Gastronomy & Food Studies - Conversion Course - Grangegorman

Course Title: Master of Arts in Gastronomy and Food Studies

What is... Gastronomy & Food Studies?

This pioneering Masters course in unique in both Ireland and globally in offering graduates a solid underpinning in the three pillars of Gastronomy & Food Studies: History, Society, and Practice. The food landscape in Ireland and indeed globally is under ever-increasing scrutiny from a wide range of commentators and this course will satisfy the growing interest in Food Studies.



By amalgamating shared learning with focused networking opportunities, the course develops transferrable, interpersonal communication skills whilst encouraging creative and critical thinkers who will become life-long learners and advocates for Irish food and international food culture.



The course examines the key forces and policies that influence the modern food system by investigating the impact of history on contemporary foodways. It also explores the social dynamics of food and drink culture, food tourism, contemporary approaches to food education, as well as food writing, media, publishing and sustainable food practices. This Masters course runs as a full-time programme (TU237) over one year, or as a part-time programme (TU233) over two years. The full-time option satisfies student visa requirements for non-EU applicants.



Schedule

The full-time version of the Masters in Gastronomy and Food Studies involves two full days in college and at least a further three days of independent learning, reading, research and project writing or field research.

The full-time programme (TU237) runs two days a week over two semesters with the thesis completed over the summer. In Semester 1 each day covers two core modules and one optional module. In semester 2 one day is for modules (2 core and 1 optional) and the other day is for the dissertation research. Some modules are designed as long thin modules to balance the workload across semesters.



Core Modules

• Introduction to Gastronomy and Food Studies

• Global Cultural History of Food

• Politics of the Global Food System

• Post-Graduate Research Methodology

• Food Writing and Media

• History of Irish Food: Applying the Past

• Dissertation (Semester 4)



Optional Modules

• Reading Historic Cookbooks: A Structured Approach

• International Trends in Gastronomic Research and Publishing

• Social Approaches to Wine and Beverage Culture

• Food Tourism

• Food Regulatory Affairs

• Consumer Culture and Branding

Minimum Entry Requirements?

Successful completion of an undergraduate (level 8) degree or equivalent at honours classification (2.1 or higher).



Or



Successful completion of an undergraduate degree (Ordinary or Bachelor) or equivalent (level 7), together with significant industrial or academic experience (Significant industrial experience comprises a minimum of 3 years in a supervisory role/ senior position in a related industry).



In addition, all shortlisted candidates will be required to attend an interview; or in the case of overseas candidates unable to travel, interviews can be conducted online. Applicants are required to produce evidence of the minimum English language proficiency requirement for overseas applicants i.e. a minimum score of 7.0 in IELTS or equivalent.

TU237:Full Time: Applications for this course are now open.

TU233: Part Time: Applications will open in February 2025.



For further information, please visit How To Apply (Application Weblink above).



Non-EU Students

Non-EU students, not resident in Ireland, are not eligible to apply for part time programs that are delivered on-campus. Applications for part time courses that require on-campus attendance will not be processed and the application fee will not be refunded.

Method of Delivery: On-Campus

TU237: 1 Year, Full Time. Tuesdays 9am-6pm & Wednesdays 9am- 6pm.



TU233: 2 years, Part Time

Commencement Date: September 2025

What are my career opportunities?

Graduates of this MA Gastronomy and Food Studies course will be uniquely positioned and equipped to seek employment opportunities in an ever-expanding range of disciplines and to pursue a multitude of career paths. The strength of the graduate will lie in their diversity of knowledge and exposure to a range of subject areas.



Successful graduates will be able to contribute to the arenas of Food Policy (government agencies, NGOs, advocacy, non-profit and philanthropic organisations), Art and Media, Food Writing and Communications, Teaching and Academia, Food and Beverage Consultancy, Food Tourism or as Brand Ambassadors. In addition, graduates may move into creative and entrepreneurial leadership roles within the broader culinary and food industries.