Food Science (BS): Technology Concentration
The Bachelor of Science degree in Food Science is offered through two curricula emphasizing science or technology. The science curriculum is designed for students desiring a more analytically intense program leading to technical careers in the food industry or graduate school. Students with an interest in business opportunities will find the technology program permits greater flexibility to pursue coursework in business, agricultural economics, or related fields.
Plan Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours | Counts towards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orientation | |||
| ALS 103 | Freshman Transitions and Diversity in Agriculture & Life Sciences | 1 | |
| or ALS 303 | Transfer Transitions and Diversity in Agriculture & Life Sciences | ||
| Communication | |||
| COM 110 | Public Speaking | 3 | |
| or COM 112 | Interpersonal Communication | ||
| Mathematical Sciences | |||
| MA 107 | Precalculus I | 3 | |
| Select one of the following: | 6 | ||
| Calculus for Life and Management Sciences A and Calculus for Life and Management Sciences B | |||
| Introduction to Finite Mathematics with Applications and Elements of Calculus | |||
| MA 132 | Computational Mathematics for Life and Management Sciences | 1 | |
| ST 311 | Introduction to Statistics | 3 | |
| Sciences | |||
| BIO 181 | Introductory Biology: Ecology, Evolution, and Biodiversity | 4 | |
| or BIO 183 | Introductory Biology: Cellular and Molecular Biology | ||
| CH 101 & CH 102 | Chemistry - A Molecular Science and General Chemistry Laboratory | 4 | |
| CH 201 & CH 202 | Chemistry - A Quantitative Science and Quantitative Chemistry Laboratory | 4 | |
| Select one of the following: | 4 | ||
| Introductory Organic Chemistry and Organic Chemistry I Lab | |||
| Organic Chemistry I and Organic Chemistry I Lab | |||
| MB 351 & MB 352 | General Microbiology and General Microbiology Laboratory | 4 | |
| PY 211 | College Physics I | 4 | |
| Major Requirements | |||
| FS 201 | Introduction to Food Science | 3 | |
| FS 231 | Principles of Food and Bioprocess Engineering | 4 | |
| FS 290 | Careers in Food and Bioprocessing Sciences | 1 | |
| FS 402 | Chemistry of Food and Bioprocessed Materials | 4 | |
| FS 403 | Analytical Techniques in Food & Bioprocessing Science | 4 | |
| FS 405 & FS 406 | Food Microbiology and Food Microbiology Lab | 4 | |
| FS 416 | Quality Control in Food and Bioprocessing | 3 | |
| FS 421 | Food Preservation | 3 | |
| FS 475 | Problems and Design in Food and Bioprocessing Science | 3 | |
| Food Science Electives | 6 | ||
| Business & Economics/Minor Requirements | |||
| Nine credits of Business or Economics must be included or the student must complete a minor in any field of their choosing. If a minor is chosen, restricted electives and free electives may be used to fulfill the minor requirements. Most minors require 15 to 21 credits. Note: 300 level BUS/MIE courses are restricted to students in the BUS minor or major; 400 level BUS courses restricted to students in BUS major. | |||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | ||
| Introduction to Agricultural & Resource Economics | |||
| Introduction to Agricultural & Resource Economics | |||
| Principles of Microeconomics | |||
| Fundamentals of Economics | |||
| Business/Economics Electives | 6 | ||
| GEP Courses | |||
| ENG 101 | Academic Writing and Research 1 | 4 | |
| GEP Humanities | 6 | ||
| GEP Social Sciences | 6 | ||
| GEP Health and Exercise Studies | 2 | ||
| GEP US Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion | 3 | ||
| GEP Interdisciplinary Perspectives | 5 | ||
| GEP Global Knowledge (verify requirement) | |||
| Foreign Language Proficiency (verify requirement) | |||
| Free Electives | |||
| Free Electives (12 Hr S/U Lmt) | 9 | ||
| Total Hours | 120 | ||
- 1
A grade of C- or higher is required.
- 2
Students should consult their academic advisors to determine which courses fill this requirement.
