This course engages with issues at the very forefront of modern food production. You‘ll explore the origins of biotechnology, the legislation and social issues related to biotechnology in food, the immune system and role of antibodies.
You’ll have chance to challenge the myths associated with food allergies and the risks, causes and solutions. You’ll learn the science behind every ingredient that goes into a product.
The core sciences of chemistry and biochemistry underpin the course, alongside the processing of food. You’ll also study some elements of microbiology and nutrition. You’ll learn to apply fundamental scientific concepts to understand and manipulate the complex characteristics of foods and to integrate this scientific knowledge with an understanding of food technology.
The course is strongly linked to our research groups, meaning you’ll be taught by staff who are actively engaged in world-class research and cutting-edge professional practice.
Through this programme you'll develop the ability to critically assess the complex factors that influence the range, quality and acceptability of foods produced in an industrialised society.
You'll apply scientific knowledge from your bachelor degree and extend it to areas outside your first degree discipline. You'll gain a broad knowledge of food science with the necessary related understanding of chemistry, biochemistry, physics, mathematics and biology. You'll also learn to integrate your scientific knowledge with an understanding of food technology and will develop your own interests and skills through specialised options and projects, influenced by current research thinking in the field.
The programme provides an understanding of the methodology of research investigations by experimental project, and helps you develop the personal skills you'll need to communicate effectively in future professional activities.
Compulsory modules
Teaching is by lectures, practical classes, tutorials, seminars and supervised research projects. We make extensive use of IT, and a wide range of materials is available to enable you to study at your own pace and in your own time to enhance and extend the material you’ll learn formally.
Assessment is by a range of methods, including formal examination, in-class tests, laboratory practical reports, example sheets, problem solving, project work and verbal presentations.
The pass mark for each module is 50%. All marks from all modules (passed and failed) are included in the final classification mark, which must be at least a 50% average to pass.
Postgraduates from the School go into careers in research, in the food industry, into regulatory and public bodies across the world, backed by the confidence and skills gained from studying at one of the leading schools of food science and nutrition internationally.
Our graduates are in big demand and food companies come to Leeds to recruit the best talent. Some of our past graduates hold key positions in the food industry and government agencies.
There are many opportunities open to you within the food industry, from jobs in nutrition and new product development to roles in the supply chain, purchasing, logistics and distribution. You may decide to become a development scientist, working on new foodstuffs and producing food which is safe and nutritious with a consistent flavour, colour and texture. There are roles within this area in industry, but also within government and local authority food inspection departments. Other job roles include industrial buyer, retail buyer, production manager or quality assurance manager.
Read more about typical career paths:
Further study
A Masters in food science will also serve you well in progression to research-led projects. Many of our students go on to undertake PhD research here at the University of Leeds in one of the School’s research groups. Read about postgraduate research in the School of Food Science and Nutrition.
The School of Food Science and Nutrition has its own dedicated Employability Enhancement Officer who can offer quality advice and support with regards to careers, CV and cover letter writing, job applications etc. The Employability Enhancement Officer promotes a range of opportunities available to students to ensure they maximise their capabilities through a process of personal development and career planning.
We encourage you to prepare for your career from day one. That’s one of the reasons Leeds graduates are so sought after by employers.
The Careers Centre and staff in your faculty provide a range of help and advice to help you plan your career and make well-informed decisions along the way, even after you graduate. Find out more at the Careers website.
With the advancement of food technology, food manufacture has allowed for enhanced food quality, improved food safety and increasingly competitive options for consumers. Developments in food production have also given way to consideration of the impact on food safety.
This Masters 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. You’ll develop the ability to apply fundamental scientific concepts to understand and manipulate the complex characteristics of foods. The programme will also allow you to challenge current issues in food production and issues arising from food safety.
Throughout the programme you’ll 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.
Through a combination of practical laboratory classes and lectures underpinning scientific theory and knowledge, you’ll gain the ability to integrate scientific knowledge with an understanding of food technology.
In the final months of your programme you’ll have the opportunity to focus your studies in areas of particular interest to you through your research project, which will be influenced by current research thinking in the field. The research project will also help you develop the personal skills you'll need to communicate effectively in future professional activities such as presentations.
Compulsory modules
For more information on typical modules, read Food Science MSc in the course catalogue
Teaching is by lectures, practical classes, tutorials, seminars and supervised research projects. Extensive use is made of IT and a wide range of materials is available to enable you to study at your own pace and in your own time, to enhance and extend the material taught formally.
Assessment is by course work and written exams which take place at the end of the semester in which the module is taught.
Postgraduates from the School go into careers in research, in the food industry, into regulatory and public bodies across the world, backed by the confidence and skills gained from studying at one of the leading schools of food science and nutrition internationally.
Our graduates are in big demand and food companies come to Leeds to recruit the best talent. Some of our past graduates hold key positions in the food industry and government agencies.
There are many opportunities open to you within the food industry, from jobs in nutrition and new product development to roles in the supply chain, purchasing, logistics and distribution. You may decide to become a development scientist, working on new foodstuffs and producing food which is safe and nutritious with a consistent flavour, colour and texture. There are roles within this area in industry, but also within government and local authority food inspection departments. Other job roles include industrial buyer, retail buyer, production manager or quality assurance manager.
Read more about typical career paths:
Further study
A Masters in food science will also serve you well in progression to research-led projects. Many of our students go on to undertake PhD research here at the University of Leeds in one of the School’s research groups. Read about postgraduate research in the School of Food Science and Nutrition.
