MSc Food Safety, Hygiene and Management University of Birmingham - College of Engineering and Physical Sciences

Our Food Safety, Hygiene and Management Masters provides advanced academic training in food safety and food control. You will consider the relationship between food and public health, and examine the scientific, technical, managerial, political and legislative factors that influence food safety.

Develop your career in a field that has worldwide application. Access to safe food is of universal concern. However, industrial methods of food production and the globalisation of the food chain increase the potential for contamination, resulting in larger and more serious incidents, as well as providing opportunities for emerging pathogens and economically motivated adulteration.

The control of food contaminants requires a multidisciplinary approach and cooperation between government authorities and the food industry. On this course, students have the opportunity to develop an understanding of the relationship between food and public health, and to explore the scientific, technical, managerial, political and legislative factors that influence food safety and security.

The course is particularly suitable for those with relevant food-related knowledge and/or experience including:

• Hygiene managers or supervisors already working in the food industry
• Staff working in competent authorities or enforcement; for example, Environmental Health Officers or Food Safety Officers
• Staff in diagnostic or food microbiology laboratories
• Students who have completed relevant undergraduate degrees such as Food Technology and wish to find employment in the food industry or local government
• Food hygiene and management trainers or consultants

Aristeidis and Ernie talk about the course

Why study Food Safety, Hygiene and Management Masters at Birmingham?

• Learn from a multidisciplinary team of leading specialists having applied knowledge and strong links with the government authorities and the food industry
• Develop transferable skills that can be used for many aspects of food safety and security
• Study in a School with a first-class reputation in learning, teaching and research, based in a vibrant multicultural city
• Study a programme accredited by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health

Accredited degree
This programme is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health.

Course Structure

The MSc in Food Safety Hygiene and Management consists of 180 credits. There is a taught element (120 credits) and a research element (60 credits). The taught element is organised into modules, some of which are compulsory. The taught modules are either of 10 or 20 credits in value.

The Postgraduate Diploma is 120 credits and consists of only the taught elements. Students who successfully complete the requirements for the award of the Postgraduate Diploma may be permitted to transfer their registration to the degree of MSc. Permission depends on the standard of work.

The Postgraduate Certificate is a 60 credit award and consists of only taught elements. Candidates on the Postgraduate Certificate may choose from the compulsory or optional modules. Students who successfully complete the requirements for the award of the Postgraduate Certificate may be permitted to transfer their registration to the Postgraduate Diploma or MSc, depending on the standard of their work.

Compulsory Modules

There are three 20-credit core modules and one 10-credit core module. To complete the MSc or Postgraduate Diploma in Food Safety Hygiene and Management you must successfully complete all four modules. A research module is also part of the core programme.

• Food and Microbes - 20 Credits
• Food Control - 20 credits
• Food Processing and Manufacture - 10 credits
• Food Safety Management Systems - 20 credits
• Research project - 60 Credits

Optional Modules

The remaining credits can be selected from a list of 10-credit modules. Optional modules must have a minimum number of students registered before they will be delivered. Any module with less than five students registering on it will not be run and you will need to select an alternate module. Example optional modules are listed below:

• Applied Food Microbiology
• Chemical Contamination of Food and Water
• Food Chain Security
• Food Fraud
• Food Standards
• Investigating Food-Borne Outbreaks
• Principles of Nutrition
• Water and Health
• Sustainability in the Food Industry

Assessment

• Taught modules are assessed through either a combination of examination and coursework or by coursework alone
• The research project is assessed through a written research report and a viva.

Please note: The modules listed on the website for this programme are regularly reviewed to ensure they are up-to-date and informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Employment prospects for candidates who successfully complete the MSc in Food Safety, Hygiene and Management are wide-ranging.

A significant number of alumni work for government authorities as food safety specialists where they participate in the delivery of official food controls. Some have also chosen to work in food laboratories (private or public) as official food examiners. Other graduates prefer to find employment in the food industry where their grounding in legislation and safety give them an advantage over pure science graduates.

The MSc fulfils the requirements for qualification of food examiners as listed in Schedule 2, part 1 (2) of The Food Safety (Sampling and Qualifications) (England) Regulations 2013. It can also help demonstrate the criteria for the competency of Food Lead officers employed within Local Authorities (as mentioned in Food law Code of Practice 4.3.1).

Graduates who wish to remain in academic life can progress on to a PhD after finishing the course, typically pursuing laboratory-based projects or applied areas of research such as food safety management or food security.