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Grad Certificate

The Certificate in Sustainable Food Systems is available to students interested in taking an interdisciplinary approach to understanding, communicating and participating in finding solutions to the grand challenges we face for sustainable food production, access and utilization. Advances in agricultural and environmental sustainability, public health and nutrition, and economic and social well-being call for systemic and interdisciplinary research, which in turn require mechanisms for developing partnerships and collaboration. In response to these needs, the interdisciplinary graduate certificate program in Sustainable Food Systems (SFS) will expand opportunities for graduate training and faculty collaboration across several related units across campus.

If you would like to apply for the graduate certificate in Sustainable Food Systems, fill out the SFS Certificate Program of Study Form and the Curriculum Change Request Form (found on the Registrar’s Office webpage) and return both documents to the Certificate Coordinator at jjthomp@uga.edu.

Requirements

Students are required to take a minimum of 13 credit hours to earn the Certificate in Sustainable Food Systems. Of these credit hours, at least 7 hours will be acquired from core courses in three different areas of emphasis: Foundational/ Systems Learning, Food Systems Service-Learning, and Professional Development.  At least 6 credit hours will be acquired from elective courses outside of the student’s home department. The certificate consists of the following components:

CORE COURSES (7 CREDIT HOURS)

1. Foundational/Systems Learning Course: Students will be introduced to the concept of the food system as a complex adaptive system and explore additional concepts of scale, resiliency, connectivity, and interaction of the various parts of the system. The course will explore how different lenses and perspectives from different disciplines come together in solving problems and the importance of transdisciplinary approaches needed to solve these complex problems. Finally, the course will explore how mental and mathematical modeling approaches are used to facilitate holistic approaches to problem solving.

AESC 8310 – Food Systems Sustainability, Security and Resilience (3 credit hours)

2. Food Systems Service-Learning Courses: Choose one of the two courses; the alternate course can be used as an elective. Both courses aim to help students develop awareness of key food system issues in the local community and engage students in efforts to increase the sustainability of the local food system.

*Either* GEOG 6890 – Athens Urban Food Collective *or* CRSS 6020S – Social Sustainability in Ag & Food Systems (student chooses one for core course requirement) (3 credit hours)

3. Professional Development Course:  Choose one of the following courses: AGCM 8700 will use a critical thinking approach to analyze and discuss the pros and cons of emerging conversations about scientific innovations using the theoretical and strategic frameworks discussed in class and in the readings for the course. In AGCM 8710, communication theories and strategies will be applied to agricultural and environmental issues using a case study approach. Using a seminar format, the course will review current mass and social media news stories along with relevant communication products to drive class discussion, a group project, and additional assignments.  In GRSC 8200, graduate students will have the opportunity to practice communicating across disciplinary boundaries, to decision-makers and the media, and to the general public.

*Either* AGCM 8700 – Communicating Agricultural and Environmental Scientific Innovation (3 credit hours), *or* AGCM 8710 – Agricultural and Environmental Science Communication Theory (3 credit hours),*or*  GRSC 8200 – Communicating Research and Scholarship (1 credit hour) (student chooses one for core course requirement)

SFS Certificate Core Course Availability

SemesterCourse
Fall 2022AGCM 8710 (3cr)
Spring 2023AESC 8310 (3cr)
GEOG 6890 (3cr
AGCM 8700 (3cr) - online

ELECTIVE COURSES (6 CREDIT HOURS): Student must complete two courses outside of home department from the list of electives below:

Electives

Course Prefix & NumberTitleUpcoming Availability
AAEC 6640Food and Fiber Marketing and MerchandisingFall 2022
AGCM 8100Culture Centered Communication and Engagement
AGCM 8710AES Communication TheoryFall 2022
ALDR 6600Global Issues in Agriculture and the Environment
ALDR 6710International Agricultural Development
ALDR 8080SCommunity Research MethodsFall 2022
ANTH 8515Institutional Dimensions of Sustainability
CRSS 6010Sustainable Agricultural ManagementFall 2022
CRSS 6020SSocial Issues in Sustainable Agriculture
CRSS 6030Sensors in Precision Agriculture
CRSS 6050GIS for Nutrient and Energy EfficiencyFall 2022
CRSS 6060Advanced Topics in Precision Agriculture
CRSS 6220Sustainable Agriculture Systems
CRSS/HORT 6400Agro-ecology
CRSS/HORT 6590Soil Fertility and Plant NutritionFall 2022
CRSS/ENTO 6740Integrated Pest ManagementFall 2022
CRSS/HORT/ANTH/GEOG 6931Agroecology of Tropical America Field Trip
CRSS 8410Adv. Topics in Sustainable Agriculture Management
ENTO 6500EBiological Control of Insects (asynchonous course)Spring Semesters
ENVM 6650Environmental EconomicsFall 2022
ENVM 6800Water Resource Economics and ManagementFall 2022
FANR 6020Sustainable Development
FANR 7860Natural Resource and Environmental Economics
FCID 6200Sustainability Seminar
FDST 6100Government Regulation of Food Safety & Qualty
FDST 7180EMarketing of Value-Added FoodsFall 2022
FISH 6550Sustainable Aquaculture
GEOG 6810Conservation Ecology and Resource Management
GEOG 6860Industrial Agro-Food Systems and Its Alternative
GEOG 6890Athens Urban Food Collective
HORT 6030SSustainable Community Food Production
HORT 6050Greenhouse Management IFall 2022
HORT/ENTO 6125Organic Agricultural SystemsFall 2022
HORT 6440Environmental Physiology
HORT 6990Environmental Issues in HorticultureFall 2022
HPAM 7050(E)Health Policy and ObesityFall 2022
NUTR 6540Public Health NutritionFall 2022
NUTR 6630Cultural Aspects of NutritionFall 2022
NUTR 6640(E)Food Sanitation and SafetyFall 2022