Undergraduate certificate in Sustainable Food Systems

Investigate the complexities of food systems that includes city planning, horticulture, and public health with a Undergraduate certificate in Sustainable Food Systems in Temple University’s Tyler School of Art and Architecture. Courses in the certificate explore the relationship between farmland preservation and food production practices. Students will 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 environmental activists. 

The academic certificate is available to all undergraduate degree students and non-degree students. Consult with an academic advisor about how the required courses fit into academic and career plans. 

Courses for this certificate are offered at Ambler and Main campuses. 

Facilities

Students who pursue the Sustainable Food Systems Undergraduate Certificate may take advantage of Temple’s suburban Ambler Campus, home to 

• a 187-acre arboretum; 

• design build studio workshop; 

• greenhouses; 

• gardens; 

• labs and studios; and 

• technology center with computers, printers, plotters, software and 3D-printing capabilities. 

Temple’s urban Main Campus in Philadelphia—a top city in the nation for green storm water infrastructure (GSI) projects—includes AR/VR design stations, dedicated studio space for undergraduate and graduate students, design studios, digital fabrication tools, exhibition, lectures, studio review spaces, a woodshop facility, and more. 

Classes & Curriculum

The Undergraduate Certificate in Sustainable Food Systems comprises coursework in horticulture, landscape architecture and planning. A few courses you might take include 

• Food Crops I, 

• Fundamentals of Horticulture, 

• Nutrition and Health, and 

• Sustainable Food Systems Planning. 

Learn more about the courses available in this program.

Related Graduate Degrees

• Master of Landscape Architecture 

• Master of Science in City and Regional Planning 

Internships & Opportunities

Landscape architecture and horticulture students take advantage of the region’s broad range of opportunities for professional advancement and civic engagement, including connections to organizations like the American Society of Landscape Architects, the Society for Ecological Restoration and the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society.  

Careers

Pursuing a certificate in the built environment disciplines will teach you how to be a dynamic thinker and problem-solver—two of the most valued skills that today’s employers seek in new hires. Art and design programs teach creative ways of seeing, thinking and making.  

Students learn versatility and technical skills while becoming adept in traditional practice and new technologies. Students enter a competitive workforce at the head of the pack, ready to use their skill sets and creativity to tackle society’s toughest challenges.  

Tyler career coaches specialize in the types of jobs available in the arts and built environment, mentoring students on everything from cover letters to interviews to career advice.   

Temple’s Career Center is another resource that empowers students to find pathways to future success. The Career Center offers comprehensive career development services, from résumés and interviews to finding internships and jobs.