Food Marketing

About the Food Marketing Program

Earn the experience that employers value through the WMU food marketing program. With real-world projects, internships, an active student organization, the food industry tour and more, the program gets you ready for your future in food. Boasting high rates of employment and job satisfaction, food marketing graduates advance rapidly and stay in the field for decades, rising to top positions.

Food Marketing Program
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo MI 49008-5430 USA
(269) 387-6130 

Your bright future, powered by our mission

The food marketing program designs its courses with industry feedback, so you graduate with the top skills employers are looking for in new hires. Leading food and consumer packaged goods companies advise program leaders on current industry practices and meet regularly with WMU food marketing students in a variety of networking settings.

The food marketing program emphasizes teaching the industry, experiential learning, leadership, and networking inside and outside the classroom. Our students graduate with the confidence and knowledge they have been taught by industry experts, and are ready to make a mark in the vibrant and global food industry.
—Dr. Russell Zwanka, director, food marketing program
Two students during an internship at Dom's Kitchen

Enter the working world with a remarkable resume

When you graduate with a degree from the food marketing program, you will be in a great position to make your mark in the exciting world of food. With the knowledge you've gained, a resume full of real-world skills and internship experiences, you will catch the eye of employers. Surveys of our graduates show that 100% of food marketing graduates are employed full time shortly after graduating. 

Take a look at some of the companies you'll have the opportunity to work with:

E. & J. Gallo Winery logo
Hormel Foods logo
Image
Meijer logo in red and blue.
PepsiCo logo
SpartanNash logo in shades of green and yellow.

Our history, your legacy

You’re the future of Western. That's why we take great pride in providing you a world-class education in food marketing. Western Michigan University is the premier university in the United States offering a four-year accredited business degree specializing in food marketing. 

When you choose the food marketing degree at Western, you are choosing to be a part of something special. From our active student organization to our national Food Marketing Conference held each spring, we give you plenty of opportunities to learn, grow and become a leader in the food marketing industry.

Less than 6% of business schools worldwide have obtained AACSB accreditation—and WMU Haworth is one of them, making it an excellent choice for students seeking quality education that is a good investment of their tuition dollars. WMU Haworth has maintained its AACSB accreditation since 1970 for undergraduate programs and 1981 for its graduate programs.

The WMU Food Marketing Advisory Board is comprises members from more than 85 leading food and consumer packaged goods companies representing over $1 trillion in retail sales. These industry partners work with faculty on curriculum development and support that enhances the program's reputation as one of the most respected within the academic and business communities.

The Food Marketing Conference is held annually in Kalamazoo and brings together industry leaders from across the country. This two-day conference offers over 30 speakers, with breakout sessions and keynote presentations covering timely topics for everyone in the industry. Learn more

The Food Marketing Outstanding Alumni Award recognizes alumni who have contributed significantly to their profession and exemplified the mission and values of the Haworth College of Business and Western Michigan University.

In 1996, Western Michigan University's Haworth College of Business established the Adrian Trimpe Distinguished Service Award in the memory of Adrian Trimpe, the food marketing program's founding chairperson. This award is given to individuals who have dedicated extraordinary time and effort to the improvement and enrichment of the program and its students.

  • Chris Bethel, Senior Director of Sales, North Central Region, Advantage Solutions (2024)
  • Bob Samples, Executive-In-Residence and Faculty Specialist I, Food and Consumer Package Goods Marketing Program, WMU (2023)
  • Dr. Frank M. Gambino, Director Emeritus, Food and Consumer Package Goods Marketing Program, WMU (2022)
  • Dr. Mushtaq Luqmani, Professor Emeritus, Marketing, WMU (2021)
  • John S. Phillips, Senior Vice President, Supply Chain and Global Go-To-Market, PepsiCo (2021)
A group of students dressed in business professional clothing pose for a photo at the Food Marketing Conference.