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Los Angeles: Global Food Cultures

Graduate Study Abroad

This program is closed and no longer accepting applications.

Visit our Graduate Study Abroad page to learn about our available study abroad opportunities for graduate students. If you have any questions, please send them to steinhardt.global@nyu.edu.

Los Angeles is a city shaped by its geography, climate, and history. A major US metropole located on the southwestern edge of North America, it serves as a borderland city with Mexico and as a major hub on the Pacific Rim. Situated amidst the desert and the Pacific Ocean, Los Angeles exists because of its steady water supply, a story of engineering feat as well as exploitation that some say exemplifies the broader ethos of the American west. It has been shaped by successive migrations: indigenous peoples, Spanish conquistadores and padres, Europeans creating the Hollywood film industry, migrants fleeing the Jim Crow South and the 1930s Dust Bowl, those traveling north from Mexico and points south, as well as Asian diasporas. Located at the southern end of the nation’s agriculture center, Los Angeles and the entire region perfected large scale industrial agriculture and relies heavily on migrant labor. Food processing and transportation—via railroad, the trucking industry, as well as the more recent phenomenon of shipping containers--have also shaped LA’s growth trajectory. Given its diverse population the city is also a mecca of global food fusion, celebrated and shaped through its neighborhoods.

Global Food Cultures: Los Angeles will explore food systems and culture in the broader Southern California region, unpacking how issues of race, socioeconomic status, gender, and ethnicity intertwine with geography, politics, and economics to create the present-day global metropole facing a myriad of issues including climate change. Through guest lectures, student projects, and site visits to museums, markets, farms, cooperatives and restaurants, students will gain a multi-faceted understanding and appreciation of this remarkable city and its people.

Amy Bentley

Professor of Food Studies

amy.bentley@nyu.edu

Location:

Los Angeles

Program Dates:

To be announced

Who Can Participate:

  • NYU graduate students
  • Non-NYU graduate students and professionals who are both:
    • U.S. citizens or permanent residents
    • Currently hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university in the United States.

Related Areas of Study:

  • Food Studies
  • Nutrition
  • Media
  • Anthropology
  • History
  • Cultural Analysis

This is not a complete list. We value diverse perspectives in our programs and encourage students from other majors and professions.

Course:

Students register for a total of 3 credits and take the following course:

  • FOOD-GE 2259, section 095 (course# TBC) - Global Food Cultures: Los Angeles (3 credits)

Offered through the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies.

Important Note: All program applicants are encouraged to meet with their academic adviser to determine if and how this course may be applied towards their program requirements and degree completion.

Faculty:

Accommodations:

Students stay in shared-occupancy housing arranged by the Office of Global Affairs.

Your accommodation arrangements are included in your Housing and Activity Fees.

Group accommodation dates correspond with the program dates listed above.

Costs:

Estimated Direct Cost Total - TBC

*Please note that the "overseas" designation is a way for the Bursar's Office to indicate that this is a Global course. The tuition and registration fees are still charged at the same standard per-credit graduate rate as for other Washington Square-based courses.

View NYU Steinhardt Graduate Study Tuition and Fees set for the current academic year.

Tuition, Housing, and Activity fees will be due based on Bursar's Payment Schedule for the current term.

PLEASE NOTE: Students are responsible for purchasing transportation and airfare to/from the program location. All students participating in the program are required to live in NYU-provided housing.

Students will be notified when to book flights. We recommend comparing tickets on multiple sites to ensure the best fare. Past participants have used the following flight search engines: KayakGoogle Flights, and Student Universe for student rates.

Students are encouraged to budget for study abroad programs based on individual needs. You may use online budgeting tools such as NumbeoExpatistan, and Budget Your Trip to budget for your ideal study abroad experience.

Learn about graduate study abroad scholarships and other funding opportunities.

Flight, Travel, Visa Information:

Flight: Students book their own travel to coincide with program dates.

Passport: Students must travel with a valid government-issued I.D. (e.g., NYS Driver's License) to board their flight and enter local buildings and facilities with identification requirements for entry. Students may opt to travel with their passports as an alternative.

Visa: None required for domestic travel within the United States.

Helpful links: Center for Disease ControlLonely Planet Guide (Los Angeles).

Weather:  In January, Los Angeles is generally spring-like, so a light jacket, a sweater, an umbrella are a necesity. Daily temperatures are mild averaging 68°F (20°C) during the day and 48°F (9°C) at night, and skies, for the most part, tend to be mostly clear or partly sunny. Visit The Weather Channel to learn more about local weather conditions in Los Angeles.

Pre-Departure Resources:

Visit the Steinhardt Study Abroad Resources website and get a head start on preparing for your study abroad program experience.

Policies:

Visit the Office of Global Affairs Short-Term Graduate Courses Policies page.

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