Food Services and Wellbeing Management MSc (PGCert PGDip)
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Overview
This course focuses on the importance of food and its origins, diets and wellbeing and the significant growth of interest in these areas.
As the only course available in this area graduates will have a unique opportunity to develop the necessary skills required for a successful career in this growing area.
The course will appeal to professionals in the food service industry who want to gain further knowledge, entrepreneurs who wish to explore and develop a food service and wellbeing enterprise, graduates who want to pursue a career in food services and wellbeing management and people with a personal interest in the field.
Consumers are now more selective in what they eat, whether it is in what they consume at home or when using the wide range of food service options available to them. This course will allow you to explore the increased awareness of the importance of stable and healthy diets, as well as the effect of campaigns by celebrity chefs such as Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnely-Whittingstall. You will also study the ethical sourcing of food and the growing interest in what we eat and how it is prepared.
Throughout the twentieth century our average life expectancy increased, with diet and wellbeing today playing a key role in the quality of our lives. Diet and lifestyle are now recognised as being the main factors influencing the risk of chronic diseases, which have become the nation's main killer. The past 60 years have seen vast changes in food availability and diet. At the same time obesity is being recognised as a global problem and possibly one of the most important health issues of our time. The course will allow you to explore the consumer-led changes which have influenced food availability, access and consumption since the 1940s.
On the course you will also study factors that affect food service and wellbeing including government policies, advances and innovations of the food service and wellbeing industries and applied management techniques.
The course also examines the challenges facing the food industry including the economic and sustainable provision of food, food service and wellbeing necessary at all levels of society. You will also study the scientific substantiation and communication of nutritional and wellbeing of food products to both food service professionals and consumers.
Course duration
Full-time: 1 year
Part-time: 2-6 years
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Course content
Course structure
This MSc can be studied either full-time over one year or on a part-time basis over two years or longer according to the personal and professional needs of students.
Areas of study
This course enables you to study the food, food services and wellbeing industries. You will study nutritional and wellbeing strategies with the aim of improving diet and wellbeing.
All students study four core modules plus two options, allowing you to explore topics of personal and professional interest. There will be the opportunity to study an elective module taught in English at LaSalle Beauvais in France.
You will also undertake the final project which is a major research project and may take the form of either a traditional dissertation of 15,000 words, a food or management-related project or a business plan relating to a either a food service and/or wellbeing enterprise.The assessment for each module will involve completing a range of research papers, group and individual presentations and other similar activities.
Syllabus
Core modules
Critical Perspectives of Food Service and Wellbeing
Food, Culture and Society
Food, Nutrition and Diet
Managing Resources in Hospitality and Tourism.Options - two from:
Human Resource Strategy in Multi Unit Service Organisations
Ethical and Social Responsibility: Theory and Application
Food Safety Management
Entrepreneurship in Food and Drink -
Entry requirements
Typical entry requirements
individual offers may varyFor non-native speakers of English:
IELTS 6.5 overall and 6.0 in writing.Degree and/or experience:
Honours degree with a minimum 2:2 equivalent from a NARIC-recognised institution, or an HND equivalent plus at least five years of relevant industry experience. Other applicants with extensive industry experience will be considered on an individual basis. -
Location
Location
Eastbourne -
Career opportunities
Graduates of this course will have the opportunity to enter the food, food service, hospitality and wellbeing industries. For those or who are already working in these areas the course will help to further develop your career.
Possible job roles could include food retail services management, food and beverage management in independent and group hotel and restaurant companies and catering service management for private and public sector companies.
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Fees and costs
The fees listed here are for full-time courses beginning in the academic year 2012-13. Further tuition fees are payable for each subsequent year of study.
The tuition fee you have to pay depends on a number of factors including the kind of course you take, and whether you study full- or part-time. If you are studying part-time you will normally be charged on a pro rata basis depending on the number of modules you take. Different rules apply to research degrees - please contact the Doctoral College for advice.
To help you plan for your time here we will be providing further information about what is included in your tuition fee, and any optional costs you may need to budget for, later in the autumn.
Our website wwww.brighton.ac.uk/money provides advice about funding and scholarships as well as further information about fees and advice on international and island fee paying status.
Food Services and Wellbeing Management (MSc) (Full time) [J2BH021] UK/EU (Full Time) 6,120 GBP Island Students (Full Time) 7,700 GBP International (Full Time) 11,000 GBP -
More details
Core Modules
Critical Perspectives of Food Service and Wellbeing
Food Culture and Society
Food, Nutrition and Diet
Managing Resources in Hospitality and Tourism
Option Modules ( two from):
Human Resource Strategy in Multi-Unit Service Organisations
Ethical and Socail Responsibility: Theory and Application
Food Safety Management
Entrepreneurship in Food and Drink
plus the final project
Food Culture and Society: This module is a 20-credit core module for all pathways.
It is delivered via two study blocks; normally each is a three-day block consisting of six three-hour sessions, with a minimum break of five weeks between each study block.
Your time is split between a range of lectures, seminars, interactive workshops and student-led presentations.
