MSc Gastronomy

at Queen Margaret University

• Food and Culture* (20 credits) - This module will provide a multidisciplinary examination of the many ways that food can be linked to all forms of ‘culture’, from bacteria in soil, fermented foods and the human gut, through the expression of taste, identity, class and gender, to the ways in which people act and consume. It will provide students with a broad understanding of the relevance of food to all parts of human life.
• Food Production (20 credits) - This module will provide a broad, multidisciplinary overview of the past and present methods used to produce the food we eat. It will provide students with the knowledge and skills to make informed judgements on the sustainability, equity and security of current food production and supply, and to critically consider potential future means of food procurement, production and processing.
• Food Communication (20 credits) - This module will provide a multidisciplinary examination of the ways that food is communicated and consumed. It will provide students with a critical understanding of the role food plays in the mass media, art and philosophy, manners and space, marketing and other public discourses.
• Food and Drink in Scotland* (20 credits) - This module offers a comprehensive and interdisciplinary overview and insight into food and drink in Scotland, incorporating historic, social, cultural, economic and political perspectives. Utilising specific examples of Scottish food and drink, students will explore and develop their understanding of key contemporary issues within Scottish food and drink.
• The Food System (20 credits) - This module will provide a broad, multidisciplinary overview of the food system, including its structure, the relationships it contains, the factors that influence it, and the impacts it has on wider society. It will provide students with knowledge and skills to help develop possible solutions to food system problems, inequalities and injustices.
• Research Methods (20 credits) -  This online module is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills required to carry out successfully a dissertation at master’s level. Topics include the philosophical underpinnings of research, good research design, data collection and analysis methods, and research ethics.  

There are several routes to entry:
 

• Applicants with a UK honours degree or equivalent.
• Applicants will also be considered with qualifications below UK honours degree level or as mature students who can exhibit relevant work and life experience gained through their employment, professional activities and/or significant and relevant personal interests.

International: You will be required to provide evidence of English language competence at no less than IELTS 6.5 with no individual component score less than 6.0.

Scotland/UK/ROI    
£6,000

International
£15,000

You will be in the enviable position of gaining exposure to a wide range of food-related experiences and contacts, and a broad range of connected, contemporary food issues. You will graduate with the ‘gastronomic’ skills required to gain relevant employment, develop new ideas and projects, and make interventions and transformations in a wide variety of areas. These include further study, business, education, campaigning and advocacy, media and marketing, policy development, tourism and hospitality, and more.