Certificate Program Description

* WINNER *

OF THE

* EXCELLENCE AWARD *

IN COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY

DISTANCE EDUCATION

FROM THE AMERICAN DISTANCE

EDUCATION CONSORTIUM (ADEC)

Welcome to the International Food Law Internet Certificate Program sponsored by the Institute for Food Laws & Regulations and the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at Michigan State University. This is an Internet distance education program that consists of a series of region-specific food law courses taught completely over the Internet by an international network of food science academic and legal professionals who understand the legal complexities of the food laws and how they impact the flow of food and agricultural products across national boundaries.

Each course runs 12 - 15 weeks* [*except for condensed semesters during summer semester], depending upon the course, and details the food laws and food regulation practices of a specific subject area, country or region of the world. The overview course, International Food Laws and Regulations, is divided into sections or "Modules" each of which provides an overview of the food laws and regulations of selected regions including the United States, European Union, Japan, India and Latin America, along with topic-related modules including International Food Regulation and International Agencies; The Critical Analysis and Comparative Law Process; Food Safety Study: Comparative Study;the Regulation of GM Food in the EU and Food Law and Risk Management. Successive courses provide a full 12 -15 weeks* detailed examination of the food laws and regulatory practices of a specific country or region such as the United States, European Union, Latin America, Canada, and Asia presented in an issue oriented format such as the regulation of food additives, genetic modifications, import-export regulations, etc.

Two of the courses cover the international sister organizations of Codex Alimentarius and the OIE (World Organisation for Animal Health). These organizations are responsible for international standards in the areas of food safety, animal health and protection, under the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement) of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

The current course list includes:

To obtain a sample listing of the module titles for the courses, CLICK HERE.

Courses may be taken individually for those who need information about a specific subject area or as part of our Certificate Program for those seeking continuing education credits such as attorneys or dieticians. Any four (4) courses may be taken in any sequence to satisfy the requirements for a Certificate from Michigan State University indicating your successful completion of our International Food Law Distance Education Certificate Program.

For those who may be unfamiliar with Internet courses, these courses are taught using a variety of web-based distance education tools. We have the technical support and expertise of the MSU Virtual University to help us with any computer related problems. Additionally, the courses utilize automated scoring of online tests and online student course evaluation surveys (SIRS) will be used to evaluate the course and the instructors. Some of the other Internet-based resources used in these courses include hyperlinks to important sources of information such as web sites with online journals and listserv web sites with automated email updates.

Additionally, we have the capability and resources to design and construct food law or food safety related courses to satisfy a particular need for information concerning a specific region or international food law or food safety issues. Our program is constantly expanding and will soon be able to offer a greater selection of region specific courses and other food law related educational resources.

We are currently accepting applications for enrollment for summer semester, which will begin May 13, 2013. Fall semester courses will begin August 28, 2013, spring semester 2014, which will begin January 6, 2014. See the Course Schedule for semester offerings.

Also see our list of FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS about our courses and certificate program:

The brochure for the Certificate Program is available here (PDF):

If you have further questions about the tuition rate or enrollment process see "How to Enroll" or for more information please do not hesitate to contact us.

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INSTITUTE FOR FOOD LAWS & REGULATIONS
Mary Anne Verleger, Course Manager
469 Wilson Road, Room, Suite 139
Trout Food Science Building
Michigan State University
Telephone: 517/355-8295
Fax: 517/432-1492
Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Statement of Support:
The generous support of
GERBER PRODUCTS COMPANY
Fremont, Michigan, and
MEAD JOHNSON NUTRITIONALS
is acknowledged with appreciation

Some materials are based upon work supported by the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under Agreement Number #00-34416-8847 administered by Cornell University and the American Distance Education Consortium (ADEC). Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in these publications are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Sponsored by:

Institute for Food Laws & Regulations

Online Master of Science in Food Safety

Department of Food Science & Human Nutrition

College of Agriculture & Natural Resources

Michigan State University