2025-2026 Academic Catalog 
    
    Jun 27, 2025  
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2025-2026 Academic Catalog

Sustainable Food Systems, MS

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SFS Graduate Program Overview

Food Security, Sustainability, and Justice

The Master of Science in Sustainable Food Systems prepares students to tackle the social and ecological complexities that create food insecurity.

Food is a human right

Food is a fundamental human right and central to sustainable, equitable, and just community development. Food is more than nutrients - it is an ecological relationship and an expression of cultural values.

Are you ready to engage the complex social and ecological dynamics of local food systems? Are you looking for ways to contribute to innovative initiatives and social movements for food security, sovereignty, and justice?

Clark’s Master of Science in Sustainable Food Systems will help you build the knowledge, skills, and experience you need to connect your career and your values. Our graduates work across the globe - in the public, nonprofit, and private sectors - to enhance sustainability and justice within food systems.

By taking foundational courses in social and environmental science and developing expertise in project management and monitoring and evaluation, students are prepared to transform institutions and systems to produce equitable and sustainable outcomes. Our dynamic studio courses and Global Learning Collaboratives provide hands-on experiences and know-how to take action.

Complex challenges require authentic community engagement

Environmentally and socially just food systems require diverse forms of knowledge and abilities. Students learn from practitioners, policy-makers, and community members to work across intellectual, professional, and individual differences toward shared visions of sustainable and equitable food systems.

STEM Designated Program. If you are an international student with a Master’s in Sustainable Food Systems, you may be eligible to work in the US for up to 36 months on Optional Practical Training (OPT).

SFS Program Requirements

Master of Science in Sustainable Food Systems

The master’s degree in SFS requires 10 graduate course units. Students will take the following:

These include Core Courses (2 units), Sustainability Studies (1 unit), Social Change and Institutional Transformation (1 unit), Fundamental Skills (2 units), Methods of Inquiry and Subject Matter Electives (1.5 to 2 units), Intersectionality (0.5 to 1 units), Common Seminar (0.5 units) and one Experiential Learning unit.

Core Courses (2 units)

 

Program Requirements

12 Unit MA/MS Degree - Research or Practice Track Requirements

 For the master’s degree with the Research Option (selected at the time of admission; fall start only), students will take 12 course units in the following categories:

  1. Two required core courses
  2. One course each in Sustainability Studies, Social Change and Institutional Transformation, Fundamental Skills, Intersectional Analysis, Principles and Ethics in Community Engagement, and Experiential Learning
  3. Three courses in Methods of Inquiry & Subject Matter Electives
  4. Two units of substantive research: one directed study (SSJ 399 ) and either the master’s thesis ( SSJ 397 ), or the master’s final research paper (SSJ 30213 ) with an emphasis on producing an article for publication.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

For the master’s degree with the Practice Option (selected at any time during the program), students will take 12 course units in the following categories:

  1. Two required core courses
  2. One course each in Sustainability Studies, Social Change and Institutional Transformation, Intersectional Analysis, and Principles and Ethics in Community Engagement
  3. Two courses in Methods of Inquiry & Subject Matter Electives
  4. Three courses in Fundamental Skills
  5. Two units of Experiential Learning

Sustainability and Social Justice Program Faculty

David Bell, Ed.D.

Ramón Borges-Méndez, Ph.D

Nigel Brissett, Ph.D.

Cynthia Caron, Ph.D.

Timothy Downs, D.Env.

Anita Fábos, Ph.D.

Jude Fernando, Ph.D.

Ellen Foley, Ph.D.

Denise Humphreys Bebbington, Ph.D.

Eman Lasheen, Ph.D.

Ken MacLean, Ph.D.

Yelena Ogneva-Himmelberger, Ph.D.

Margaret Post, Ph.D.

Laurie Ross, Ph.D.

Morgan Ruelle, Ph.D.

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