Master of Science in Food Science
About the Program
Master of Science: 45.0 quarter credits
The Master of Science (MS) in Food Science at Goodwin College provides students with the opportunity to comprehensively study theoretical and applied aspects of the science, technology, and engineering of foods. Food scientists learn to integrate and apply knowledge from the disciplines of chemistry, physics, engineering, microbiology, and nutrition in order to preserve, process, package, and distribute foods that are safe, nutritious, enjoyable, and affordable.
The program provides a science-based professional education that encompasses classroom theory, practical research, and application. Food science is concerned with foods, their ingredients, and their physicochemical and biochemical interactions at the molecular and cellular levels. Students in the food science program participate in the research enterprise by completing a research project or designing and executing a thesis under faculty direction. Current research in food science includes:
- Physicochemical changes during deep-fat frying
- Development of a biosensor for antioxidant capacity
- Development of reduced fat and reduced sodium products
- Descriptive sensory analysis of beverages
- Development of lexicons for flavor descriptive analysis
Opportunities
The MS in Food Science is designed for students who:
- are already working within the food industry and seeking professional advancement
- have an undergraduate degree in a general science-related area such as biology or chemistry, and would like to change fields or move into the more specialized field of food science
The MS in Food Science offers students numerous opportunities for hands-on, real-world careers in applied science and technology. Potential employers include food product manufacturers, along with other companies providing services related to institutional feeding or supplying ingredients, processing equipment, and packaging materials. Technical and administrative positions are also available in various government agencies and with independent testing laboratories.
Food scientists are needed in the areas of:
- Food quality assessment and management
- Food processing and engineering
- Food product research and development
- Marketing and distribution
- Technical sales and support
Additional Information
Dr. Jeehyun Lee
Academic Building 110
215.571.3619
jl887@drexel.edu.
For additional information, view the Goodwin College of Professional Studies' Master of Science in Food Science web page.
Admissions Requirements
The MS in Food Science program’s approach to graduate study is quantitative; therefore, applicants are expected to demonstrate competency in the coursework or its equivalent listed in the following table. The graduate committee evaluates each applicant’s transcripts at the time of application. In some cases, courses listed as prerequisites may be taken as corequisites during the first year of graduate study if deemed appropriate by the graduate admissions committee.
- general chemistry: one year
- organic chemistry: two terms or semesters
- biochemistry: one or two terms or semesters
- general biology: two courses to include genetics
- microbiology: one course
- mathematics: one year to include calculus
- statistics: one course
- physics: two terms or semesters
Visit the Admissions site to apply online.
Degree Requirements
| Required Courses | ||
| BIO 610 | Biochemistry of Metabolism | 3.0 |
| ENVS 506 | Biostatistics | 3.0 |
| FDSC 506 | Food Composition & Behavior | 3.0 |
| FDSC 550 | Food Microbiology | 3.0 |
| FDSC 551 | Food Microbiology Laboratory | 2.0 |
| FDSC 560 | Food Chemistry | 3.0 |
| FDSC 556 | Food Preservation Processes | 3.0 |
| FDSC 669 | Readings in Food Science | 3.0 |
| FDSC 890 | Seminar in Food Science | 1.0 |
| NFS 530 | Macronutrient Metabolism | 3.0 |
| NFS 601 | Research Methods | 3.0 |
| Electives | 15.0 | |
| Total Credits | 45.0 | |
Electives
Electives are selected from departmental or related course offerings in consultation with the student’s graduate advisor. Possibilities include courses in various aspects of nutrition; special topics in food science such as taste and odor and organoleptic evaluation; microbial physiology; microbial genetics; recombinant DNA techniques; chemical instrumentation; biochemistry; sanitary microbiology; toxicology; and environmental sciences. Students electing the thesis option may include up to six credits of FDSC 997 (Research in Food Science) among their electives.
Research
Students are invited to participate in research by designing and completing a research project or thesis. All thesis students consult with a faculty advisor and prepare a research proposal. Students present their proposals to their thesis committee for approval and, at the prerogative of the faculty, complete the research and report on it in seminar presentations. Students may elect to work in ongoing research or in some cases may suggest a new research area of specific interest to them. Individual guidance is necessary before research can commence, and there is periodic review during the course of the work. Students must submit a final written thesis to their thesis committee and defend the thesis at a final oral examination. Students in the thesis option may include up to six credits of , Research in Food Science, among their electives.
Students in the non-thesis option are required to pass a written comprehensive examination. Students electing the non-thesis option may include up to three credits of , Research in Food Science, among their electives.
