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Curriculum Notice: Faculty in Food Studies are engaging in a comprehensive redesign of this curriculum. Students who began their studies in the Bachelor's Program for Adults and Transfer Students (Adult Bachelor's Program) before the fall 2026 semester can continue in or add this major. Students who begin their studies in the Adult Bachelor's Program in fall 2026 or after will still be able to take courses in this subject area and can pursue it through minors, electives, or broader Liberal Arts study.
The Associate in Applied Science degree in Food Studies is awarded upon the completion of 60 credits, including at least 45 credits in Food Studies. The major consists of four core courses, providing the foundation for the study of food from the cultural, economic, political, and environmental points of view, and 12 credits (or four courses, depending on curricular choices), in a concentration area. Fifteen credits are to be completed in a practice-based experience and capstone project approved by the department (see below); six credits can be chosen from elective courses offered by The New School in topics relevant to students’ professional and cultural interests.
| Sample Courses* | Credits |
|---|---|
| NFDS 2050 Introduction to Food Studies | 3 |
| 1 introductory 3-credit course in 3 of the 4 Food Studies core areas: Food Culture, Media, and Communication course options NFDS 2101 American Culinary History: From the Erie Canal to the Food Network NFDS 2611 The Language of Food Food Health, Science, and the Environment course options NFDS 2701 Food and the Human Body NFDS 2750 Molecular Gastronomy Food Policy and Politics course options NFDS 2230 The Global Food System NFDS 2001 Contemporary Food Controversies Business of Food course options NFDS 2300 Restaurant Ownership NFDS 2352 Food Product Business |
9 |
| Concentrations Building on one of the introductory courses taken toward the core requirements, students must complete 12 additional credits in one of the four concentrations. Courses taken toward the core requirement cannot be used to also satisfy the concentration requirement. Food Culture, Media, and Communication concentration Sample courses: NFDS 2009 Design Thinking, Food/Climate NFDS 2080 Introduction to Food Design NFDS 2101 American Culinary History: From the Erie Canal to the Food Network NFDS 2102 Drinking History NFDS 2110 Culinary Luminaries: A Celebration of Those Who Have Changed the Way We Eat** NFDS 2120 The Sweet and the Bitter NFDS 2615 Food and Media NFDS 2906 NYC Eats: Food, People, and Places NFDS 3019 Black Farmers and Foodways: United States NFDS 3401 Eating Identities: Food, Gender, and Race NFDS 3615 Feasting Your Eyes: Food and Film NFDS 4100 Understanding Global Food and Social Justice Through Music Food Health, Science, and the Environment concentration Sample courses: NFDS 2701 Food and the Human Body NFDS 2957 Zero Food Waste NFDS 3019 Black Farmers and Foodways: United States NFDS 3406 Umami Studies |
12 |
| Approved practice-based experience and capstone project Students completing the AAS degree are required to complete a minimum of 15 credits in practice-based experiences with prior departmental approval. These may include internships, prior learning, co-educational experiences, portfolio building, project development, and professional education. Practice-based experiences need not be culinary but must be relevant to the field of food studies. Within the 15 practice-based credits, 3 to 6 credits will constitute the student's capstone project, completed under the guidance of an advisor or a professional appointed by the program chair or director on the basis of their experience in internships, co-educational experiences, and professional education (with the exclusion of prior learning). |
15 |
| Food Studies electives (approved by the department) | 6 |
| Approved general electives in any area of study | 15 |
| Total | 60 |
| *Others may be approved by the chair of the Food Studies program. | |
| ** This course will be offered in the summer. |
The New School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.