The Food Studies program is not simply learning about proper nutrition, categories of food, or diet culture. Instead, it is a deep analysis and examination of food, specifically the “evolution of its procurement, production, consumption and cultural meanings within the contexts of the natural and social sciences and humanities,” according to the Food Studies page on the Dickinson website.
The completion of the certificate requires six classes, made up of the introductory course, two core courses (201 and 401–the latter of which is the capstone project taken at the end of the certificate) and four electives. The certificate is designed to be very multidisciplinary, as it involves multiple departments. The four electives should be across at least three departments, with up to two being in the student’s major(s).
There’s also an experiential learning component, which requires students to engage in a hands-on learning experience that encourages them to deepen their understanding, practice and become proficient in the field of food studies. Options include, but are not limited to: transcription notation internships; independent study or research with applied, field-based component, field-based or laboratory/research experience, participant-observation, field schools, or a hands-on work experience. This part of the certification can be rewarded with 0.5 credit, and can be done in the summer, abroad of the semester.
Prior to committing to the certificate, it’s best to understand how the courses are set up so you can adjust accordingly for next semester. At least ⅓ of the course is dedicated specifically to the topic of food studies, and there are many ways that can play out. The courses are not only talking about the consumption and production of food, but also anything that has to do with food, such as the labor of food. Senior Lecturer for Spanish, Professor Maria Asuncion Arnedo, gave the example of a book titled “Fresh Food, Broken Bodies: Migrant Farmworkers in the United States,” that was read in the “Spanish for the Health Professions” course. The book talks about the lives of Mexican migrants coming to work in the US agricultural system, and how systems of structural violence, racism and harsh labor conditions faced normalizes farmworkers’ suffering in order to provide cheap produce.
Asuncion Arnedo showed students several examples of the FDST 401 capstone seminar projects that students worked on from Spring 2025, going into detail about the design of the seminar.
“There [is] a critical examination of food after taking the intro and the elective courses. For [the capstone seminar], each of the students had their own idea for how they were going to apply all that they had learned. The outcome revolves around how each of [them] identifies the intersection of the academic institution and their background,” she said.
There are several goals of the capstone project, one of which is simply to allow students to reflect on their academic work and experiments. It also helps students examine food systems and culture from multiple disciplines and diverse perspectives. An interesting aspect of this project is that it can be done to create a symposium or public presentation.
