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Dalhousie University receives accreditation for International Food Business degree

The Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission (MPHEC) has formally accredited Dalhousie University’s International Food Business (IFB) degree which allows graduates of the program to receive degrees from both Dalhousie University and CAH Dronten University of Applied Sciences in The Netherlands.

The program, designed to provide students with an international business education in managing food value-chains, enables students to study and experience job placements in both North America and Europe.

“The food industry is a global business phenomenon.  This double degree program equips graduates with the knowledge, skills and experience to be successful in such a dynamic environment,” explained Faculty Lead Professor Steve Russell, Business and Social Sciences.  “Studying and working in both North America and Europe and graduating with two degrees, is real educational value.”

Students like Ross MacNeil will graduate with a Bachelor of Management and Bachelor of Agriculture in International Food Business with six months of work experience in both Europe and North America.

“I chose the IFB program because I believed it would help me discover and create a dynamic career in agri-food business,” explained MacNeil. “The program’s finest feature is the dual degree, with the European degree helping to build a bridge if I want to work in an international environment,” he added.  

Having completed two internships that provided applied work experience, MacNeil has been offered a full-time job upon graduation from his second placement. This four-year degree underlines its international focus by beginning with a one-week orientation in Iceland where students from both campuses get to know one another while exploring the Icelandic food industry.

“I'm in my fourth year now and I can say one of the most rewarding things the program gave me was the life experiences that I shared with my fellow classmates. We all went to the Netherlands together and created some invaluable memories and met so many wonderful people from all over the world while living on a unique international campus.”

Graduates of the program are prepared for a wide range of careers in international food businesses either as entrepreneurs or employees.  The basic foundation in business management theory and skills coupled with practical training in job placements has also proven useful in pursuing other careers and opportunities, including further study. 

“The IFB program is taught following the competency-based model of education,” explained the program’s coordinator Heather-Anne Grant.  “For IFB students this means a direct link to the real world on a daily basis.  The curriculum students are learning in their lectures is based on the competencies the agri-food industry wants in new hires.  Because this curriculum is taught in modules, as opposed to stand alone courses, business theory is synthesized, reinforcing to students that solving problems on the job is inter-disciplinary,” she added.  “To further link our students with the world of business, guest lectures, field trips and term projects analyzing regional international food companies on-site are cornerstones of program delivery.”

The food industry is expected to grow substantially in the next decade and there is a growing appetite for a national strategy for food that connects the parts and the players in the food system and that can guide and stimulate efforts to change it.  Dalhousie’s International Food Business program may be part of the solution.

For more information on the program please visit: dal.ca/ifb