You will learn about food culture and society; philosophies and principles that influence food cultures as a historical process; critical political issues and trends; significant figures in a historical and contemporary context; the invention of cooking, culinary arts and culinology; the rise of haute cuisine; the industrialisation of food in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries; the meaning of eating, eating habits, eating rituals and tablescapes; and meal science.
The module has two assessments: a seminar presentation counting for 30 per cent of the module, and an individual essay of 4,000 words counting for 70 per cent.
Managing Resources in Hospitality and Tourism Operations: This module explores a wide range of topics which underpin the effective planning and management of physical, human and financial resources in the provision of services for hospitality and tourism operations.
The completion of this module will enable you to critically assess operational issues in managing resources, which dovetail with strategic management objectives.
You will be able to demonstrate approaches and make recommendations for improvements to the effective management of a hospitality or tourism business operation.
The module includes a range of topics, including Managing facilities and projects appropriate to either a hospitality or tourism operation; Effective human resourcing of hospitality and tourism organisations, labour market issues, HRM planning, recruitment and selection, with reference to skills shortages and training initiatives; Retention of human assets by appropriate practices to motivate and empower; Rewards and compensation methods; Procurement, supply chain management and control of materials in hospitality, and tourism operations; Outsourcing decisions, issues and their management; Managing logistics in global hospitality and tourism operations; Managing capacity and revenue; and Financial planning issues including cost-volume and profit applications, budgeting and budgetary control and managing working capital.
The module is assessed through an individual paper that focuses on the application of a particular aspect of managing resources in a hospitality and tourism business of your choice, and a resources planning group case study.
Human Resource Strategies in Multi-Unit Service Organisations: This module will enable you to evaluate and critically analyse Human Resource Management (HRM) and Human Resource Strategy (HRS) issues, and their implications, within the context of multi-unit service organisations.
By the end of the module you will be able to demonstrate an understanding of the development and characteristics of multi-unit organisations; demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the key elements that characterise strategic HRM; evaluate and apply the contextual, theoretical framework for HRM and HRS within multi-unit service organisations; assess and critically analyse the role and responsibilities of the multi-unit manager and analyse, synthesise and present ideas and concepts on a major aspect of HRM/HRS within a chosen service industry multi-site organisation.
Assessment for this module will be a written report outlining a chosen service firm, it’s HR strategy and the role of the multi-unit manager, to include primary and secondary research, and an individual presentation of the chosen project.
Ethical and Social Responsibility: Theory and Application: This module introduces you to some of the key moral complexities associated with ethics and social responsibility in the tourism, hospitality and events sectors.
It addresses a range of consumer, business and societal responses to the responsibilities associated with the production and consumption of these global products and services.
The module will deal with issues such as corporate social responsibility, ethical and fair trade consumption, ethics and the environment, philanthropy and volunteering, and consumer attitudes, values and motivations.
The module is challenging but also innovative in its approach to the complexities associated with managing and consuming tourism, hospitality and events in a contemporary context.
Food Safety Management: Through this module you will review and critically analyse a range of secondary literature sources relating to Food Safety Management and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), including staff training.
You will develop an indepth understanding of Food Safety Management and an appreciation of practical and academic initiatives and principles.
You will examine Small to Medium Size Food Enterprise and critically evaluate the way in which they implement Food Safety Management Systems.
Finally, you will identify and implement Human Resource training needs and design a Strategic Policy Framework following Food Safety Management Principles, outlining how these can be applied.
Topics will include Legislation, the Role of the Food Standards Agency, Food Safety Initiatives, Food Safety Management Procedures, HACCP Principles, Hazard Identification, Critical Limits, Effective Monitoring Procedures, Monitoring Tools, Corrective Actions, Document and record Keeping, Due Diligence, Codes of Practice and Training and Development Planning.
Assessment will be in the form of a literature review of all relevant material and a consultancy report presented as a “ Code of Best Practice Guide”.
Entrepreneurship in Food and Drink: This module will see you critically appraising the characteristics and role of entrepreneurial operations in creating value and achieving customer satisfaction through effective planning and management of independent food related businesses.
It will also provide a practical insight into the marketing and development of a food related business.
Module topics include: Role of SME’s in economy, Characteristics of Operations and Entrepreneurs, Developing Food and Drink Concepts to Small Business Activity, Key Marketing Strategies, tools and Techniques, Location, Facility Design and Service Delivery Systems as Applied to Food and Beverage Operations, Application of Managerial Accounting Techniques to Support Operational Decision Making, Pricing, Capacity Planning and Revenue Management, Issues in Small Business Planning and Entrepreneurial Operational Decision.
Assessment will be an individual report of 5,000 identifying a business profile and development needs of a selected retail/service business through the application of a range of management tools.
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Apply online
You should not apply unless you can meet all the entry requirements for this course. Please contact the course team before applying if you are unsure about any of the specific entry requirements.
Entry requirements
For non-native speakers of English:
IELTS 6.5 overall and 6.0 in writing.Degree and/or experience:
Honours degree with a minimum 2:2 equivalent from a NARIC-recognised institution, or an HND equivalent plus at least five years of relevant industry experience. Other applicants with extensive industry experience will be considered on an individual basis.
