Sustainable Food Practices (Certificate)
The students in this certificate program will understand the relationship of food production practices, food waste and ethics to sustainable production. Issues concerning these relationships will be discussed and actions regarding how food is grown, processed, marketed, sold, and consumed will be assessed. Alternative food processing models will be critically analyzed for efficacy and ethicality in contemporary and future production and consumption models. Prospective policies for the restaurant, meat, poultry, seafood, dairy and produce industries will be analyzed and developed.
Additionally, the Green Restaurant Association, an established third-party nonprofit environmental sustainability certifier will offer MSU students a tailored industry certificate that compliments MSU’s Sustainable Food Practices Certificate program. The GRA has been certifying food service businesses, vendors and producers in the restaurant industry for sustainable practices for over 30 years. The collaboration with GRA would enable students to not only earn MSU’s Sustainable Food Practices certificate, but also earn an optional Foodservice Sustainability Certificate from GRA.
Even better, all of the coursework within the Sustainable Food Practices Certificate program can be applied towards the Nutrition and Food Science (MS) program if you would like to continue on to earn a Master’s degree.
Learn more about the program:
The Office of Graduate Admissions requires the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree in order to be eligible to apply for a graduate program. Applicants with non-U.S. degrees, please visit the application page for international students to review the U.S. degree equivalency information.
In order to make applying for graduate school as seamless as possible for you, we have
created an application checklist. This checklist can be a reference point for you during the
application process to ensure that you have a comprehensive understanding of the steps
needed to apply, as well as all of corresponding supplemental materials for your specific
program of interest.
- Application Deadline: Rolling Admission
- Submit Online Application: Please create your online account and submit your application by following the general application instructions and pay (or waive) the non-refundable $60 application fee. Once this step has been completed, the online portal will allow you to upload your supplemental materials.
The following is a list of the supplemental materials that will accompany your application for the Sustainable Food Practices (Certificate) program:
- Transcript: One from each college attended.
- Statement of Purpose – Please write an integrated essay providing a response to each of the following questions:
- What are your goals for graduate study and your future career?
- In what ways do your academic background and your professional experiences provide evidence of your potential for success in the program you selected and in your eventual career? Please give specific examples of relevant coursework and/or experience.
- Is there any further information we should consider in assessing your candidacy?
- Letters of Recommendation: Two
- Resume
- Applicants with non-U.S. degrees, please visit the International Applicants page to review the US degree equivalency information.
12 credits in total. View the detailed Sustainable Food Practices (Certificate) curriculum.
If you have any general questions regarding the application process and requirements, please email or call us:
Office of Graduate Admissions
Email: graduate@montclair.edu
Telephone: 973-655-5147
Fax: 973-655-7869
If you have specific inquiries regarding your program of interest, please contact the Sustainable Food Practices (Certificate) Coordinator.
Program Coordinator: Dr. Meena Mahadevan
Office: University Hall 2154
Email: mahadevanm@montclair.edu
Telephone: 973-655-7574