MSc Food Science
Reading, United Kingdom
DURATION
1 up to 2 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
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EARLIEST START DATE
Jan 2025
TUITION FEES
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STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* new international students: £30,950 | new UK/Republic of Ireland students: £12,800
Introduction
Delve into the world of food with our MSc Food Science course.
The safety, quality and nutritional properties of the food that reaches consumers depend upon food scientists.
Building on your scientific undergraduate studies, this course will allow you to gain an in-depth knowledge of the science of food. Taught by academics from the Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, topics include:
- food chemistry
- food quality and safety
- manufacturing and process.
Our Department is a world authority on food and human nutrition. We have leading experts in all of the component disciplines that contribute to food and nutritional science – a claim that no other UK department can make.
You will become accustomed to working in extensive, industry-standard laboratories. Our food-teaching facilities include:
- Food Processing Centre. This pilot plant is unique to Reading. There is almost 1100m2 of floor space devoted to approximately £4m worth of equipment. Used primarily for teaching and learning, the plant contains processing equipment for food product development work. No other UK university offers what we do under one roof.
- Flavour Centre. The Centre hosts facilities that enable you to gain comprehensive practical experience in taste and aroma analysis, and flavour extraction.
- Sensory Science Centre. Our in-house sensory facility gives you the opportunity to evaluate your own food products developed on the course. It is also available for commercial sensory profiling and market research activities.
We are proud of our research: the University of Reading is ranked 8th in the UK for research power in Agriculture, Food and Veterinary Sciences (Times Higher Education, Institutions Ranked by Subject, based on its analysis of the latest Research Excellence Framework 2021) and 95% of our research is of international standing (REF 2021, combining 4*, 3* and 2* submissions – Agriculture, Food and Veterinary Sciences).
As an MSc Food Science student, you will also have access to – and are encouraged to get involved in – the most up-to-date knowledge in the field of food science and nutrition.
Gain valuable industry experience with an MSc Food Science.
Our MSc Food Science is industry-relevant, and the curriculum has been designed in consultation with the industry. Designed to widen your skill set and boost employability, you will be encouraged to complete a research project with one of our industry partners. This is an opportunity to embed your learning in practice and undertake research in an area you are interested in, such as new product development or formulation.
Plus, our well-equipped building offers training opportunities for further research on graduation.
Build on your existing knowledge.
This master’s course is for graduates of pure sciences – such as chemistry, biology, biochemistry and microbiology – or applied sciences. Examples of applied sciences degrees include:
- Food Science
- Food engineering
- Food technology
- Human physiology
- Biomedical sciences
- Agricultural engineering
Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
You may be eligible for a scholarship or bursary to help pay for your study. Students from the UK may also be eligible for a student loan to help cover these costs.
We have a number of scholarships available for our master's students.
Curriculum
Compulsory modules
- Microbes, Food Safety and Health: Learn the fundamentals of microbiology with a focus on aspects linked to the role of microorganisms in food and health. You’ll be able to design and perform experiments in food microbiology, apply the principles of microbial control to food safety, critically evaluate scientific data on the gut microbiome, and elaborate on its impact to health and disease.
- Food Chemistry: Structure, Flavour and Colour: Understand the role and impact of the chemical properties of food components on food structure and function. You’ll learn about the food product quality originating from the conversion and processing of important global food commodities, and the practical application of food analysis methods.
- Sustainable Food Manufacturing and Process Design: Gain a systematic understanding of food manufacturing processes. You’ll learn the basic concepts of food processing and the application of individual unit operations in the context of food commodities. You’ll also gain pilot plant experience and will be able to integrate the concepts you have learned into designing sustainable and efficient food processes.
- Applied Sensory and Flavour Science: Gain a comprehensive understanding of sensory science, its application to the assessment of food, and the underlying physiology and psychology behind perception. You’ll work in a team to research, organise and implement strategies to solve a customer complaint and to prepare a report.
- Food Product Reformulation: Develop your expertise in designing, developing and evaluating reformulated food products. You’ll learn about the key pillars in food product reformulation including nutrition, public health, food science, manufacturing, food quality, legislation, consumer perception and business perspective.
- Applied Food Quality and Safety: Gain a multidimensional understanding of the problem-solving involved in the industrial development and production of food. You’ll apply scientific concepts to an industry scenario, and solve both quality and safety issues in a food product and identify critical control points in the production.
- Research Skills and Project: Work as an independent research scientist to design a research project, undertake the research and write up the analysis in the format of a research paper. You’ll develop research skills and l gain the opportunity to enhance your self-awareness and effectiveness at facilitating decision making processes to boost your career development.
These are the modules that we currently offer for 2024/25 entry. They may be subject to change as we regularly review our module offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.
Please note that the University cannot guarantee that all optional modules will be available to all students who may wish to take them.
You can also register your details with us to receive information about your course of interest and study and life at the University of Reading.
Career Opportunities
With expertise in a field which affects food producers, governments and consumers, highly qualified food specialists are in demand. The food and drink industry is the UK’s largest manufacturing sector. It’s responsible for adding £21.9bn to the gross value of the UK economy – and it needs new graduates to meet its recruitment needs.
Your market-relevant knowledge will be applicable to a range of organisations. These include: multinational food manufacturers, ingredient suppliers, major retail chains, government bodies and companies supplying niche markets.
Recent graduates have secured roles such as:
- Process Technologist with Pepsico International
- Quality Executive with Agro Tech Foods
- New Product Developer with Bakkavor
- Food Technologist with Tesco
- Research and Development Technologist with Kerry Ingredients and Flavours
Alternatively, you could progress to PhD-level study.
Overall, 91% of graduates from Food and Nutritional Sciences are in work or further study within 15 months of graduation; of those in full-time employment, 93% are in graduate-level roles. (Based on our analysis of HESA data © HESA 2024, Graduate Outcomes Survey 2021/22; includes all Food and Nutritional Sciences responders)
Program Admission Requirements
Show your commitment and readiness for Grad school by taking the GRE - the most broadly accepted exam for graduate programs internationally.