FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
"Gastronomy", which is defined as "the art and appreciation of preparing and eating good food," is paired with the prefix "eco", indicating that the "art and appreciation" of food cannot be separated from our agriculture, our environment, and the myriad social, economic, political, and ethical issues associated with food production and eating.* EcoGastronomy represents a highly innovative and interdisciplinary approach to studying our food community.
A dual major is taken alongside a primary major. It cannot be taken on its own. In other words, you must have declared a primary major in order to declare a dual major.
Does my primary major have to be in any specific field?
No! The Dual Major in EcoGastronomy can be declared by any qualified undergraduate (see "Declaring the Dual Major"). This means your primary major could be in any discipline, be it nutrition, hospitality management, environmental conservation, plant biology, English, history, or engineering! It is important, however, that you meet with your primary major advisor prior to declaring a Dual Major in EcoGastronomy to discuss your plan of study.
Do I have to study abroad to complete the Dual Major, or can I do something else (internship, practicum, SURF, other)?
Yes, you must study abroad to complete the Dual Major. The international experience is a vital part of the program, and includes a number of the core courses. Providing an international perspective is a primary goal of the Dual Major in EcoGastronomy.
How are discovery classes handled?
Some of the required classes for EcoG cover Gen Ed or Discovery requirements:
ECOG 401 Introduction to EcoGastronomy covers Discovery (ETS) Environment, Technology & Society
SAFS 405 Sustainable & Organic Food Production covers Discovery (ETS) Environment, Technology & Society
NUTR 400 Nutrition and Wellness covers Discovery (BS) Biological Sciences with (DLAB) Discovery Lab
ECOG 685 Study Abroad covers Discovery World Cultures
Other Study Abroad: ITAL 635 Food Aesthetics covers Discovery Humanities, ITAL language and French language cover language requirements for Bachelor of Arts
What kind of professional opportunities are available for graduates?
We expect that Dual Majors in EcoGastronomy will find a wide array of applications in their careers. While the primary major will provide the foundation of the graduates' expertise and potential career paths, the Dual Major will complement this foundation by adding a more complex dimension to their primary focus. Depending on the primary major, graduates might work within food service, catering, or the restaurant industry; manage or own a farm, greenhouse or nursery; food-related teaching; public relations and journalism; wholesale and retail marketing; food policy; and nutrition and health assessment. Resources such as https://elist.tufts.edu/wws/subscribe/comfoodjobs at Tufts University and Good Food Jobs are constantly posting jobs in this ever expanding area. Subscribe to our RSS feed to be notified of job and internship postings.
* "gastronomy." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 02 Sep. 2008. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/gastronomy>. "eco." Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary. K Dictionaries Ltd. 02 Sep. 2008. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/eco>.