Overview

The Minor in Sustainable Food Systems, offered by the Department of Architecture and Environmental Design (AED), provides all Temple University undergraduate students the opportunity to enhance their majors with an interdisciplinary approach to investigate the complexities of food systems that includes horticulture, city planning and public health. Courses in the minor explore the relationship of farmland preservation, food production practices and supply alternatives that improve local economies, reduce energy consumption, lower environmental impact, and ensure widespread access to affordable and healthy food. This prepares students to contribute to the overall sustainability of the communities in which they live and work and strengthens students' preparation to work as professionals in environmentally-oriented fields or as citizen activists.

The Minor in Sustainable Food Systems consists of 18 credits, with two required foundation courses and four elective courses. The required courses ensure that students have a strong foundation for the study of food systems including food crops, planning for food systems, and nutrition. The electives allow students to delve deeper into different facets of food systems planning from the perspective of city planning and/or horticulture.

Campus Locations: Ambler, Main

Contact Information

Sasha W. Eisenman, PhD, Architecture and Environmental Design Department Chair
Tyler School of Art and Architecture
Dixon Hall, Room 201
580 Meetinghouse Road
Ambler, PA 19002
267-468-8168
eisenman@temple.edu

Requirements

Students must earn a minimum grade of C- in courses satisfying minor requirements and must have a minimum 2.0 grade point average in the required 18 credits to earn the minor.

  • A student may not double count any course for the Minor in Sustainable Food Systems toward any other major, minor, or certificate.
  • At least half of the courses for the minor must be taken at Temple University.
  • Courses for the minor must be completed prior to graduation.
Note: The symbol after the course title indicates that the class is offered ONLY in the semester indicated.
(F) = offered fall only
(FE) = offered fall of even numbered years
(FO) = offered fall of odd numbered years
(S) = offered spring only
(SE) = offered spring of even numbered years
(SO) = offered spring of odd numbered years
(O) = offered occasionally
Required Courses
Select two of the following:5-6
Sustainable Food Systems Planning (F)
Fundamentals of Horticulture 1
Food Crops I (S)
Nutrition and Health
Electives
Select at least four of the following: 113-12
Land Use Planning (FO)
Environmental Planning (S)
Ecological Planning and Development (FE)
Sustainability in Suburban Communities (SE)
Sustainable Community Design and Development
Greenhouse Management (F)
Plant Propagation (S)
Introduction to Beekeeping
Special Topics in Horticulture/Landscape Architecture I 2
Special Topics in Horticulture/Landscape Architecture II 2
Special Topics 2
Total Credit Hours18
1

If HORT 1001 is taken as one of the required courses, students must complete 13 credits of elective coursework.

2

Consult with an advisor to make certain topic is relevant for the minor.