MAFood Studies

Source: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/courses/anthropology/food-studies-ma/ Parent: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/courses/

MA Food Studies

MA Food Studies

Why study MA Food Studies at Exeter?

• We’ll prepare you to understand, critically assess and practically engage with foodways and food systems in industrialised and non-industrialised societies.
• Our core modules provide interdisciplinary perspectives drawing from fields such as archaeology, classics, history, anthropology, sociology, geography, political economy, business and the life sciences.
• Optional modules allow you to develop focused expertise in areas such as sustainable food production, health and nutrition, community development, education, or business and social enterprise or to prepare for further research by studying theory and methods in a range of disciplines.
• Optional programme pathways will allow you to specialise in either Food, Society and Culture, or Food Systems and Sustainability.
• You can choose to undertake a placement or internship to gain valuable experience and develop professional networks.

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Select date of entry Sept 2026

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Contact

Programme Director: Professor Harry West

Web: Enquire online

Phone: +44 (0)1392 72 72 72

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82% of our research is internationally excellent

Based on research rated 4* + 3* in REF 2021. Our research in Sociology, Philosophy, Anthropology and Criminology was returned to this UoA.

Top 10 in the UK for Anthropology

9th in The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2026

Internationally recognised for work in philosophical anthropology and the sociology of culture

Optional work placement or internship

Entry requirements

We will consider applicants with a 2:2 Honours degree or above (or equivalent). We welcome students from any academic background.

Applications from candidates with relevant professional experience and evidence of good research and writing skills will also be considered.

Also, as this is a specialist and multi-disciplinary programme, students who do not meet the general admissions requirements but who have substantial professional or personal experience which is directly related to the programme will be considered. Students who wish to be considered on the basis of professional or personal experience should submit a detailed personal statement outlining their relevant experience. Students who do not fulfil the general admissions requirements may also be required to attend an interview and/or complete an assignment in order to assess their academic ability.

Please also see our guidance on essential documentation required for an initial decision on taught programme applications.

Entry requirements for international students

Please visit our entry requirements section for equivalencies from your country and further information on English language requirements.

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Please also see our guidance on essential documentation required for an initial decision on taught programme applications.

Entry requirements for international students

English language requirements

International students need to show they have the required level of English language to study this course.

The required IELTS test scores for this course fall under Profile B1.

Please visit our English language requirements page to view the required test scores and equivalencies from your country.

Course content

This programme will prepare you to understand, critically assess, and practically engage with foodways and food systems.

Our core modules provide interdisciplinary perspectives drawing from fields including archaeology, classics, history, anthropology, sociology, geography, and political economy. You will survey the historical development of agriculture and food and develop an understanding of its place in the constitution of social identities and institutions. You will also analyse the workings of mainstream and alternative food systems and food chains as well as studying the challenges and proposed solutions to making foodways and food systems more sustainable.

A wide range of optional modules allows you to develop focused expertise in areas such as sustainable food production, health and nutrition, community development, education, or business and social enterprise.

An optional placement or internship will afford you the opportunity to gain valuable professional experience and to develop networks, while the dissertation will provide you with the chance to acquire expertise in a particular area of study and to develop research and writing skills.

The programme is studied over 12 months (full time) or 24 months (part time) and is University-based throughout the period. The programme comprises 180 credits in total: taught modules worth 120 credits in total and a supervised dissertation worth 60 credits. Teaching takes place over two terms (October to May), followed by completion of the dissertation over the summer (June to September). Each taught module spans one term and is normally taught through seminars, underpinned by reading and essay assignments. The taught element consists of core modules, directed options and free options.

The modules below provide examples of what you can expect to learn on this degree course based on recent academic teaching. The precise modules available to you in future years may vary depending on staff availability and research interests, new topics of study, timetabling and student demand.

Modules

Please note that the module information displayed here is from a previous year and is subject to change.

*120 credits of compulsory modules, 60 credits of optional modules

You may choose either the 15 credit or the 30 credit version of each module, you cannot choose both.*

Compulsory modules

Optional modules

Pathways

Please note that the module information displayed here is from a previous year and is subject to change.

Our flexible programme enables you to choose either a specific pathway or a selection of modules, which might be at a much later date than date of entry to the MA Food Studies. All students graduate with a Masters in Food Studies, but if you elect to specialise, you will have one of the following pathways named in your degree title:

Food, Society and Culture (MA)

This pathway allows you to focus study on the social, cultural and historical dimensions of food and foodways. Modules fulfilling compulsory requirements must include: either the 15 or 30 credit version of Food and Agriculture in Historical Perspective; and either the 15 or 30 credit version of Food, Body and Society. Your dissertation will also focus on a theme in the area of Food, Society and Culture.

Food Systems and Sustainability (MA)

This pathway allows you to focus study on food systems, alternative food networks and sustainability. Modules fulfilling compulsory requirements must include: either the 15 or 30 credit version of Food System, Alternative Food Networks and Ethical Consumption; and  either the 15 or 30 credit version of Food and Sustainability: Economy, Society and Environment. Your dissertation will also focus on a theme in the area of Food Systems and Sustainability.