The School of Food Science and Nutrition has its own dedicated Employability Enhancement Officer who can offer quality advice and support with regards to careers, CV and cover letter writing, job applications etc. The Employability Enhancement Officer promotes a range of opportunities available to students to ensure they maximise their capabilities through a process of personal development and career planning.
We encourage you to prepare for your career from day one. That’s one of the reasons Leeds graduates are so sought after by employers.
The Careers Centre and staff in your faculty provide a range of help and advice to help you plan your career and make well-informed decisions along the way, even after you graduate. Find out more at the Careers website.
Providing nutritious food is a key target for the government, which is keen to encourage industry and academic experts to work together to improve food standards. The politics of food in society, involving manufacturers, retailers, consumers and health professionals, are complex and continually evolving.
Throughout the programme you’ll investigate the scientific aspects of food, nutrition and the wider implications of diet on our health and wellbeing. You’ll balance your studies between the scientific studies on food, nutrition and related health aspects.
The breadth of the programme gives an appreciation of key positions of food and health, as well as in food composition, and the manufacture of foods. At the interface between food and nutrition, graduates will be key in the development of new healthy eating trends.
Throughout the programme you’ll tackle issues such as the nutritional significance of processed foods in the diet, the effects of nutrition labelling and nutrition claims, functional foods; and catering technology and nutritional quality.
Alongside developing current techniques in food analysis, structure and processing you will gain in-depth knowledge of current health topics such as heart disease, and antioxidants and their health benefits. You also gain knowledge and understanding of the functions of food and nutrients and their relationship to health and disease.
Compulsory modules
For more information on typical modules, read Food Science and Nutrition MSc in the course catalogue
Teaching is by lectures, practical classes, tutorials, seminars and supervised research projects. Extensive use is made of IT and a wide range of materials is available to enable you to study at your own pace and in your own time to enhance and extend the material taught formally.
Assessment is by course work and written exams which take place at the end of the semester in which the module is taught.
Postgraduates from the School go into careers in research, in the food industry, into regulatory and public bodies across the world, backed by the confidence and skills gained from studying at one of the leading schools of food science and nutrition internationally.
Our graduates are in big demand and food companies come to Leeds to recruit the best talent. Some of our past graduates hold key positions in the food industry and government agencies.
There are many opportunities open to you within the food industry, from jobs in nutrition and new product development to roles in the supply chain, purchasing, logistics and distribution. You may decide to become a development scientist, working on new foodstuffs and producing food which is safe and nutritious with a consistent flavour, colour and texture. There are roles within this area in industry, but also within government and local authority food inspection departments. Other job roles include industrial buyer, retail buyer, production manager or quality assurance manager.
Read more about typical career paths:
Further study
A Masters in food science will also serve you well in progression to research-led projects. Many of our students go on to undertake PhD research here at the University of Leeds in one of the School’s research groups. Read about postgraduate research in the School of Food Science and Nutrition.
The School of Food Science and Nutrition has its own dedicated Employability Enhancement Officer who can offer quality advice and support with regards to careers, CV and cover letter writing, job applications etc. The Employability Enhancement Officer promotes a range of opportunities available to students to ensure they maximise their capabilities through a process of personal development and career planning.
We encourage you to prepare for your career from day one. That’s one of the reasons Leeds graduates are so sought after by employers.
The Careers Centre and staff in your faculty provide a range of help and advice to help you plan your career and make well-informed decisions along the way, even after you graduate. Find out more at the Careers website.
The food industry is experiencing a skills gap in technical and product development roles, while also taking a leading role in driving a public health agenda and producing safe, tasty food which meet our nutritional needs.
This course prepares you for technical and product development roles in the food industry with a strong emphasis on nutrition. It is aimed at students with a background in food science, nutrition, health and wellbeing, exercise science or biological sciences who wish to specialise in food and nutrition and acquire an in-depth understanding of how to apply nutrition principles to food product development and production.
You learn about food production and nutrition in an applied setting, developing core technical skills in our state of the art development kitchens, food and nutrition labs and sensory suite. You apply those practical skills to live briefs with commercial applications provided by our industrial partners such as Morrisons and Cranswick plc.
The course is based on three key strands:
Examples of academic research and commercial projects you work on include developing tasty healthy alternatives, understanding the impact of food labelling on consumer liking, developing a food product for a major food retailer partner (brief varies) or supporting local SMEs with food quality assurance systems.
Full-time without work placement – 12 months
Full-time with work placement – 18 to 24 months
Part time – 12 to 24 months
Core modules
As a graduate from this course, career opportunities include:
The new two-year European Master of Science in Food Science, Technology and Business (BiFTec) is jointly organised by three European partner institutions: KU Leuven, Anhalt University of Applied Sciences (HSA) and Catholic University of Portugal (UCP). It fosters innovation and technology to help you cope with future needs and sustainability. BiFTec adopts a horizontal, multidisciplinary approach to a broad range of topics related to food production, processing and agribusiness. The programme also offers specialisation with state-of-the-art courses on food processing, development, and business. Upon graduation, you will receive a joint degree from the three consortium partners.
BiFTec attracts students from all over the world, which adds a valuable intercultural element to your experience. In addition to positions offered directly by the consortium partners, you will get the opportunity to conduct your professional competence module and/or your master’s thesis research at an associated partner institution or organisation in New Zealand, the USA, Russia, Italy, Poland, or Germany.
The objectives of the programme are to:
Overall learning outcomes:
The BiFTec-programme prepares competent employees for sectors including food production, processing and agribusiness as well as for industry and academia.
Sustainability, Earth and Atmospheric Science Masters Degrees - School of Earth and Environment
