Food Science MSc

The food industry is one of the largest in the world — with leading global corporations seeking qualified scientists who have the acumen to advance their products. Whether it’s enhancing the quality and safety of food products that interest you, or you’re keen to develop brand new products from concept to launch, the extensive skill set you’ll build on our Food Science MSc will open the door to many diverse career opportunities in this ever-evolving field.

From challenging current issues in food production to applying scientific concepts to grasp the complex characteristics of food, this programme will broaden your understanding of crucial areas in the food industry.

Our School of Food Science and Nutrition is home to world-leading research which has impacted key areas in food and directly informs the course, meaning you’ll be learning about emerging innovations and issues in food science.

This means that, once you graduate, you’ll be fully equipped with the topical knowledge and advanced skills sought after by global companies in the industry.

Studying an MSc in the School of Food Science and Nutrition at Leeds will also give you access to specialist facilities that’ll prepare you for working in the field and a programme team consisting of academics and researchers who work within the School’s research institutes and groups.

Accreditation

This degree is accredited by the Institute of Food Science and Technology.

This accreditation signifies that Leeds offers the best possible food-related education, giving students the opportunity to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to enter into employment in the food industry, research, education and the public sector.

Learning and teaching

Teaching is through a combination of lectures, practical classes, tutorials, seminars and supervised research projects. Extensive use is made of IT and a wide range of materials are available to enable you to study at your own pace and in your own time, to enhance and extend the material taught formally.

Specialist facilities

You’ll have access to excellent teaching and laboratory facilities, supplemented by extensive computing equipment. Our specialist facilities include the latest equipment for investigating the colloidal nature of foods, small and wide-angle X-ray scattering equipment (SAXs & WAXS), cutting-edge electron microscopy facilities, texture analysers, tribometers as well as HPLC and GC analytical equipment.

Our Virtual Learning Environment will help to support your studies: it’s a central place where you can find all the information and resources for the School, your programme and modules.

You can also benefit from support to develop your academic skills, within the curriculum and through online resources, workshops, one-to-one appointments and drop-in sessions.

Programme team

Yunus Khatri is Programme Leader for Food Science. His current interests cover proteins, starch and modified starches.

The wider programme team is made up of academics and researchers from across the School of Food Science and Nutrition who work within the School’s research institutes and groups.

In this course, you’ll be taught by our expert academics, from lecturers to professors. You may also be taught by industry professionals with years of experience, as well as trained postgraduate researchers, connecting you to some of the brightest minds on campus.

Why study at Leeds:

• Graduate with an IFST-accredited MSc in Food Science from a university that ranks in the top ten in the UK for Nutrition and Food Science, Guardian University Guide 2023, and in the top 50 in the world for Food Science and Technology, ShanghaiRanking’s Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2022.
• Learn the latest food science innovations in areas such as digestion and delivery, food safety, functional biopolymers and novel food design, which link directly to our impactful, 'real world' research conducted right here in our School.
• Advance your knowledge and skills in critical areas sought after in the industry, including food processing, microbiological and chemical food safety and the physical aspects of food.
• Conduct your own individual research project as part of your course and gain industry experience in the collation, analysis and presentation of scientific data.
• Experience excellent practical and theoretical teaching delivered by internationally renowned expert academics working at the forefront of their fields with strong industrial links.
• Access specialist facilities, including industry-grade equipment for investigating the colloidal nature of foods, small and wide-angle X-ray scattering equipment (SAXs & WAXS), electron microscopy facilities, texture analysers, tribometers and HPLC and GC analytical equipment.
• Enhance your career prospects and join our successful alumni who have pursued careers in some of the most revered companies in the industry worldwide including Nestlé, Britvic Soft Drinks and ASDA.
• Master the most up-to-date practices and techniques recognised in the industry on a course that has been directly informed and advised by the Industrial Advisory Board.
• Make the most of your time at Leeds by joining our Food Science society, where you can widen your interest in food studies and get to know people on your course outside of lectures through trips and socials such as a Summer BBQ.

Our Food Science MSc will provide you with a broad knowledge of food science, focusing on chemistry and biochemistry, whilst giving you the necessary background understanding of physics, mathematics, and biology to excel in this field.

Throughout the course, you will analyse and critically appraise complex factors, including sociological and ethical issues that influence the range, quality and acceptability of foods produced in an industrialised society.

You’ll learn everything from underlying principles in industrial food processing to food quality control and understanding the nature of food as a medium for chemical reactions.

In the final months of your course, you’ll have the chance to put theory into practice with an independent research project. This will be your opportunity to build on the skills and knowledge you’ve learnt throughout the course and investigate an exciting real-world problem, mirroring the type of work you’ll be conducting in your professional career.

Course structure

The list shown below represents typical modules/components studied and may change from time to time.

Year 1

Compulsory modules

• Physical Aspects of Food 10 credits
• Microbiological and Chemical Food Safety 20 credits
• Food Processing 20 credits
• Colloid and Dairy Science 10 credits
• Nutrient & Food Biochemical Structure and Function 20 credits
• Food Analysis 10 credits
• Research Project: Masters Students 80 credits
• Food Quality Assurance and Control 10 credits

The food sector offers a wide range of careers for food scientists to keep the industry functioning, progressing and profiting in accordance with the latest governmental demands and trends.

From enhancing food quality and improving food safety to researching and developing new, sustainable products — the career opportunities open to you with an MSc in food science are hugely varied and wide-ranging.

Here at Leeds, we rank in the top ten in the UK for Nutrition and Food Science and our Food Science MSc has been accredited by the Institute of Food Science and Technology, meaning many of our alumni have been sought after by large corporations worldwide and have gone on to hold key positions in the food industry and government agencies.

Plus, the University of Leeds is in the top five most targeted universities in the UK by graduate recruiters, according to High Fliers’ The Graduate Market in 2022 report.

Our graduates from this course have secured positions at companies such as:

• Quality Standards Technologist, Britvic Soft Drinks
• Food Quality Inspector, Newsholme Food Group
• Senior Food Technologist, Amy's Kitchen
• Scientist - Beverage and Sweet, Kerry Asia Pacific
• Quality Assurance Manager, Indian Foodtech Ltd.
• Development Technologist, Premier Foods
• Food Scientist, Newly Weds Food
• Product Developer, CP Foods UK
• Product Designer, ASDA
• Product Technologist, Nestlé