Courses
FDSC 506 Food Composition & Behavior 3.0 Credits
Examines the composition of foods and chemical and physical changes in food components occurring during food preparation and processing.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
FDSC 550 Food Microbiology 3.0 Credits
Discusses factors affecting microbial growth in foods. Also covers methods of enumeration of food-borne organisms, microbial spoilage of foods, foods and ingredients from fermentation, food-borne pathogens and their control, and sanitation and HACCP in food processing.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
FDSC 551 Food Microbiology Laboratory 2.0 Credits
Companion laboratory course to FDSC 550. Covers methods of isolation and enumeration of microorganisms important in foods, food fermentations, and methods of control of microorganisms.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: FDSC 550 [Min Grade: C], NFS 650 [Min Grade: C] (Can be taken Concurrently)
FDSC 554 Microbiology & Chemistry of Food Safety I 3.0 Credits
Covers the study of microbiological and toxicological factors affecting the safety of food, including natural toxicants, food additives, and food-borne diseases, toxicoses, and parasites.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: ENVR 636 [Min Grade: C]
FDSC 556 Food Preservation Processes 3.0 Credits
Covers fundamentals of food processing and preservation, including techniques and methods employed to extend the useful life of food products, and the significance of changes in the composition of foods due to processing, enzymatic activity, microbial action, and chemical change.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
FDSC 558 Nutritional Impact of Food Processing Methods 3.0 Credits
Covers the effect of processing on foods emphasizing nutritional and chemical aspects. Includes synthetic foods, food additives, current food processing methods, nutrition policy, consumer dietary patterns, and food production trends.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
FDSC 560 Food Chemistry 3.0 Credits
Covers chemical and physical behavior of food constituents and application of physicochemical principles to processed food systems.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: NFS 215 [Min Grade: D] or NFS 400 [Min Grade: D] or BIO 311 [Min Grade: D] or BIO 610 [Min Grade: C]
FDSC 561 Food Analysis 3.0 Credits
Covers the application of chemical analysis techniques to food. Food composition analysis (lipids, proteins, carbohydrates) and measurements of chemical reactions in foods (browning, lipid oxidation, starch hydrolysis, protein denaturation) are studied. Also focused upon id the maintenance of food quality during processing and storage.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: NFS 216 [Min Grade: D] or NFS 404 [Min Grade: D] or BIO 610 [Min Grade: C]
FDSC 568 Functional Foods 3.0 Credits
This course covers a range of functional foods and food components, their health conferring benefits, mechanisms of actions, and possible applications in the food industry.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: FDSC 506 [Min Grade: C]
FDSC 654 Microbiology & Chemistry of Food Safety II 3.0 Credits
Advanced study of chemical of food safety significance with emphasis on the effects of components normal to food. Risk assessment, regulations and control will be covered.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: FDSC 454 [Min Grade: D] or FDSC 554 [Min Grade: C]
FDSC 662 Taste and Odor 3.0 Credits
Discusses historical and current theories addressing the anatomy and mechanism of human chemical sensing systems (taste and odor perception and their receptor sites). Includes dietary, environmental, and physiological influences of the chemical senses. Describes functional methods of subjective or organoleptic testing involving human subjects (psychophysics) and provides laboratory experiments demonstrating practical application of selected techniques.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: NFS 215 [Min Grade: D] or NFS 400 [Min Grade: D] or BIO 610 [Min Grade: C]
FDSC 669 Readings in Food Science 3.0 Credits
Covers current research and its practical application in food production, processing storage, and preparation. Encourages individual investigation.
Repeat Status: Can be repeated 2 times for 6 credits
FDSC 680 Special Topics in Food Science 1.0-12.0 Credit
Covers special topics of interest in food science. This course may be repeated for credit.
Repeat Status: Can be repeated 4 times for 12 credits
FDSC 890 Seminar in Food Science 1.0 Credit
Current topics in food science will be studied with presentations by invited speakers and students. This course may be repeated for credit.
Repeat Status: Can be repeated 3 times for 3 credits
FDSC 898 Independent Study in Food Science 1.0-12.0 Credit
Provides individual study or research in food science under faculty supervision. This course may be repeated for credit.
Repeat Status: Can be repeated 4 times for 12 credits
FDSC 997 Research in Food Science 1.0-12.0 Credit
Students consult with a faculty advisor to identify a suitable problem are in food science and develop and carry out appropriate methodology to address the problem. This course may be repeated for credit.
Repeat Status: Can be repeated 4 times for 12 credits
