of the Programme is one that will encourage you to consider these different perspectives, to read widely, to think comprehensively and to analyse critically. 
The programme takes an integrated food systems approach. It considers the whole range of activities related to producing, processing, distributing, marketing, preparing and consuming food and their social, health and environmental impacts. We are as interested in agriculture and food processing as in retailing and catering. We juxtapose production with consumption, social and cultural matters with public and environmental health, distribution of products with mal-distribution of access. We focus on the political nature of the food system. You will be encouraged to take a panoramic view of all these constituent food sectors and debates, and to consider how Food Policy is addressing, has addressed or could address the totality of the challenges posed by modern food systems. Given the global nature of the food system, the course explores linkages across different regions of the world and students are expected to consider different countries’ experience of creating food policies. You will be encouraged to search for and critically assess evidence and debates on all these issues from both academic and policy settings. You are encouraged to investigate the varied perspectives on Food Policy contained in books, academic journals, and reports from national and international governmental organisations, NGOs, companies and other stakeholders. 
The course is composed of four 30 credit taught modules and a 60 credit dissertation module. You  must take and pass each of these modules. Because of the diversity of subject matter and perspectives covered within the taught modules, there are no optional modules. You  are encouraged and enabled to pursue your  own specialised interests by choosing your  own topics for your  assignments for the taught modules. The dissertation provides the opportunity to conduct in depth research on a topic of relevance to Food Policy chosen by you.

Describe the main issues and challenges facing global food systems; 

Knowledge

Apply research methods and skills as an increasingly self-confident learner and critically reflect upon these skills and the learning process.  

Skills

Correctly reference the work of other people. 

Values and attitudes

Define food policy processes, instruments and the main stakeholders involved in and affected by it;  

Recognise the pursuit of the public good in the analysis of food’s role in human, eco- system and planetary well-being. 

Recognise and put into practice the rules and regulations of City St George’s, University of London. 

Synthesise food policy and the dynamics that shape it at local, national, regional and global levels; 

Formulate fresh insights into an area of food policy. 

Critically evaluate the nature and development of contemporary food policy; 

Critically evaluate  the main sources of information on food policy-related issues; 

Respectfully engage with the diversity of values and interests exposed in food systems; 

Identify and critically apply appropriate knowledge, research methods, theories, concepts and frameworks to the analysis of issues, debates and initiatives within contemporary food policy; 

Demonstrate respect and tolerance when working with other peers and tutors. 

Identify relevant published and unpublished material from a range of sources and synthesise and critically evaluate it;  

Define a food systems approach to food policy  

Analyse food systems and food systems approaches as they apply to food policy and present the results in an effective and persuasive way; 

Discuss food policy through the application of a range of disciplinary perspectives and apply them to food policy, including: political and economic, social/cultural, environmental and public health perspectives;  

PSFOOD - Food Policy

Postgraduate Certificate 
Following successful completion of the Postgraduate Certificate in Food Policy, you will be able to examine theories related to food policy and the food system. You will be able to consider different policy positions within the food system, and have an understanding of key issues within contemporary food policy. You will be able to consider how policy makers both respond and fail to respond to key dynamics in the food system. You will understand that food policy acts as linkage between various disciplines and competing priorities for public policy on the food system. You will identify different interests across society, culture, political economy, health and environment. You will appreciate that policy choices are being made. You will be familiar with some key debates at different levels of society, from local to global. You will gather appropriate information to answer questions about food policy and the dynamics of modern food systems.  
Postgraduate Diploma 
Following successful completion of the Postgraduate Diploma in Food Policy, in addition to the above, you will gain a more advanced knowledge and in-depth understanding of the issues and be more confident in your expertise and skills. You will have developed a sophisticated appreciation of current issues in food policy, and the ability to evaluate a range of different approaches to them. You will also be able critically to evaluate complex arguments and their factual support, assess the value and relevance of the ideas of others and make reasoned judgements about modern food policy issues. You will have developed the ability to challenge received explanations of topics and controversies in food policy. You will have the capacity to analyse and evaluate the approaches used by analysts active in the food policy world,  to construct clear arguments and present food policy recommendations where appropriate, and to understand and evaluate empirical research findings in food policy research.  
MSc 
Following successful completion of the MSc Food Policy, in addition to the above, you will have the ability to research a problem in food policy in considerable depth. You will have demonstrated the capacity to undertake and present a piece of original, independent research in food policy through a dissertation This will be an extended process of problem identification, planning, research, evaluation, analysis, and reflection.

This is a hybrid course; it is delivered from a physical learning space with some students attending in person and others attending online. There are two modes through which this programme is delivered, face-to-face (full-time or part-time) and online (full-time or part-time): 
Face-to-Face Mode  
In the face-to-face mode classes include lecture sessions, workshops, small group activities and discussions, and whole class discussion. The lectures are supplemented by occasional outside guest speakers from the world of food policy. You are encouraged to exchange your own experiences and perspectives on issues under discussion during small group activities and debates, as well as question and answer sessions and whole class activities. You are also expected to undertake self-directed study using reading lists, online activities and resources. You  are assigned a Personal Tutor and Module Leaders are available during office hours for meetings about their module and associated assignments. For the Dissertation Module you  will work with a supervisor, drawn from academic staff, meeting them regularly for support and feedback in one-to-one or group supervision sessions. Teaching by Centre for Food Policy staff is supplemented by support from Professional Services as well as subject specialists from City St George’s library, Academic Skills staff and other university student services such as the Careers Service. 
Online Mode  
For the online mode, this programme uses the same texts, resources and lectures as the face-to-face mode classes. You  are encouraged to  participate in  the lectures  via a livestreaming platform or watch the recordings which are posted on the programme’s web-based portal. You  are expected to undertake self-directed study using reading lists, online activities and resources.  You  are assigned a Personal Tutor and can access these and Module Leaders during their office hours in the usual way, or at a convenient time for your time zone. For the Dissertation Module you  will work with a supervisor, drawn from academic staff, meeting them regularly for support and feedback in one-to-one or group supervision sessions. Support is also available for Online Learners from the university library subject specialists and academic support staff such as the Academic Skills team.  
As an online student you will  require a computer with access to good internet connection.   
Participation and Self-Directed Study 
As students on either the Face-to-Face or Online mode of study you are encouraged to exchange your own experiences and perspectives on issues under debate during activities and class or group discussions, as well as question and answer sessions and class activities. You  are also expected to undertake self-directed study using reading lists, online activities and resources and will be offered the opportunity to join a study group with peers on a similar mode of study to facilitate peer to peer independent learning. Teaching and learning are facilitated by Moodle, City St George’s online virtual learning environment and readings and online resources will be posted here with detailed instructions for you  to undertake self-directed learning in preparation for weekly teaching sessions as well as for module assignments.

Curriculum Catalogue

Food Policy - MSc

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