OVERVIEW
Interest in nutrition, food, and the relationship of food to human health and fitness has never been greater than today. The Department of Human Nutrition, Food, and Animal Sciences offers a MS degree in food science. The areas of concentration include food safety and quality, food processing and engineering, food chemistry and biochemistry, food microbiology, food science education, and special area. Cooperating departments include Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering, Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences, Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences, and Microbiology.
The learning objectives of the Food Science program are that students will:
- Demonstrate mastery of fundamental knowledge in the field of food science.
- Demonstrate advanced scholarship in their specialty area in the field of food science.
- Communicate both orally and in writing at a high level of proficiency.
- Conduct and interpret food research.
- Function as a professional in their chosen discipline.
Students majoring in any of the curricula options are prepared for diverse careers in the food industry, health-care and fitness facilities, hospitals, nutrition education and communication enterprises, government or private-sector food and nutrition agencies, and scientific research laboratories. Graduates have found employment as college instructors, technical personnel in the food industry, regulatory or other governmental agencies, and researchers. Others have pursued further postgraduate studies.
Research Facilities
The Food Sciences Graduate Program is housed within the Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences located in Agricultural Sciences III. The building contains teaching and research laboratories, a certified kitchen, taste panel and sensory evaluation room, food processing facilities, a computer laboratory, state-of-the-art classrooms, and conference and seminar rooms.