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Fees

2026/27 entry

UK fees per year:

*£12,650 full-time; £6,325 part-time*

International fees per year:

£25,550 full-time; £12,775 part-time

The Glanely Food and Farming Scholarship

The University of Exeter is pleased to offer a fee reduction worth £5000 to up to five full-time students enrolling on our MA Food Studies programme in 2026/2027. This scholarship is open to home and international students, and will be awarded to the candidate/s who can best demonstrate an exceptional track record and future potential for work in this field. Find out more and apply here.

Scholarships

The University of Exeter offers a wide range of scholarships to support your education, with £7 million available for international students applying to study with us in the 2026/27 academic year, including our prestigious Exeter Excellence Scholarships *. We also provide awards for sport, music and other achievements, as well as regional and partner scholarships with organisations such as Chevening, The Beacon Trust and the British Council. For more information on scholarships and other financial support, please visit our scholarships and bursaries page.

University of Exeter Alumni Scholarship

We are pleased to offer University of Exeter alumni beginning a standalone postgraduate programme in 2026/27 with us a scholarship towards the cost of your tuition fees. Full details can be found here.

*Terms and conditions, including deadlines, apply. See our website for details..

Find out more about tuition fees and funding »

Teaching and research

Core teaching takes place over the first two terms, leaving the third for your dissertation. Research-centred teaching is at the heart of the programme. Teaching is done in small seminar groups, through individual presentations and round table discussions of common readings. Some optional modules include practical work combined with reading.

Students have the opportunity to engage in a substantial piece of research into a topic of their choosing through the dissertation module. You will be assessed through coursework which will vary depending on the modules you choose, as well as the completion of a dissertation.

Professor Harry G West

Programme Director and Professor of Anthropology

Dr Celia Plender

Lecturer (Anthropology)

Professor Matt Lobley

Professor of Rural Resource Management, Director of CRPR

Professor Harry G West

Programme Director and Professor of Anthropology

Harry is a socio-cultural anthropologist with expertise in political anthropology and the anthropology of food, farming and agrarian society. He has conducted research in Africa, as well as in Europe and North America. He is currently working on food, heritage and memory, with a focus on artisan cheesemaking.

He is Co-Director of the Centre for Rural Policy Research, and Coordinator of the Exeter Food Network.

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Professor Harry G West

Programme Director and Professor of Anthropology

Harry is a socio-cultural anthropologist with expertise in political anthropology and the anthropology of food, farming and agrarian society. He has conducted research in Africa, as well as in Europe and North America. He is currently working on food, heritage and memory, with a focus on artisan cheesemaking.

He is Co-Director of the Centre for Rural Policy Research, and Coordinator of the Exeter Food Network.

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Dr Celia Plender

Lecturer (Anthropology)

Celia’s work focuses on political-economic change in Britain from the perspective of grassroots, community groups and engages with themes of everyday politics, mutual aid and care. She has conducted long-term ethnographic fieldwork with urban, grassroots food co-ops to explore their everyday practices and responses to the changes taking place around them ranging from neoliberal reform to austerity and covid-19.

Celia is co-convenor of the Association of Social Anthropologists’ Anthropology of Britain Network.

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Professor Matt Lobley

Professor of Rural Resource Management, Director of CRPR

Matt’s research largely focuses on understanding influences on and impacts of farm household behaviour. In particular, his main interests relate to the role of farm households in the management of the countryside, for example, through exploring the impact of CAP reform; attitudes towards agri-environmental policy; and the environmental and social impacts of agricultural restructuring. Beyond agriculture and the environment, other research interests include the design and impact of rural development initiatives and, more broadly, the social sustainability of rural communities.

He is Editor of the International Journal of Agricultural Management.

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Careers

Employer valued skills

• Research skills specific to foodways and food systems past and present on an international scale
• Understanding of the economic, political and cultural dynamics of food systems and foodways
• Ability to identify issues and problems faced by a range of stakeholders and the potential consequences of various forms of intervention and transformation
• Researching, analysing and assessing sources of information
• Written and verbal communication skills
• Managing and interpreting information
• Developing ideas and arguments

Career paths

Depending upon your interests and career objectives, you may go on to conduct doctoral research, or you may find employment in:

• food industry or small and medium-sized food businesses and social enterprises;
• government departments and agencies engaging with agriculture, fisheries, food manufacture, food safety, public health, or culture and heritage;
• food-focused print, broadcast and new media;
• or third-sector organisations focused on issues such as environmental sustainability, trade policy, food safety, public health, food poverty, or social isolation.

Career support

The College's Employability Officer works with our central Career Zone team to give you access to a wealth of business contacts, support and training, as well as the opportunity to meet potential employers at our regular Careers Fairs.

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