Irish Food Culture

Course Outline
Interest in food and culinary matters is at an all-time high as Ireland develops a more considered relationship with Irish food culture. The Irish food industry is booming, food and culinary tourism is thriving, while a buoyant and creative community of small-scale food producers, chefs, writers and influencers bring creative diversity to the ways in which we engage with food. Yet despite these developments, there has been no corresponding academic programme of study that examines the complexities, the intricacies, and the fascinating elements in the development and evolution of Irish food culture. The Postgraduate Diploma in Irish Food Culture is designed to redress this imbalance. It is the first university programme of study that has a dedicated focus on Irish food and culinary culture. It examines food and culinary systems of the past and the present from the perspectives of production, processing, preservation, preparation and consumption. It will guide students through popular discourses such as farm to fork, ocean to plate, factory to plate, exploring what these mean in the present day and what they meant in the past. It will also explore concepts like identity, tradition, gender, memory, and ethics and discuss how these apply to the study of food. Areas of study include food and culinary history, food and folklore, food and creative practice, food and literature, nutrition and health, food and the environment, sustainability, food policy, the contemporary Irish food system and research methods in foodways. This course offers candidates a unique opportunity to study Irish food culture in a holistic matter. It will enable students to distinguish between food facts and food myths and it will foster from candidates a respect and a love for research in the area of Irish food studies. So, for example, students might gain a more meaningful understanding of our plate of lovely Irish figs.

The Postgraduate Diploma in Irish Food Culture is an exciting and original programme of study. It is the first university course that takes a transdisciplinary approach to exploring Irish food culture. UCC has a long and proud tradition of excellence in food research and student-focused teaching, and this course brings together a stellar team of academics, who are well-respected and well-established in their fields of study. Students will be exposed to the results of their original and cutting-edge research, to critical and original thinking in Irish food studies, and to innovative teaching approaches. This is a rare opportunity to study with acclaimed academics, to be inspired by their expertise and to be guided by them in developing creative and critical approaches to applying your skills and knowledge of Ireland's food culture to career development and innovation. And, as this is the only course of its kind in Ireland, successful candidates will be able to engage with authority and integrity with developments and discussions of Irish food culture, thereby giving them competitive advantage in career/employment markets.

The programme will run one evening per week over two academic years with students attending a three-hour lecture from mid-September to May, with 1 Saturday (full-day) workshop per semester. Students are also required to undertake approx. 12 hours of self-directed study each week. Four guided fieldtrips will be taken during the programme (year I: two full-day fieldtrips (Saturday or Sunday).Year II: two full-day fieldtrips (Saturday or Sunday). (The course fee does not include the costs associated with fieldtrips, i.e. travel costs and, if applicable, venue admissions.) This programme is assessed through a variety of continuous assessment methods including essays, reflective portfolios of learning, a multimedia fieldtrip report, scientific poster, individual and group presentations, case studies and an individual research project, and one in-class examination.

Year I
FL6804 An Introduction to Irish Food Studies
GG6802 The Irish Food System and Food Policy
HI6801 Irish Food and Culinary History
DR6801 Food and Creative Practice

Year II
FL6802 Food, Festival and Folklore
PS6801 Food, the Environment and Sustainability
NT6801 Introduction to the Principles of Nutrition
FL6803 Research Methods in Foodways

NFQ Level 8 qualification in any discipline (Honours Degree or Higher Diploma). Desirable, though not compulsory, areas of prior study include the humanities and social sciences, food science, food marketing and food business. *

* Candidates without an NFQ level 8 award are eligible to apply, subject to the approval of the programme Academic Director, if s/he can demonstrate at least three years of professional experience in a related field – examples include (but are not restricted to) food marketing, food business, food and culinary tourism, food event management and food production (conventional and artisan/speciality).

English Language Requirement: All applicants whose first language is not English are required to sit either an IELTS test or a recognised equivalent test. The minimum requirement is an IELTS score of 6.5, or the equivalent TOEFL score with no individual section lower than 6.0. In addition to IELTS and TOEFL a number of English language tests & examinations are applicable to the majority of our programmes.

Further information on English language requirements can be found at PG English Language Entry Requirements | UCC | University College Cork | Ireland

CLOSING DATE 26 August 2022

How Do I Apply
Applicants need to be aware of the IT student checklist below before applying:

You will need access to a laptop or desktop computer running a modern supported operating system with all software updates.
Some of UCC's services (e.g. the Canvas Virtual Learning Environment) link to an external site and also have mobile apps for iOS and Android Devices that you may wish to use as part of your studies. However, we recommend using your desktop web browser for submission of assessments.

You should always use the most current version of your preferred browser. In general, we recommend the Chrome Web browser (Important Note: Internet Explorer will not work with Canvas).
We recommend a reliable broadband connection with at least 2Mbps or more.

You will require an Office suite of software (Microsoft Office or equivalent) and a PDF reader. You should always use the latest version of this software. All UCC students will have access to Office 365 which includes software such as Word/Excel/Powerpoint etc. once registered.

To Apply for this course please follow the steps below:

When you log into the Application Portal:

Click Apply Online

Select Start a new Adult & Continuing Education Application

On the 2nd tab Academic Level

Select the following options:

Academic Level: Adult Continuing Education (ACE at UCC)
Course Type: ACE Part-time Courses
Academic Programme: The course title you are applying for.

During your online application you will be required to upload the following documents:

Application Statement
Birth Cert or Passport
Passport Photograph
Curriculum Vitae
English Language Report [if applicable]
Transcripts [if applicable]

2 years part-time

Blended - a blend of online delivery and timetable on-campus workshops and seminars.

Part-time, Monday evenings 18:30 to 21:30. Blended delivery with a number of fieldtrips and on site UCC campus workshops and seminars.

Skills and Careers Information
On successful completion of the programme, candidates will have developed high level and proficient skills in research, critical and creative thinking and reflective practice. These transferable skills will have direct application to careers in food-related business and professions, such as food marketing and PR; food and culinary tourism (at local and national levels); consumer research; food advocacy; innovation and creativity in food-event design, such as food festivals, food tours/trials and food exhibitions, food education, and continued/further research in academia.