The Center for Public Policy and Administration (CPPA) offers a Food Science Policy specialization within the two year Masters in Public Policy and Administration program. The Food Science Policy specialization specifically enables students to:

• Develop an understanding of the breadth of the policy process within both domestic and international contexts with a specific focus on food science policy and regulation.
  
  
• Develop a new perspective of the economic, political and social dynamics that impact food systems at the local, national, regional and global levels.
  
  
• Critically map the actors, institutions, topography and evolution of food policy.

The Food Science Policy specialization produces a new generation of professionals - policymakers, public administrators, policy analysts and more - that deal with upcoming and existing concerns within the food system including food safety, regulation of food additives and uses of new food technologies.

The Master’s Degree in Public Policy and Administration (MPPA) is awarded for completion of a two-year, 48-credit degree program and a full-time summer internship. Students take seven core courses with CPPA, along with three CPPA program electives. Food science policy courses and a thesis component comprise the remaining credits of the curriculum.

Sample Food Science speicliazation program & timetable

Semester	Courses
1st year, Fall	Microeconomics for Public Policy Politics of the Policy Process Research Methods for Public Policy Food Science Policy
1st year, Spring	Public Policy Analysis Introduction to Statistical Methods Food Science Policy Research Project MPPA Program Elective
Summer	CPPA Summer Internship (10 weeks full time)
2nd year, Fall	Public Management MPPA Program Elective Thesis
2nd year, Spring	Capstone Seminar (as thesis component) MPPA Program Elective Thesis Free (or MPPA Program) Elective

The Food Science Policy specialization provides management skills and analytic techniques which can be applied to organizations in the private, public, and non-profit sectors within the United States and internationally. Graduates of the MPPA program with a Food Science Policy specialization hold positions of influence while working on challenges in critical areas such as food safety and defense, community food security, nutrition labelling, international food trade, and regulation of emerging technologies.

To Apply
To specialize in Food Science Policy, students must have an undergraduate degree in Food Science and Technology or a related field (e.g. Animal or Dairy Science, Nutrition, Biochemistry, Food Safety or Toxicology) and a strong interest in food science and nutrition. Competitive fellowships that include health benefits and a waiver of tuition and most student fees are available for two students entering the program each year. The application deadline is February 1 for the fall semester. To apply for the fellowship, indicate “Food Science” in the specialization field of your MPPA application.

For questions on the Food Science Policy Specialization within the MPPA Program, please contact Satu Zoller, CPPA Associate Director, at 413.545.2714 or szoller@pubpol.umass.edu.