Lifelong Learning Programs
NOTE: This site is an archive of 2011–2012 programs and policies at Boston University Metropolitan College. If you are looking for current information about Metropolitan College and its programs, please go to our official website: www.bu.edu/met.
Open to the general public as well as professionals, Boston University’s Lifelong Learning offers non-credit programs that include certificates in the culinary arts, seminars in food and the arts, wine studies, gastronomic tours, children’s programs, and opportunities for those over the age of 58. Certificate programs in the Culinary Arts, Food Studies, Cheese Studies, and Wine Studies can also be taken for credit and applied to the MLA degree in Gastronomy.
A Graduate Certificate in Food Studies is also available for credit. Click here for details.
Certificate Program in the Culinary Arts
Created by Julia Child and Jacques Pépin in 1989, the 14-week Certificate Program in the Culinary Arts is an experiential program in which students learn classical, modern, and ethnic techniques of food preparation from some of the world’s finest chefs, industry professionals, and teachers. Guest faculty have included Marcella Hazan, Jasper White, Mary Ann Esposito, Jacques Pépin, and many others.
Through lecture, demonstration, hands-on cooking experience, and field trips, the program covers ethnic and regional cuisine, the history of food, menu planning, equipment handling, nutrition, food writing, the economics of running a restaurant, the study of wines, and food safety.
Upon successful completion, students receive a Certificate in the Culinary Arts from Boston University.
Certificate in Cheese Studies
This eight-week course focuses on the study of artisanal cheeses from many regions of the world. Students learn the traditional method of cheese-making and the influences that affect the final product, including species and breed, feed, milking cycle, culture and rennet, aging, and ripening. After successful completion of the course and final exam, students receive a Boston University certificate.
Seminars in Food, Wine & the Arts
Seminars in Food, Wine & the Arts offers programs in the culinary arts, wine studies, music, visual arts, and the humanities. Guest faculty include world-renowned chefs and gastronomic experts, winemakers, musicians, museum curators, art historians, and scholars in the humanities. Seminars vary in length and include cooking demonstrations, lectures on viticulture, hands-on cooking classes, gastronomic tours, dinners and performances, talks, and lectures in conjunction with museum exhibits.
The Elizabeth Bishop Wine Resource Center
The Elizabeth Bishop Wine Resource Center was established to foster educational programs exploring all aspects of wine, including viticulture; enology; wine history; economics; distribution and marketing; pairing with food; and the psychological, physiological, and cultural phenomena of wine consumption.
Certificate in Wine Studies
The Wine Studies certificate consists of four levels of coursework and expertise. Students gain personal enrichment in all four levels, while certification in Levels 2, 3, and 4 enhances one’s opportunity to work in the wine industry and hones knowledge for those already in the industry.
- Level 1: Fundamentals of Wine—An Introduction
- Level 2: A Comprehensive Survey of Wine, Spirits, and Beer
- Level 3: Mastering Wine—Skill Development
- Level 4: The Wine Trade—Global, National, and Local Perspectives
Customized Food and Wine Events
Customized food and wine events include private hands-on cooking and baking classes, wine classes, or demonstrations with some of the finest chefs. Our state-of-the-art kitchen can accommodate 20 people for hands-on classes, or up to 100 for demonstrations.
Cooking Up Culture
Cooking Up Culture is a children’s program designed to build an understanding of cultures and their cuisines though education.
Classes include cooking demonstrations for school groups of up to 60 children, and smaller, hands-on classes in which the youngsters prepare representative foods from specific regions or cultures around the world.
Evergreen
Evergreen is a specially designed course of study and activities for persons over the age of 58, including lectures, discussions, and artistic and cultural events. Faculty members and distinguished guest instructors teach in both the lecture and workshop format.
Evergreen participants may also enroll as auditors in most University credit courses on a space-available basis for a $100 registration fee. Visit www.bu.edu/evergreen for details.
For further information about any of these programs, contact Lifelong Learning, Metropolitan College, 808 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215; 617-353-9852; fax: 617-353-4130; email: cularts@bu.edu; www.bu.edu/foodandwine.
