Interdisciplinary Graduate Certificate in Urban Food Systems

• A bachelor's degree from an accredited institution
• GPA of 3.0 or higher in the final two years of undergraduate study or approximately the last 60 credit hours
• Computer proficiency sufficient to complete the online course work
• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores for students whose native language is not English. Acceptable TOEFL score is 550 (paper-based test), or 79 (IBT-internet-based test).

Students not meeting the requirements above may be admitted on a provisional basis at the discretion of the certificate faculty if the student has demonstrated adequate preparation in this or an equivalent field and has successfully completed projects of equivalent difficulty.

• Designed for for professionals with a bachelor's degree who want to increase their knowledge about urban food systems and current issues around them, or current K-State graduate students who want to add expertise in urban food systems
• Entirely online
• Six credits of core courses and six credits of elective courses
• No out-of-state tuition and fees

Core Courses (6 credits)

• UFS 791 Urban Agriculture (2 credits) — fall semester
  *cross-listed as HORT 791
• UFS 794 Urban Food Systems (2 credits) — spring semester
  *cross-listed as HORT 794
• UFS 796 Professional Development in Urban Food Systems (1 credit) — fall and spring semesters
  *cross-listed as HORT 796
• UFS 798 Urban Food Systems Field Experience (1 credit) — summer semester

Elective Courses (6 credits)

Select from the following:

Plant and Agricultural Sciences

• AGRON 605 Soil and Environmental Chemistry (3 credits)
• AGRON 615 Soil Problems (0-18 credits)
• AGRON 635 Soil Conservation and Management (3 credits)
• ENTOM 612 Insect Pest Diagnosis (2 credits)
• ENTOM 799 Problems: Economic Entomology (3 credits)
• HORT 725 Postharvest Technology and Physiology of Horticultural Crops (3 credits)
• HORT 780 Health-Promoting Phytochemicals: Fruits and Vegetables (2 credits)
• HORT 790 Sustainable Agriculture (2 credits)
• HORT 793 Farm to Fork Produce Safety (2 credits)
• HORT 795 Urban Food Systems Study Tour (1 credit)
• PLPTH 765 Integrated Plant Disease Management (2 credits)

Leadership and Management

• AGCOM 845 Approaches to Public/Community Engagement (3 credits)
  *cross-listed as COMM 845 and LEAD 845
• CDPLN 633 Grant writing (3 credits)
• CDPLN 700 Foundations of Community Development (3 credits)
• CDPLN 704 Community Leadership and Capacity Building (3 credits)
• CDPLN 713 Nonprofit Management (3 credits)
• CDPLN 720 Community and Regional Economic Policy and Analysis (3 credits)
• DMP 815 Multidisciplinary Thought and Presentation(3 credits)
• LEAD 801 Foundations of Leadership (3 credits)
• POLSC 740 Nonprofit Financial Management (3 credits)

Sociology, Economics, Health

• CDPLN 711 Immigrants in Communities (3 credits)
• CDPLN 712 Sustainable Communities (3 credits)
• FDSCI 630 Food Packaging (2 credits)
• FDSCI 630 Food Law & Regulation (3 credits)
• FDSCI 730 A Multidisciplinary Overview of Food Safety and Security (2 credits)
• FDSCI 731 Food Protection and Defense-Essential Concepts (2 credits)
• LAR 741 Problems in Landscape Architecture (3 credits)
  *for LAR 322 Ethics in Environmental Dilemmas
• MPH 818 Social and Behavioral Bases of Public Health (3 credits)
• SOCIO 831 Sociology of Agriculture (3 credits)
• SOCIO 832 Sociology of Community (3 credits)
• SOCIO 835 Environment and Society (3 credits)

Course Descriptions

If you are currently enrolled as a graduate student at K-State contact the Urban Food Systems program coordinator at epliakoni@k-state.edu with your interest in completing the graduate certificate.

If you are applying for the graduate certificate without being enrolled in another K-State graduate degree program, apply to the certificate program through the online graduate admissions application process.

When asked to select a degree program, choose "Graduate Certificate" for degree and "Urban Food Systems – Graduate Certificate" for the program. The program will be listed under the Interdisciplinary tab. Once your application is set up, you will be asked to provide the following documents that you will upload to the online application and pay the application fee:

• Statement of Purpose (1-2 pages) describing your interest in urban food systems, your objectives in pursuing this certificate and plans for completion of the program requirements. The Statement of Purpose is an important component of your application.
• Copies of all transcripts. If accepted, you will need to provide "official" transcripts to the Graduate School.
• One letter of reference from you supervisor, advisor or a professor that can address your ability to succeed in Graduate School. You will provide the name and email address and the online system will email that person and provide them with a link.