Food Science Electives
| Code | Title | Hours | Counts towards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Select a course with a FS prefix (except those required in major) not used to satisfy another requirement. A total of 35 credits in Food Science are required. | |||
| FS 250 | Basics of Food Safety & Quality | 3 | |
| FS 322 | Muscle Foods and Eggs | 3 | |
| FS 324 | Milk and Dairy Products | 3 | |
| FS 325 | Introduction to Brewing Science and Technology | 3 | |
| FS 330 | Science of Food Preparation | 3 | |
| FS 352 | Introduction to Microbiological Food Safety Hazards | 3 | |
| FS 354 | Food Sanitation | 3 | |
| FS 401 | Advanced Nutrition and Metabolism | 3 | |
| FS 416 | Quality Control in Food and Bioprocessing | 3 | |
| FS 435 | Food Safety Management Systems | 3 | |
| FS 453 | Food Laws and Regulations | 3 | |
| FS 462 | Postharvest Physiology | 3 | |
| FS 471 | Professionalism & Project Preparation in Food & Bioprocessing Science | 1 | |
| FS 481 | Research Experience in Food and Bioprocessing Sciences | 3 | |
| FS 501 | Advanced Nutrition and Metabolism | 3 | |
| FS 516 | Quality Control in Food and Bioprocessing | 3 | |
| FS 520 | Pre-Harvest Food Safety | 3 | |
| FS 522 | Food Packaging | 3 | |
| FS 530 | Post-Harvest Food Safety | 3 | |
| FS 535 | Food Safety Management Systems | 3 | |
| FS 540 | Food Safety and Public Health | 3 | |
| FS 550 | Food Industry Study Tour | 2 | |
| FS 553 | Food Laws and Regulations | 3 | |
| FS 554 | Lactation, Milk, and Nutrition | 3 | |
| FS 555 | Exercise Nutrition | 3 | |
| FS 557 | Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods | 3 | |
| FS 562 | Postharvest Physiology | 3 | |
| FS 567 | Sensory Analysis of Foods | 3 | |
| FS 580 | Professional Development and Ethics in Food Safety | 1 | |
| FSA 520 | Pre-Harvest Food Safety | 3 | |
| FSA 530 | Post-Harvest Food Safety | 3 | |
| FSA 540 | Food Safety and Public Health | 3 | |
| FSA 580 | Professional Development and Ethics in Food Safety | 1 | |
| HS 462 | Postharvest Physiology | 3 | |
| HS 562 | Postharvest Physiology | 3 | |
Business/Economics Electives
| Code | Title | Hours | Counts towards |
|---|---|---|---|
| ARE 301 | Intermediate Microeconomics | 3 | |
| ARE 306 | Agricultural Law | 3 | |
| ARE 311 | Agricultural Markets | 3 | |
| ARE 312 | Agribusiness Marketing | 3 | |
| ARE 336 | Introduction to Resource and Environmental Economics | 3 | |
| ARE 433 | U.S. Agricultural Policy | 3 | |
| BUS 320 | Financial Management | 3 | |
| BUS 360 | Marketing Methods | 3 | |
| BUS 420 | Financial Management of Corporations | 3 | |
| BUS 449 | Information Technology Capstone | 3 | |
| BUS 462 | Marketing Research | 3 | |
| BUS 464 | International Marketing | 3 | |
| BUS 465 | Traditional and Digital Brand Promotion | 3 | |
| EC 202 | Principles of Macroeconomics | 3 | |
| EC 301 | Intermediate Microeconomics | 3 | |
| EC 302 | Intermediate Macroeconomics | 3 | |
| EC 336 | Introduction to Resource and Environmental Economics | 3 | |
| EC 404 | Money, Financial Markets, and the Economy | 3 | |
| EC 431 | Labor Economics | 3 | |
| EC 449 | International Finance | 3 | |
| MIE 305 | Legal and Regulatory Environment | 3 | |
| MIE 310 | Introduction to Entrepreneurship | 3 | |
| MIE 330 | Human Resource Management | 3 |
Semester Sequence
This is a sample.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Hours | |
| ALS 103 | Freshman Transitions and Diversity in Agriculture & Life Sciences | 1 |
| BIO 183 | Introductory Biology: Cellular and Molecular Biology | 4 |
| ENG 101 | Academic Writing and Research | 4 |
| MA 107 | Precalculus I | 3 |
| GEP Social Sciences | 3 | |
| GEP Health and Exercise Studies | 1 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| CH 101 | Chemistry - A Molecular Science | 3 |
| CH 102 | General Chemistry Laboratory | 1 |
| FS 201 | Introduction to Food Science | 3 |
| MA 114 or MA 131 | Introduction to Finite Mathematics with Applications or Calculus for Life and Management Sciences A | 3 |
| GEP Humanities | 3 | |
| GEP Health and Exercise Studies | 1 | |
| Hours | 14 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| Introductory Organic Chemistry and Organic Chemistry I Lab | ||
| Organic Chemistry I and Organic Chemistry I Lab | ||
| FS 290 | Careers in Food and Bioprocessing Sciences | 1 |
