Food and Beverage Business Development Minor

Saint Joseph’s University’s 9-credit Food and Beverage Business Development Minor provides students with a competitive edge in one of the fastest-evolving sectors of the economy. Whether pursuing careers in sales, brand management or innovation, students — both within and outside the Food Marketing major — frequently step into roles that require deep industry insight and strategic thinking.

For food marketing majors, this minor complements their major with minimal overlap, requiring just two additional electives that broaden their skill set. For non-majors, it offers a structured introduction to a high-growth industry and a chance to build a specialized skill set that opens doors to careers in CPG, retail, sales, innovation and more. It also complements entrepreneurship majors and sales certificate.

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What is the Food and Beverage Business Development Minor?

The food and beverage business development minor provides students a unique opportunity to showcase their readiness for business development roles in the food and beverage space. In this space, strategy, innovation and execution all intersect. This program signals to employers that graduates are ready to tackle challenges from ideation to execution, whether developing new products or leading go-to-market strategies. By selecting a focused sequence of courses available through the department, the program creates a value-added credential. 

This minor offers a curated path through courses that focus on growing food and beverage businesses. Students gain hands-on understanding on bringing new products to market, navigating the global food industry's structure and trends, and building effective sales strategies. The program emphasizes internal business growth (through innovation and product development) and external growth (through sales and channel strategy), giving students a 360-degree perspective that employers highly value.

How will Saint Joseph's University Prepare Me for My Future Career?

Saint Joseph’s University provides students with a wide range of opportunities to develop their skills, understanding and hands-on experience throughout the program. 

As a student pursuing a food industry minor, you can expect to gain: 

  • Access to scholarships, co-ops and internships through the Academy of Food Marketing.
  • Attend trade shows and international food tours
  • Access to one of the largest repositories of food industry information in the world, including exclusive access to the Campbell’s Collaboration Center, a first-class learning environment for classes and meetings, industry lectures and other food industry events.
  • Gain first-hand experience from faculty experts
  • Network with industry professionals at the annual Food Industry Summit

Many students decide to double major or add minors to their studies. Some common additional areas of study that this minor complements include art, communication studies, English, and health sciences.These majors can provide a pathway into the food marketing industry through nutrition, graphic design, journalism, and communications (public relations, advertising, marketing, etc.)

Learn from, and connect, with Saint Joseph's alumni who have made a name for themselves in the food industry, opening a wide range of businesses from pizza and wineries to coffee shops and bakeries. 

View Saint Joseph's TasteMakers

Why Study Food and Beverage Business Development in Philadelphia?

Saint Joseph’s University offers Philadelphia’s only food marketing program. The Philadelphia area is home to many leading food industry corporations and organizations, offering Saint Joseph’s graduates an opportunity to create connections and find new job opportunities in the food industry.

Curriculum & Coursework

View the required courses for this program in the academic catalog. 

Admission Information

To apply to Saint Joseph’s University, complete an application online. SAT and/or ACT scores are optional but you can submit them if you think they’ll strengthen your application.

Learn more about admission requirements and how to apply as a first-year student, transfer student or international student.

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