LEAPS: The Food Industry: Food Science, Business, Language and Culture

LEAPS (Liberal Arts and Professional Success)

The LEAPS programs are an optional component of the Compass General Education Curriculum. Please see the LEAPS (Liberal Arts and Professional Success) section of the Compass Curriculum for more information.

The Food Industry: Food Science, Business, Language and Culture

Depending on the courses and specific internships or professional experience chosen, students can acquire the skills to:

* Articulate the benefits of combining their liberal arts experiences with their professional, industry-specific skills

* Choose from a variety of food industry submarkets

* Communicate (order, source, write) in commercial or export/import settings in a target language using food or culinary terms and understanding of special European DOP, DOC or other designations

* Participate in creation of new products through food science and cultural and linguistic knowledge

* Pursue the cultivation or development of crops

* Incorporate food sustainability as a priority in a chosen food industry submarket

* Market a company or food’s cultural, nutritional or ethical appeal

* Navigate expectations in the food business

* Work in the culinary arts

* Help to advise on the development of menus in light of nutritional or ecological priorities

Completion Requirements

4 credits and an experiential learning component are needed to complete this LEAP.

Required Courses

Students will choose one course from each of the following categories:

One course related to Business or Marketing, such as:

One food-related Natural Science course (sustainability, agriculture, fermentation, pathogens, nutrition, etc.), such as:

One food-related Social Science or Humanities course, such as:

One course on food history or food culture outside the U.S. such as:

ITAS 315 Food in Italian Imagination
HIST 298 Tasting Empire: A History of Trading, Cooking, and Eating
- Additional course substitutions are possible, consult with the LEAPS coordinator for approval
Study Abroad Course.

In Italy, for example, these might include:

1. Food Sustainability Studies Program (Perugia, Arcadia U.)

2. A study abroad program connected to the University of Gastronomic Sciences (Slow Food Movement) in Pollenza

3. Wheaton’s Boston University in Padova program, which offers an “Italian Food Industry” course.

4. An Independent Study or FYE on the topic

Experiential opportunities:

Internships and professional opportunities may include working in food media, food and beverage magazines, food and beverage marketing, catering industries, international import/export firms, government agencies, agricultural organizations like local community harvest projects and co-ops, health agencies that serve the nutritional needs of particular populations, etc.

A possible on-campus experience could be with Wheaton’s own food services vendor.

Internships may also be taken on study abroad programs.