MSc Sustainable Food Processing

The MSc Sustainable Food Processing will provide students with excellent knowledge of the principles underlying the sustainable processing of foods and enable graduates to apply the technical knowledge acquired to the production of high quality, safe and nutritious foods, while maximising sustainability and minimising the environmental impact of food production and processing.

Delivered by leading international experts from the UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science and the UCD Institute of Food and Health, graduates will be skilled in proposing and developing solutions to sustainability problems as they relate to post-farm-gate food processing from the point of production to the point of sale and communicating these to stakeholders professionally.

In a time where we need to find new ways of processing food at unprecedented volumes whilst minimising their environmental impact, graduates of this programme will acquire a critical awareness of principles relating to scientific integrity and ethical issues in Sustainable Food Processing using a range of approaches.

• Applicants must hold a minimum of a second class honours degree in a related science discipline.
• Applicants with other awards who hold substantial relevant work experience will be considered.
• Applicants who do not hold the requisite Science qualification (but who hold a Level 8 Honors degree or equivalent) have been admitted previously and are advised to submit an application for assessment by the Programme Director to determine eligibility.
• Applicants whose first language is not English must also demonstrate English language proficiency of IELTS 6.5 (no band less than 6.0 in each element), or equivalent.

Modules for students enrolling in this programme include:

• One Health
• Food chain integrity
• Nutrients for a balanced and healthy diet
• Plant foods
• Balancing environmental limits in food systems against dietary requirements
• Advanced food safety toxicology
• Life cycle assessment
• Food microbiology
• Precision food safety in the genomics area
• Fundamentals of food chemistry
• Milk and dairy products

This programme is delivered and assessed entirely online. The minimum registration to the MSc is one year, however students have four years in which to complete the programme thereby affording flexibility. The online format of the programme enables students enrolled to combine studying while in employment.

Graduates of this MSc will be positioned for leadership roles in this critically important sector for the Irish and Global economy.

Opportunities for employment include: Sustainability Manager, Environmental Officer, Food Processing Manager, Food Production Manager, Food Safety, New Product Development, Food Regulation Manager as well as emerging opportunities around Sustainable Food Systems.