| MA 121 or MA 231 | Elements of Calculus or Calculus for Life and Management Sciences B | 3 |
| MA 132 | Computational Mathematics for Life and Management Sciences | 1 |
| PY 211 | College Physics I | 4 |
| GEP Interdisciplinary Perspectives | 2 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| CH 201 | Chemistry - A Quantitative Science | 3 |
| CH 202 | Quantitative Chemistry Laboratory | 1 |
| FS 231 | Principles of Food and Bioprocess Engineering | 4 |
| BUS/EC/Minor Elective | 3 | |
| COM 110 or COM 112 | Public Speaking or Interpersonal Communication | 3 |
| Hours | 14 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| FS 402 | Chemistry of Food and Bioprocessed Materials | 4 |
| GEP Interdisciplinary Perspectives | 3 | |
| Food Science Elective | 3 | |
| BUS/EC/Minor Elective | 3 | |
| MB 351 | General Microbiology | 3 |
| MB 352 | General Microbiology Laboratory | 1 |
| Hours | 17 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| FS 403 | Analytical Techniques in Food & Bioprocessing Science | 4 |
| FS 405 | Food Microbiology | 3 |
| FS 406 | Food Microbiology Lab | 1 |
| GEP US Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion | 3 | |
| BUS/EC/Minor Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 14 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| ST 311 | Introduction to Statistics | 3 |
| FS 421 | Food Preservation | 3 |
| GEP Humanities | 3 | |
| Free/Minor Elective | 3 | |
| Free/Minor Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| FS 475 | Problems and Design in Food and Bioprocessing Science | 3 |
| FS 416 | Quality Control in Food and Bioprocessing | 3 |
| Food Science Elective | 3 | |
| Free/Minor Elective | 3 | |
| GEP Social Sciences | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
Career Opportunities
Consumer demand for safe, high quality, nutritious foods and biopharmaceutical products, as well as for educational programs designed to promote healthy eating, creates a variety of career opportunities in the food, pharmaceutical and the allied health industries. Industrial opportunities include management, research and development, process supervision, quality control and assurance, procurement, distribution, and sales. Public health opportunities include educational program development, delivery, and assessment. In addition, graduates hold positions with government agencies and many with advanced degrees have teaching and/or research positions in colleges and universities.
Food Science
Many career opportunities exist in the food and beverage industry, the world’s largest manufacturing sector, for graduates with a Food Science degree. Food science professionals are involved in the discovery of new food sources, new methods of food preservation, advances in food chemistry and sensory science and even product development. Positions are found worldwide, providing technical support to the food, beverage, and pharmaceutical industries and also government agencies. Food scientists work to ensure the safety and quality of foods through the application of basic scientific principles. The demand for food scientists continues to increase as the food industry expands.
The undergraduate Food Science major has two emphasis tracks. One is Science and the other is Technology. The B.S. in Food Science with a Science emphasis is designed for students who want more rigorous science courses to prepare them for graduate school or careers in the food, pharmaceutical, and or bioprocessing industries. The B.S. in Food Science with a Technology emphasis is designed for students more interested in business opportunities for technically trained individuals. It offers greater flexibility in complementing Food Science coursework with business, agricultural commodity, and computer science courses.
Scholarships
The department provides both merit and financial need scholarships to encourage and assist students preparing for careers in Food, Bioprocessing, or Nutrition Science.
Career Titles
- Agricultural Engineer
- Agricultural Inspector
- Chemical Technicians
- Dairy Technologist
- Food & Drug Inspector
- Food Science Technicians
- Food Technologist
- Laboratory Tester
- Sales Representative (Agricultural Products)
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Institute of Food Technologists