Master in Plant and Machinery Engineering of the Food Industry University of Parma

• Type: Master's Degree Course
• Duration: 2 years
• Class: LM-33 - Class of master's degrees in mechanical engineering
• Credits: 120
• Free access

The Master of Science in Plant Engineering and Food Industry Machines is intended as specific objectives:

• the creation of a figure with a solid preparation in the sectors that characterize the design of machines for the food industry, the design and management of plants for the food industry and the management of food production processes;
• the complementary emphasis placed on the deepening of packaging and its sustainability, simulation models to support the design and management of food industry plants and related activities related to the food sector.

The educational path of the Master's Degree consists of a first year aimed at the subjects of the scientific disciplinary sectors of the food industry, such as: Food Hygiene, Agricultural Microbiology, Food Science and Technology. This in order to deepen the basic knowledge of the food industry not typical of the three-year graduate in Engineering, in order to deal appropriately with the disciplines of the more specialized and applicative content of the following year.

The first year is completed by courses featuring food industry plants, general facilities and food industry services as well as a course on heat and mass exchange.

The second year provides a single curriculum, with subjects related to the characterizing and related sectors, with courses aimed at the design, automation and management of production, with the aim of investigating specific issues and offering the graduate an adequate preparation for the performance of his future work or to deepen his training in the PhD and Master Courses.

The course is completed with the activities chosen and the other activities with the possibility of operating in the laboratories for practical experiences and carrying out an internship at companies in the sector. There will also be a test of English language proficiency, in order to guarantee adequate knowledge to students before entering the world of work.

Ample space is left to the work of preparing the master's thesis, where the student is required to make a considerable effort to prepare a paper with high-level technical and scientific contents.

Because in Parma

The establishment of this master's course in mechanical engineering is designed to best assimilate the peculiarities of a sector, such as the food industry, which combines highly interdisciplinary aspects, difficult to be assimilated by specific directions within mechanical engineering.

The technological developments of the food industry oblige the engineering and plant engineering companies of the sector to create specific refresher courses, or propose the training of Masters to fill the gaps in technology, microbiology and food chemistry. The course aims to provide you with a global understanding of aspects of the food industry that have never been addressed, which will allow you to enter directly into the productive fabric of the food industry. Within the first year of the degree you have the possibility of finding a job at 100% (rate of final employment Istat - Labor Forces - AlmaLaurea).

This figure is even better than the national average for mechanical engineering (national average 73.7%)

What awaits you after graduation

As a graduate, mechanical engineer of plants and machines in the food industry, you will find employment in mechanical and electromechanical industries, companies and institutions for energy production and conversion, plant engineering companies, automation and robotics industries, companies manufacturing in general for the production, installation and testing, maintenance and management of machines, production lines and departments and complex systems.

The main functions that you will be able to carry out will be that of food production management, design of machines and plants of the food industry, planning and programming of food production, management of complex systems, project management with reference to the management of food plant orders, assistance to sale of complex food plants and design and verification of food packaging

The training course of the master's degree consists of a first year aimed at subjects in the scientific disciplinary sectors of the food industry such as: Food hygiene, Agricultural microbiology, Food science and technology. This is in order to deepen the basic knowledge of the food industry not typical of the three-year graduate in Engineering, to appropriately address the disciplines of more specialized and applicative content of the following year. The first year is completed by courses featuring food industry plants, general services of plants and machines in the food industry as well as a course on heat and mass exchange.

The second year includes a single curricula, with subjects relating to the characterizing and related sectors, with courses aimed at design, automation and production management, with the aim of deepening specific topics and offering graduates adequate preparation for carrying out their future job or to deepen his training in the PhD, Research, and Master's courses.

The Path is completed with the activities of your choice and other activities with the possibility of working in the laboratories for practical experiences and carrying out an internship in companies in the sector. There is also a test of English language skills, in order to guarantee students adequate knowledge before entering the world of work.

Graduates must know how to communicate effectively as the manager of a project or group operating in the food sector and at different levels, with the ability to relate and confront each other in large national and international contexts.

The acquisition of these communication skills is developed during the course of study through the presentation of the results obtained in the various papers proposed, in the laboratory activities, in the presentation of the activity carried out in the internship; the verification of the acquisition of communication skills is carried out both during the exams and in the downstream suitability tests of the most applicative activities carried out in the laboratories.

The evaluation of the thesis work of the master's degree is the moment in which the student feels particularly involved in expressing his or her communication skills, and where the Commission of the master's degree exams has the opportunity to verify whether this objective has been achieved.

Ample space is left to the work of preparing the master's thesis, where the student is required to make a considerable effort to prepare a paper with high-level technical and scientific contents.

Joint Degree Opportunity (Double Degree)

The Master's Degree in Engineering for the food industry offers its students the opportunity to obtain a double degree by completing part of their studies at the prestigious New Jersey Institute of Technology.

Opportunities for graduates

Graduates in Engineering for the food industry will be able to find employment in mechanical and electromechanical industries, companies and bodies for the production and conversion of energy, plant engineering companies, industries for automation and robotics, manufacturing companies in general for production. , installation and testing, maintenance and management of machines, production lines and departments, complex systems.