The Culinary Institute of America Announces Major in Applied Food Studies
07 October 2014
A new degree is designed to prepare graduates to influence the future of food.
The Culinary Institute of America (CIA)is launching a new bachelor’s degree major in applied food studies, with classes to begin in January 2015 at the CIA’s Hyde Park, N.Y., campus. The new major joins existing bachelor’s degrees in management and culinary science. Management majors can also pursue concentrations in advanced beverage and hospitality management, farm-to-table cooking and Latin cuisines. Together, these majors and concentrations give CIA graduates many food-career options to influence the future of the way the world eats.
The new major offers students an in-depth understanding of global food resources, policy and cultures, and their interconnections. Courses such as Anthropology of Food, Food Ecology, Food History and Social Science complement the college's foundational classes covering culinary fundamentals, world cuisines, banquets and restaurant cooking. Together they prepare graduates to impact the issues facing food systems from a chef’s perspective.
“This new major highlights an emerging and unique version of liberal and experiential learning,” says Dr. Michael Sperling, CIA vice president of academic degree programs. “If learning by doing was the theory behind ‘liberal arts 2.0’ in recent years, then applied food studies can be viewed as ‘liberal arts 3.0.’ The integration of the conceptual study and kitchen-based experiences in this program has no parallel.”
Graduates will be ready to make a difference working for advocacy and policy-making organizations, health agencies and food-industry councils, or to bring a global view to restaurant kitchens.
The CIA will be accepting many liberal-arts credits for this program that students have earned through previous college experience. More information about the CIA’s applied food studies bachelor’s degree and details about transfer creditsis available by calling (800) CULINARY or visiting www.ciachef.edu/degree-and-certificate-programs.