Master of Science in Food Systems and Society
Program description
The M.S. in Food Systems and Society at OHSU combines in-person and online learning about food systems and social change. Our cohort-based structure combines online courses with short on-campus courses in Portland, Oregon. You are able to maintain your work and life commitments, while engaging and collaborating in person with inspired, motivated peers and other food system leaders.
OHSU’s food systems curriculum integrates lived experience and academic scholarship by examining concepts, perspectives, and strategies relevant to social change in the food system. Through lenses of class, gender, and race-ethnicity, you will analyze how social conditions in the food system developed. You will also study how they are addressed, perceived, and portrayed. Students make an impact in their studies by contributing new knowledge to food systems equity and social change through a capstone project.
Hybrid format: online courses with in-person intensive sessions
The OHSU Food Systems and Society program is offered in an accessible, online format, complemented by two short campus sessions per year. The hybrid modality enables you to participate in the program while maintaining personal and professional commitments in your place of residence. Each fall and spring, you will spend time on our Portland campus collaborating with fellow students and faculty and engaging with thought leaders in the field. Part-time degree completion options are also available.
Upcoming webinars
Webinars are electronic seminars – they offer applicants a chance to hear directly from program faculty and to ask questions. We highly encourage live attendance but webinars are also recorded and posted to our website for those who cannot listen in. Our webinars cover the content of Food Systems and Society, both as a program and as a larger discipline.
Upcoming dates and times for informational webinars:
There are no webinars scheduled at this time. If you have questions about the program, please contact us at fss@ohsu.edu.
Curriculum and degree requirements
Our curriculum provides foundational instruction in the social dimensions of the food system. Learn more on our Curriculum and Degree Requirements page.
Capstone projects and careers
Students have the opportunity to develop a capstone project tailored to their own educational and professional goals, setting you up for the next step in your career. Learn more on our Capstone Projects and Careers page.
Program faculty
Read more about our faculty -- Dr. Patricia Allen, Dr. Sean Gillon, and Zoe Speidel -- who work closely with our student throughout the program.
Admissions requirements, application Information, and program cost
We are welcoming applications for our Fall 2019 cohort. The deadline for priority admission is June 1, 2019; applications will be reviewed until August 14, 2019 and students will be admitted on a rolling basis, until the cohort is filled. Classes begin on September 23rd, 2019.