科克大学学院

If you are interested in developing new innovative food products to meet the demands of the modern consumer, be it in the areas of healthy eating, athletic performance and disease prevention, the BSc in Food Science is the perfect course for you. The diverse scope of subjects covered provides students with a unique blend of scientific and technical skills designed to meet the needs of careers in the food industry, ranging from research and development to food processing and production.

A six-month work-placement period forms an integral part of the course and will give you the opportunity to work in industry, thus gaining real-world experience and acquiring key transferable skills in communication, management and organisation.

Modules

Year 1
You will be given a firm foundation in the key basic sciences of chemistry, biology and physics, as well as mathematics and introductory courses in food science and food business.

Year 2
These subjects will be developed as applied to food through food chemistry, food microbiology and nutrition, as well as biochemistry, biostatistics and an introductory course in food engineering. Methods commonly used to analyse foods are also introduced.

Year 3
You will become familiar with the components, properties and nutritional aspects of food systems and a wide range of modern processing technologies and strategies used to produce high-quality foods.

You will also gain experience in a wide range of sensory and instrumental techniques employed by the food industry to assess food quality and safety.

A six-month work-placement in Year 3 will give you an excellent opportunity to work in the industry.

Year 4
Project work in Year 4 will include teamwork to develop innovative food products, taking your ideas from concept to actual products. You will work on all aspects of your product from design, development and testing to packaging and marketing. These final-year projects help to develop skills in critical thinking and independent research.

This degree programme provides you with a unique blend of scientific and technical skills, workplace experience and food innovation skills.

Graduates from this course have excellent employment prospects and are highly sought after by national and international food companies.

A strong emphasis is placed on applied aspects of food science, and the work placement allows you to get a taste of what working in the food industry is like at an early stage in your career. Many companies who host students as part of the work-placement programme recruit those students when they graduate.

Skills and Careers Information

Graduates from this course have a strong track record of acquiring senior positions in national and international food companies. A study by the Careers Service, UCC, indicated that in % of graduates had gone straight to employment.

Graduates are equipped to work in a wide range of positions such as food production and management, quality assurance, food research and food product and process innovation and development.

In addition, graduates have many opportunities to advance to MSc and PhD courses.