Master of Science in Food Safety and Technology
Curriculum
Candidates are required to take a total of 32 credit hours, 18 of which must be selected from the core food safety and technology courses listed below, six to eight credit hours must be in research and thesis work and six to eight credit hours from electives. Courses are offered at the Mies Campus or via internet with the exception of FDSN 506.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Course | (17) | |
| FDSN 505 | Food Microbiology | 3 |
| FDSN 506 | Food Microbiology Laboratory | 3 |
| FDSN 507 | Food Analysis | 3 |
| FDSN 524 | Fundamentals of Food Science | 3 |
| FDSN 531 | HACCP Planning and Implementation | 3 |
| FDSN 593 | Seminars in Food Science and Nutrition (This course must be taken twice for one credit each time.) | 2 |
| Thesis Research | (6-8) | |
| FDSN 591 | Research and Thesis | 6-8 |
| Electives | (7-9) | |
| Select seven to nine credit hours from the following: | 7-9 | |
| Advanced Nutritional Biochemistry | 3 | |
| Development, Delivery, and Dissemination | 3 | |
| Food Biotechnology | 3 | |
| Food Product Development | 3 | |
| Fundamentals of Biostatistics and Epidemiology in Food Science and Nutrition | 3 | |
| Fundamentals of Biostatistics and Epidemiology Laboratory in Food Science and Nutrition | 1 | |
| Food Law and Regulations | 3 | |
| Food Process Engineering Lab | 3 | |
| Low-Acid Canned Food Regulations and Microbiology | 3 | |
| Food Process Engineering | 3 | |
| Advanced Food Process Engineering | 3 | |
| Food Engineering Process Delivery | 3 | |
| Engineering Principles of Food | 3 | |
| Performance Management in Food Operations | 3 | |
| Principles of Food Packaging | 3 | |
| Special Projects | 1-2 | |
| Special Problems | 1-4 | |
Minimum degree credits required: 32
Research for the thesis must be carried out under the direct supervision of a participating faculty member. Based on the requirements of the research project, thesis committee members may be chosen from university faculty members from various departments, FdSN/FDA scientists, and the food industry scientists. The final thesis examination consists of submission of a written thesis followed by an oral presentation open to all FdSN/IFSH staff and the university community. As a part of the thesis, the student is expected to contribute scholarly article(s) to one or more high quality peer-reviewed journals. The student is also encouraged to present the research at a national professional society meeting.
Students may enroll in FDSN 594 and FDSN 597 up to a maximum of two credit hours between both courses when enrolled in six credit hours of thesis; or one credit hour when enrolled in seven credit hours of thesis. However, if the FDSN 597 is used as a short course, the student can register up to four credit hours in FDSN 597 with FdSN adviser approval. Students may not enroll in FDSN 594 or FDSN 597 when using eight credit hours of thesis unless FDSN 597 is used as a short course.
Students must have a minimum grade point average of 3.0/4.0. In addition to the core courses required and electives, further courses may be selected from other departments with the approval of the FdSN adviser to fit the background and needs of the individual student.
