Co-operative Organisation, Food Marketing and Rural Development

Course details

The Postgraduate Diploma in Co-operative Organisation, Food Marketing and Rural Development aims to equip you with the marketing, organisational and management skills you will need to make innovative contributions to the development of local economies, with particular emphasis on co-operatives, social enterprises and food businesses in Ireland and overseas.

It is aimed at graduates from a wide range of disciplines who are interested in careers in co-operative organisations, food marketing or rural development. The Postgraduate Diploma is a full-time course that extends over 9 months. It leads to a one year MSc (masters by research) in Co-operative Organisation, Food Marketing and Rural Development in a second year.

Course Details

The Postgraduate Diploma in Co-operative Organisation, Food Marketing and Rural Development is delivered over 9 months.

Core Modules

Students take 50 credits as follows:

• FE6109 Co-operative Organisation: Theory and Concepts (10 credits)
• FE6111 Co-operative Organisation: Theoretical Application and Practice (5 credits)
• FE6112 Rural Development: Theory and Practice (10 credits)
• FE6113 Rural Development: Application and Practice (5 credits)
• FE6115 Food Marketing and the Consumer (5 credits)
• FE6116 Marketing Strategies for Local Development (5 credits)
• FE6104*Practical Training Placement (10 credits) - Students will be placed for a minimum of eight weeks during the Summer in a relevant work environment.

*As part of FE6104 Practical Training Placement, a report must be submitted for the Autumn Examination on a date specified at the beginning of the academic year. Programme leadership will be provided by the Department/Associate School of Food Business and Development in association with the Centre for Co-operative Studies.

Elective Modules

Students take 10 credits from the following:

• FE6114 Introduction to Food Marketing (5 credits) (for students who have not previously studied Marketing) OR
• FE4205 Consumer Behaviour in Food Markets (5 credits) (for students who have previously studied marketing)
• FE4002 Global Food Policy (5 credits) OR
• FE4008 Food Security and the Developing World (5 credits) OR

any other 5-credit module which may be made available by the School of Food Science, depending on the prior qualifications and interests of each student and subject to the approval of the Programme Leader.

Further details on the content and modules are available on the Postgraduate College Calendar

Detailed Entry Requirements

The course is open to graduates from a wide range of disciplines, including: sociology, geography, food business, food science, food nutrition, economics, psychology, languages, law, commerce and agricultural science. Applications are also welcome from mature graduates currently employed in co-operatives or other development organisations who can arrange a one year leave of absence to attend the Postgraduate Diploma Course.

Course Practicalities

The Postgraduate Diploma uses a unique combination of teaching and learning methods and emphasises practical skills and learning as well as developing a solid grounding in theoretical and applied concepts. This includes lectures, ‘capstone’ seminars (involving interactive staff and student discussion and debate), field visits, case study analysis, project-based fieldwork (one week is spent conducting research in a designated location on a designated topic), analysis of new food products in class, guest lectures, group work and web-based resources.

Assessment

Assessment takes the form of continuous assessment – e.g. essays, case studies, group work, project work, presentations, reflective journal – and end-of-year written examinations.