Food systems thinking is woven into the curriculum at Haas.
Our signature courses give students the frameworks, tools, and hands-on experience to understand food systems deeply and lead within them.
Our case studies showcase real food systems innovations led by the UC Berkeley Haas community
Fall Classes
Food Systems Innovation Studio
MBA 292K · Sandeep Pahuja & Will Rosenzweig
Graduate student teams identify, define and solve unmet needs in the food system, practicing the entrepreneurial process with rapid interaction, testing, and pitching. The course also attracts leading food industry leaders and entrepreneurs as guest speakers and mentors as students may work with existing organizations or develop their own ideas.
Systems Change for a Small Planet
MBA 292.1 · Liz Schasel & Will Rosenzweig
This course invites graduate students to investigate the underlying systems and worldviews that shape today’s crises. Through simulations, speculative storytelling, and collaborative design, students generate high leverage change strategies through critical thinking, communication, and collaboration capacities.
Plant Futures Challenge Lab
MBA 292T.4 / UGBA 192T.4 / PBHLTH 209B · Brittany Sartor & Miyoko Schinner
Open to all majors, the Plant Futures Challenge Lab brings together undergraduate and graduate students to tackle real-world challenges with leading plant-based and sustainable food companies. Working on interdisciplinary teams, you’ll apply systems thinking, design, and entrepreneurial problem-solving to develop actionable solutions while gaining hands-on experience, mentorship, and professional connections with mission-driven organizations.
Spring Classes
Edible Education
UGBA 192 / MBA 292 · Bryant Terry & Will Rosenzweig
Open to the entire campus (undergraduate and graduate students) and general public, Edible Education invites notable changemakers from all sectors of the food system to share their visions and experiences that further our understanding of food’s critical role in our culture, well-being, and survival. The course focuses on systems thinking, ethical leadership and entrepreneurial agency.
Innovating Food Supply Chains: Using Sustainability as a Competitive Edge
UGBA 192 / MBA 292 · Helene York
This course provides a strategic overview of how food supply chains function and identifies how buyers—specifically retailers, restaurant and food service operators, and food manufacturers—can act as catalysts for systemic change.
Introduction to Plant-Centric Food Systems
UGBA 192PF (UC wide) · Brittany Sartor & Miyoko Schinner
Available to students across all UC campuses, this course explores the challenges, emerging solutions, and opportunities shaping our food system. You’ll engage with experts across Climate, Health, Animal Welfare, Social Impact, Innovation, Policy, Behavioral Change, Media, and Plant-Based Cooking; share your unique perspective; and apply your ideas through innovative projects advancing sustainable food systems.
