Food Security Policy and Management (MSc) at University College Cork

This course is designed to equip recent graduates and professionals  with the  knowledge, skills and competencies needed to work in the  field of  food security, particularly policy and programme management . The programme aims to provide students with skills that can be applied particularly in the areas of project and programme management, policy development and implementation, and impact assessment of programmes aimed at improving food security and dietary quality. The course is open to students from a wide range of backgrounds, including economics, nutrition, food security, international development, humanitarian assistance and programme management. Course inputs will be provided by experienced faculty from a range of disciplines, as well as senior development professionals from a range of international institutions.  Graduates of the programme are ideally qualified for positions in Irish and international development agencies, policy and research institutes, and consultancies across the public, private and non-profit/NGO sectors.

This is one of the few courses in the world, and the only one in Ireland, specifically focussed on international food security policy and management in the context of international development. It provides an opportunity for recent graduates, as well as early- and mid-career development professionals, to obtain a qualification in a specialised field that is of growing importance to state and non-state development and relief agencies worldwide. Input from leading academics and development practitioners ensures that graduates emerge with the right combination of theoretical and applied skills to make a significant contribution to this critical field. Graduates will develop enhanced knowledge, skills and competencies in relation to food security, particularly in areas of policy development and implementation, programme design, implementation and management, and impact assessment. These skills will be situated in an understanding of the multi-sectoral nature of the challenges of food insecurity and malnutrition.

Skills and Careers Information

The programme will develop students’ higher-level thinking skills to gain a deep understanding of the multi-dimensional and multi-sectoral nature of the food security and nutrition challenge and to be able to identify innovative solutions to this challenge to be able to identify innovative solutions to this challenge. At the same time the programme will emphasise development of skills in socio-economic and policy analysis: these skills can be applied particularly in the areas of project and programme management, policy development and implementation, and impact assessment of programmes aimed at improving food security and dietary quality.  There are many career opportunities to work in national and international development organisations in the design and implementation of programmes and policies that address food security and nutrition particularly in low-income countries, both in the context of long-term development approaches and in humanitarian situations.  Organisations involved in this work include international Non-Government Organisations, national government institutions (e.g. Ministries of Agriculture and Health) and international institutions such as the European Commission, the United Nations agencies (e.g. FAO, WFP, WHO, UNDP, UNICEF), and the World Bank group. Private sector actors are also significantly and increasingly involved in the food system and are more aware of health and sustainability concerns; therefore there will be increasing opportunities for graduates who are able to work in the private sector, for example to develop sustainable supply chains involving smallholder farmers.