Course Title: Master of Arts in Gastronomy and Food Studies
Successful completion of an undergraduate (level 8) degree or equivalent at honours classification (2.1 or higher).
OR
Successful completion of an undergraduate degree (Ordinary or Bachelor) or equivalent (level 7), together with significant industrial or academic experience (Significant industrial experience comprises a minimum of 3 years in a supervisory role/ senior position in a related industry).
In addition, all shortlisted candidates will be required to attend an interview; or in the case of overseas candidates unable to travel, interviews can be conducted online. Applicants are required to produce evidence of the minimum English language proficiency requirement for overseas applicants i.e. a minimum score of 7.0 in IELTS or equivalent.
This pioneering Masters course in unique in both Ireland and globally in offering graduates a solid underpinning in the three pillars of Gastronomy & Food Studies: History, Society, and Practice. The food landscape in Ireland and indeed globally is under ever-increasing scrutiny from a wide range of commentators and this course will satisfy the growing interest in Food Studies.
By amalgamating shared learning with focused networking opportunities, the course develops transferrable, interpersonal communication skills whilst encouraging creative and critical thinkers who will become life-long learners and advocates for Irish food and international food culture.
The course examines the key forces and policies that influence the modern food system by investigating the impact of history on contemporary foodways. It also explores the social dynamics of food and drink culture, food tourism, contemporary approaches to food education, as well as food writing, media, publishing and sustainable food practices. This Masters course runs as a full-time programme (TU237) over one year, or as a part-time programme (TU233) over two years. The full-time option satisfies student visa requirements for non-EU applicants.
The full-time programme (TU237) runs two days a week over two semesters with the thesis completed over the summer. In Semester 1 each day covers two core modules and one optional module. In semester 2 one day is for modules (2 core and 1 optional) and the other day is for the dissertation research. Some modules are designed as long thin modules to balance the workload across semesters.
Core Modules
- Introduction to Gastronomy and Food Studies
- Global Cultural History of Food
- Politics of the Global Food System
- Post-Graduate Research Methodology
- Food Writing and Media
- History of Irish Food: Applying the Past
- Dissertation
Optional Modules
- Reading Historic Cookbooks: A Structured Approach
- International Trends in Gastronomic Research and Publishing
- Social Approaches to Wine and Beverage Culture
- Food Tourism
- Food Pedagogy: Exploring Culinary Education
- Consumer Culture and Branding
The full-time version of the Masters in Gastronomy and Food Studies involves two full days in college and at least a further three days of independent learning, reading, research and project writing or field research.
Contact Hours
- Tuesdays 9am-6pm
- Wednesdays 9am- 6pm
Applications for this course are now open.
Apply Online – FULL TIME NON-EU SEPTEMBER START
Apply Online – FULL TIME EU SEPTEMBER START
Catherine Meijer explains all about her experiences on the Master of Arts in Gastronomy programme:
Caitriona Nic Philibin explains all about the Master of Arts in Gastronomy programme at TU Dublin
What attracted me to TU Dublin was their strong culinary culture, their strong sense of food history, that their department are actively encouraging people to forge new paths in discovering what the past was in terms of food history and what the future will be.
The highlights for me were the depth and the diversity of the modules including Reading Historic Cookbooks, Food Writing and Media, Food Tourism, and the Politics of the Global Food System, also the multifaceted aspects of the programme from field trips to restaurant visits to the really excellent guest lecturers. The programme has shaped me, broadened my horizons, enhanced my credibility and I have connected with people within the industry that I would not have connected with before.
The course was completely transformative for me. I started out with an idea of what I might like to do in the future but I was so inspired by the modules that I took, that I completely changed the trajectory of my career. I would highly recommend the Masters in Gastronomy and Food Studies … the course offers the opportunity to consider, challenge and expand your understanding of the impact of food.
Doing a master’s degree was one of the greatest, and most challenging experiences to date; although I was studying the subject I love most – food! It was challenging in terms of studying in my second language, and also juggling a full-time job and the intense academic requirements. Today I can say that I studied what I always dreamed of – and still dream about - I am grateful for all the experiences gained during this process and I feel ready for my next challenge within the food industry.
couldn’t recommend this course strongly enough, it is a course that keeps giving long beyond conferring day. Aisling Geraghty
I would recommend the MA Gastronomy to potential students because of the academic excellence, the opportunities it can open for you, as well as the rich learning experience that I feel I gained from it. Joseph Matapure
I recently completed the Masters in TU Dublin, I loved it, I miss it … It has changed a lot for me, my career, possibly my brain … One of my favourite things about the Masters is the way in which your background and where you are coming from is really celebrated and is almost like a ‘superpower’, and in that way, you feel part of the group that you are in, your class is made up of all these people with so many different skills and knowledge and experience and you are all bolstering each other up. There is a lovely sense of support from that and also from the tutors … I would wholeheartedly recommend it. Jennie Moran
I would encourage anyone interested and passionate about food, gastronomy and the importance of it in our lives to really consider doing this Masters. The lecturers were all brilliant, the support was incredible, and the networking and other students, seeing how we all went off and progressed using this course as a great launch pad has been really interesting. Some great work has been achieved since, I can heartily recommend it. Domini Kemp
The Masters in Gastronomy and Food Studies programme has allowed me the opportunity to explore the relationship between food and various other disciplines, such as art, and on a personal level, it has made me appreciate and want to understand my own country’s [South Africa] food stories, history, and culture. Merrill Buckley
I think it is a perfect course for anyone who is interested in food and would like to learn as much as possible, anyone who is obsessed, who loves reading and writing about food would enjoy this course … it pushed me to become more of a critical thinker and I have been using what I learned on the course on a daily basis from my everyday shopping … to my job as a food tourism business owner … it also gave me more credibility. Ketty Quigley