Gastronomy & Food Studies Programs

Benefit from the resources and expertise of BU’s diverse academic departments, renowned food scholars, visiting faculty, wine and spirits experts, and accomplished industry professionals through Boston University’s Metropolitan College (MET), where there’s always a place for you at our table.Food brings people together, worldwide, and encompasses many essential professional fields beyond food preparation and service, including food marketing, recipe development, food policy, academia, and the media. As a culinary melting pot, Boston has long been home to world-class cuisines and innovative food and restaurant culture. BU MET has helped the city take a leadership position in this vital cultural space, both by being among the first in the nation to offer a master’s degree in gastronomy, and through commitments to the service industry via applied professional certifications in everything from food safety to wine studies.

The gastronomy program at BU MET is among the few in the country, and its blend of cross-pollenated academic perspectives helps develop a comprehensive understanding of society and food throughout history, honing your command of food scholarship. Our 16-unit graduate certificate program in food studies, available online as well as on-campus, fosters expertise in the culture and science of food, making it a substantial credential that can also serve as an appetizer to an eventual pursuit of the master’s degree in gastronomy. We also offer a 16-unit graduate certificate in wine studies on campus, which blends academic study with practical experience to provide a global, in-depth education in the culture, science, and business of wine.

BU also offers a variety of non-unit, hands-on food and wine programs to pique food professionals and aspiring artisans alike, ranging from culinary arts and pastry arts to cheese studies and courses in wine studies—all taught by worldwide masters of their craft. These courses can also be taken for academic units, which can be applied to the Master of Arts in Gastronomy.