Restoring local food systems (which were the norm in the U.S. until about half a century ago) is crucial to increasing the physical, social, and economic health of communities and regions.
Green Mountain College’s (Vermont) online Masters of Science in Sustainable Food Systems is the first distance learning program of its kind in the country, offering an in-depth interdisciplinary understanding of sustainable agricultural production.
In today’s world of complex food and agriculture systems, we need leaders with a deep knowledge of the economic, ecological, and social forces driving food systems.
Our Master of Science in Sustainable Food Systems program prepares you for a graduate level interdisciplinary understanding of sustainable agricultural production, and a deep knowledge of the economic, ecological, and social forces driving food systems.
At Green Mountain College, we’ve been teaching about sustainability for two decades. Our distance MSFS program—built on the success of the College’s undergraduate major in sustainable agriculture and on the surging interest in food and agriculture in the U.S. and beyond—is accredited by the New England Association of Schools & Colleges (NEASC), and is designed to provide students with the skills to conduct in-depth interdisciplinary investigations into the complex arena of their own bioregional food systems. MSFS students graduate with the knowledge and confidence to become leaders and join a cutting-edge community ready to make a difference.
The MSFS program requires 39 hours of Green Mountain College graduate credits. All of the courses are three credits and last six weeks. Most of our course sections range from 10-18 students, creating an ideal online learning environment.
The courses are typically taken sequentially year round, with a one week break in-between each course. You will focus on the content of each course as you proceed through the program (most students take the courses in the same order). You’ll complete projects by applying the skills and knowledge you acquire and they engage with one another and their instructors in asynchronous discussions.