This undergraduate degree prepares students from all backgrounds for a career protecting the environment and improving access to healthy food.
The core curriculum includes courses from all academic departments in ACES. This allows you to explore a variety of fields related to food security, environmental advocacy, and social contexts. Once you decide which areas interest you most, you can customize your education to align with your career goals.
This multidisciplinary program is ideal for students who want to study many different aspects of sustainable food supply chains. Customize your own path, or choose from:
- Policy and law
- Climate change and society
- Food production systems
- Resources and influence
Program Highlights
What you can do with this degree
Customize your program to fit your career goals. Here are a few potential careers with supporting topics and courses:
Niche/Specialty Farm Entrepreneur/Owner
Food production systems with a focus on resources and influence:
- ACE 335 – Food Marketing and Behavior
- FSHN 193 – Edible Entrepreneurialism – Feeding Ideas for the Future
- FSHN 320 – Food Security: Service Learning in the Community
- FSHN 425 – Food Marketing
Natural Resource Manager
Climate change and society with a focus on resources and influence:
- ACE 310 – Natural Resources Economics
- AGCM 330 – Environmental Communications
- NRES 472 – Environmental Psychology
Climate Change and Society with a focus on Policy and Law:
- ACE 406 – Environmental Law
- NRES 325 – Natural Resource Policy Management
- NRES 424 – US Environ, Justice & Policy
Environmental Policy Coordinator/Chief Sustainability Officer
Policy and law with a focus on climate change and society:
- ABE 152 – Water in the Global Environment
- ACE 203 – Introduction to Public Policy and Law
- ACE 210 – Environmental Economics
- AGCM 330 – Environmental Communications
- CPSC 431 – Plants and Global Change
- ETMA 311 – Humanity in the Food Web
- FSHN 320 – Food Security: Service Learning in the Community
- HDFS 220 – Families in Global Perspective
- HDFS 330 – Statistical Reasoning for Everyday Life
- LEAD 340 – Leadership Ethics & Society: Addressing Contemporary Challenges
- PLPA 200 – Plants, Pathogens, and People
- NRES 224 – Social Justice and Environment
- NRES 287 – Environment and Society
- NRES 472 – Environmental Psychology
- NRES 424 – US Environ, Justice & Policy
Community Development Manager
Resources and influence with a focus on climate change and society:
- LEAD 340 – Leadership Ethics & Society: Addressing Contemporary Challenges
- NRES 105 – Climate Change Impacts on Ecological Systems
- NRES 224 – Social Justice and Environment
- NRES 287 – Environment and Society
Resources and influence with a focus on food production systems:
- CPSC 416 – Native Plants, Pollinators, and Food Ecosystems
- ETMA 430 – Project Management
- HORT 205 – Local Food Systems
- HORT 435 – Urban Food Production
- FSHN 320 – Food Security: Service Learning in the Community
- HDFS 330 – Statistical Reasoning for Everyday Life
Skills you will learn
- Build a solid foundation in environmental science
- Analyze the scientific, social, political, and economic impacts of climate change
- Embrace diverse cultural perspectives and identities
- Investigate policies and laws of food security, sustainability, and justice
- Design creative solutions for real-world sustainability issues
- Pursue hands-on learning through internships, research, study abroad, and local community opportunities
Courses
Policy and Law
- ACE 203 - Introduction to Public Policy and Law
- ACE 306 - Food Law
- ACE 403 - Agricultural Law
- ACE 406 - Environmental Law
- NRES 325 - Natural Resource Policy Management
- NRES 424 - US Environ, Justice & Policy
Climate Change and Society
- ABE 232 - Context in International Interventions
- ACE 210 - Environmental Economics
- CPSC 431 - Plants and Global Change
- HDFS 220 - Families in Global Perspective
- LEAD 340 - Leadership Ethics & Society: Addressing Contemporary Challenges
- NRES 105 - Climate Change Impacts on Ecological Systems
- NRES 224 - Social Justice and Environment
- NRES 287 - Environment and Society
Food Production Systems
- ABE 152 - Water in the Global Environment
- ANSC 100 - Intro to Animal Sciences
- ANSC 101 - Contemporary Animal Issues
- ANSC 110 - Life With Animals and Biotech
- ANSC 205 - World Animal Resources
- ANSC 251 - Epidemics and Infectious Diseases
- ANSC 255 - Animal Ethics
- ANSC 305 - Human Animal Interactions
- CPSC 116 - The Global Food Production Web
- CPSC 416 - Native Plants, Pollinators, & Food Ecosystems
- ETMA 430 - Project Management
- FSHN 175 - Science of Fermented Foods
- FSHN 231 - Food Systems: Cacao & Chocolate
- FSHN 232 - Science of Food Preparation
- FSHN 465 - Principles of Food Technology
- HORT 205 - Local Food Systems
- HORT 435 - Urban Food Production
- PLPA 200 - Plants, Pathogens, and People
Resources and Influence
- ACE 251 - The World Food Economy
- ACE 310 - Natural Resource Economics
- ACE 335 - Food Marketing and Behavior
- ACE 476 - Behavioral Economics and Financial Decision Making
- AGCM 330 - Environmental Communications
- ETMA 311 - Humanity in the Food Web
- FSHN 193 - Edible Entrepreneurialism - Feeding Ideas for the Future
- FSHN 320 - Food Security: Service Learning in the Community
- FSHN 425 - Food Marketing
- HDFS 330 - Statistical Reasoning for Everyday Life
- NRES 472 - Environmental Psychology
Contact
I'm here to help you explore career possibilities and build a curriculum that aligns with your passions. Please reach out to me with any questions you have about this program. Together, we can tackle the world's biggest challenges.
Send me a note at: dskorte@illinois.edu
Let's Connect
Find out how you can inspire ground-breaking research, spark innovative solutions, and improve lives in local and global communities.