Food Studies (MAFS) + MBA

Food Studies (MAFS) + MBA Overview

Chatham’s dual-degree MAFS+MBA program leverages the strengths of our Master of Arts in Food Studies (MAFS) and Master of Business Administration (MBA) programs to create a curriculum that develops business acumen in aspects of food systems. Graduates gain knowledge in key areas, such as product development, supply chains, agricultural practices, labor, and sustainability, while engaging in hands-on project management and experiential learning.

Degrees Offered

Program School

Falk School of Sustainability & Environment

Application Deadline

Priority & Regular

Priority deadline for fall enrollment is February 1 (all application materials must be received by this date for first consideration of fellowships and assistantships). Regular deadline for fall enrollment is June 15. Regular deadline for spring enrollment is November 1.

Credits Required

56

The MAFS+MBA can be completed in six terms of full-time study.

Cost Per Credit

$1,089

Cost consists of program tuition (cost per credit times number of credits) as well as any applicable University and degree-specific fees.

Dual Degrees

Save Time and Money

Students in the MAFS+MBA program save 26 credits, compared to taking the programs separately.

Explore the MAFS+MBA Degree:

An in-depth knowledge of food production, culture, and history combined with impeccable mastery of business concepts and strategy prepares students to move into positions as leaders and entrepreneurs in these increasingly popular—and important—areas.

Admission to the MAFS+MBA program will be based on:

A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university
Overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or better on a 4.0 scale. Applicants with less than a 3.0 who show extreme promise through other achievements may be granted conditional admission.
Pre-requisite courses in Financial Accounting and Business Statistics (completed prior to enrollment)
Completed Application Form (found here), including submission of the following documents:
- Curriculum vitae or resume
- Admissions Essay
- 2 letters of recommendation, from an academic source and/or direct work supervisor
- Official undergraduate and graduate transcripts, sent directly by the institutions
- Additional writing sample (optional, but encouraged)

International Applicants

International Applicants must submit additional documentation to the Office of Admissions. A list of these documents can be found on the International Admission web page.

BUS577: Information Systems and Analytics

This course explores the strategic management of technology, information, and people from a Chief Information Officer’s (CIO) perspective. The business value and organizational challenges of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, customer relationship management (CRM) systems, data warehouses, analytics, and Big Data are critically examined through cases and hands-on projects.

FST614: New Product Development

This course explores the new product development process from ideation to market. Students will study the methodologies and practices of product development working in the Food and Agriculture Innovation Lab at CRAFT. Each term, student teams will work with clients on key components including taste testing, consumer feedback, marketing, and recipe development.

FST508: Food Systems

This course examines philosophical, sociological, economic, and cultural issues related to the production and consumption of food. From Agrarianism to the Green Revolution, the course explores the transformations of industrialization, technology, and migration. It provides foundation in food systems and commodity chains as concepts and methodological tools for uncovering the relationships between communities, agriculture, markets, and consumers.

View Full Curriculum

Photo of the rooftop gardens on the Convention Center in downtown Pittsburgh, situated along the river

Cultivating Partnerships

The Falk School of Sustainability & Environment cultivates robust partnerships with entities in Pittsburgh and beyond. Find out how one such partnership brought new life to the David L. Lawrence Convention Center downtown.

Our Faculty

Faculty draw from the Department of Business and Entrepreneurship and the Falk School of Sustainability & Environment, bringing a range of experiences and expertise to the program.

Full Faculty

Alice Julier

Professor, Food Studies Director, Center for Regional Agriculture Food and Transformation (CRAFT)

Sally Frey

Assistant Professor, Food Studies

Nadine Lehrer

Associate Professor of Food Studies

Laura Livingston

Assistant Professor

Christopher Murakami

Assistant Professor, Agroecology

Miriam (Mim) Seidel

Assistant Professor of Nutrition and Internship Coordinator

Sherrie Flick

Senior Lecturer

Nicolette Spudic

Adjunct Faculty

Photo of a masked Chatham University student holding a blue bowl of harvested produce, at the entrance to a greenhouse on Eden Hall Campus

Funding & Support

From fellowships to work-study positions, we offer a variety of ways to help you fund your education while gaining valuable experience.

View Funding Opportunities

Food & Agriculture Innovation Lab

Students have the opportunity to work with our Food and Agriculture Innovation Lab at CRAFT, which helps local farmers, food businesses, and entrepreneurs with recipe testing and product development.

Learn About CRAFT

Community Partnerships: La Prima Coffee

Since the start of Chatham University’s Master of Food Studies program, students have been touring the Pittsburgh coffee purveyor La Prima Espresso Company. Through partnerships like this one with local businesses, government, non-profits, farms, purveyors, and restaurants across the region, Chatham MAFS students gain the kind of hands-on, experiential understanding of their field that marks our Food Studies program as truly unique.

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Eden Hall Campus

Located 20 minutes north of Pittsburgh, Chatham's Eden Hall Campus is the world's first academic community built from the ground up for sustainability. The grounds and infrastructure support research and learning around energy and climate; water and aquaculture; food and agriculture; community and health; and design and planning. As an MAFS+MBA student, you will balance your time between the Shadyside Campus and Eden Hall.

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Masters of Food Studies + MBA

Solar Power at ChathamU

Find out about Chatham's Agroecology Demonstration Garden, a student-focused garden at Eden Hall Campus where they pursue projects that illustrate what they're learning in class.

Close-up photo of chopped red onion topped with a green pepper in a silver mixing bowl

Dana Angstadt, MAFS + MBA ’18

Dana Angstadt, MAFS + MBA ’18 has a mouthful of a title at Gate Gourmet, the airline catering company and corporate meal supplier where she works: Manager, Menu & New Business Development. But her daily responsibilities are as vast as the title itself.

Photo of a young white brunette woman writing on clear glass covered in Post-It notes

Sophie Slesinger, MAFS+MBA ’18

Sophie Slesinger, MAFS+MBA ’18, for reasons even she can’t quite pin down, went from being a directionless college student to one of the country’s most promising young food professionals in less than 10 years.

Photo of a young Black woman wearing a Peace Corps shirt, smiling and stirring food in a bowl at the Eden Hall Campus Bread Oven

Community Bread Oven

Food brings people together. Learn more about the community bread oven at Chatham University's Eden Hall Campus. Funding for the Eden Hall Campus Community Bread Oven was provided by The Lloyd Foundation and Dorothy Lowenthal Raizman '68.

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Food Studies (MAFS) + MBA