Courses
RFA 1990. Elective. (1-4 Hours)
Offers elective credit for courses taken at other academic institutions. May be repeated without limit.
RFA 2990. Elective. (1-4 Hours)
Offers elective credit for courses taken at other academic institutions. May be repeated without limit.
RFA 3990. Elective. (1-4 Hours)
Offers elective credit for courses taken at other academic institutions. May be repeated without limit.
RFA 4990. Elective. (1-4 Hours)
Offers elective credit for courses taken at other academic institutions. May be repeated without limit.
RFA 6110. From Farm to Family Table: Understanding the Food Regulatory Life Cycle. (3 Hours)
Studies the life cycle (stages such as preharvest, harvest/slaughter, processing, packaging, distribution, and retail) of different categories of food. This “farm-to-table” process requires the alignment and collaboration of diverse industry and regulatory stakeholders—often with very divergent interests. Offers students an opportunity to begin developing specialized knowledge, broad and integrative knowledge, applied and collaborative learning, and civic and global learning as they examine the dominant food distribution channels as well as the economic, scientific, and regulatory compliance considerations of big agribusinesses.
Prerequisite(s): RFA 6100 with a minimum grade of C- ; RFA 6120 with a minimum grade of C-
RFA 6120. Economic and Social Aspects of Food. (3 Hours)
Introduces students to the cause-and-effect relationship of geographic, political, economic, and social/cultural aspects of food. Offers students an overview of the forces that govern changes in policies as well as the demand, supply, cost, and perceived value of food in the United States. Explores societal factors in terms of their cause-and-effect relationship with the evolution of food throughout the 20th century in America. Studies the emerging and dominant trends in food purchasing and consumption and the roles of the government, industry, and consumers/citizens.
RFA 6130. Food Law in the United States. (3 Hours)
Studies key areas of food law, regulation, and policy that empower (and limit) the powers and jurisdictions of federal and state government regulatory agencies in the United States. Offers students an opportunity to practice specialized knowledge, broad and integrative knowledge, civic and global learning, and experiential learning through their study of food safety preventive controls, labeling, inspection/auditing, import/export, recent criminal cases, as well as contemporary food law issues (such as additives and coloring, claims and advertising, nutrition labeling, food defense, food fraud, intentional adulteration, and genetically modified organisms).
Prerequisite(s): RFA 6110 with a minimum grade of C-
RFA 6200. Comparing U.S. Regulatory Systems and Agencies. (3 Hours)
Explores the history, the legal basis of regulatory authority, structures, and limitations within food regulatory environments. Reexamines the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) from a comparative perspective and with a look at other federal and state agencies, as well as nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and the role of advocacy groups.
Prerequisite(s): RFA 6100 with a minimum grade of C- ; RFA 6120 with a minimum grade of C-
RFA 6210. Food Safety and Modernization. (3 Hours)
Examines the central provisions of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), noting where the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has assumed new authority and activities in order to prevent food safety problems before they damage the health of consumers. Students evaluate multiple aspects of FSMA implementation, such as the challenges faced by states, mandatory registration of food production facilities, the requirement that food facilities adopt hazard analysis critical control point (HACCP) plans, third-party auditors, the creation of food product tracing systems, and increased produce inspection.
Prerequisite(s): RFA 6130 with a minimum grade of C- ; RFA 6235 with a minimum grade of C-
RFA 6220. Food Safety and Surveillance: Concepts and Applications. (3 Hours)
Examines concepts and methods for conducting surveillance of food-borne diseases, both in humans and in animals. Topics include methods from epidemiology and public health to address problems that have often been kept within the Food and Drug Administration’s and U.S. Department of Agriculture’s domains; ways to improve coordination among human health organizations and food regulatory professionals; the relationship between municipal, state, and federal agencies governing food-borne disease; and the best means to enlist the food industry as partners in health surveillance.
Prerequisite(s): RFA 6215 with a minimum grade of C- ; RFA 6235 with a minimum grade of C-
RFA 6235. Regulatory Differences and Similarities: An International Investigation. (3 Hours)
Offers a cross-national comparison of regulatory environments. Examines various regulatory touch points along the food production life cycle; the legislative and bureaucratic basis of inspection and enforcement practices in several nations; and various governments’ interventions to protect against contamination, adulteration, or loss. Offers students an opportunity to begin developing specialized knowledge, broad and integrative knowledge, and civic and global learning.
Prerequisite(s): RFA 6200 with a minimum grade of C-
RFA 6300. Capstone: Regulatory Affairs of Food. (3 Hours)
Serves as the capstone course for students in the MS-RFA program at the College of Professional Studies (CPS). Uses practical exercises and discussions designed to offer students an opportunity to demonstrate that they have achieved program goals pertaining to specialized, broad, and integrative knowledge; applied and collaborative learning; civic and global learning; and experiential learning. Incorporates group and individual assignments that require students to extend and reflect upon their completed research of food industry, food regulatory policy, and food law on national and international levels. Emphasizes the comprehension of current global regulatory issues. Uses case-based methodologies to enable real-world application of topics and regulatory issues discussed throughout the RFA program. This course is taken in a student’s final term.
Prerequisite(s): RFA 6130 with a minimum grade of C- ; RFA 6215 with a minimum grade of C-
RFA 6350. Political, Social, and Economic Influences on Food Law, Regulation, and Policy. (3 Hours)
Analyzes the food legal landscape, specifically the political, social, and economic influences that shape food regulations, laws, and policies. Offers students an opportunity to apply current case law to contemporary situations with topics that intersect with various themes present throughout core and elective courses.
Prerequisite(s): RFA 6235 (may be taken concurrently) with a minimum grade of C-
RFA 6410. Landmark Changes in International Food Policy. (3 Hours)
Analyzes key U.S. food policies with international implications, as well as partnerships, agreements, organizations (such as the U.N., WTO, and WHO), and other international food policies that impact the regulation and inspection of exported foods. Examples include NAFTA, TPP, FSMA, C.O.O.L., and EFSA.
Prerequisite(s): RFA 6235 with a minimum grade of C-
RFA 6412. FDA Model Food Code: Implications for Industry. (3 Hours)
Examines the industry implications of the FDA model Food Code, used for safeguarding public health and ensuring food is unadulterated and honestly presented when offered to the consumer. It represents FDA's best advice for a uniform system of provisions that address the safety and protection of food offered at retail and in food service. This model is offered for adoption by local, state, and federal government jurisdictions for administration by the various departments, agencies, bureaus, divisions, and other units within each jurisdiction that have been delegated compliance responsibilities for food service, retail food stores, or food vending operations.
Prerequisite(s): RFA 6100 with a minimum grade of C ; RFA 6120 with a minimum grade of C
RFA 6962. Elective. (1-4 Hours)
RFA 7995. Project. (1-4 Hours)
Focuses on an in-depth project in which a student conducts research or produces a product related to the student’s major field. May be repeated up to five times for up to 24 total credits.