Program Requirements
Requirements for entering graduate study in food science are:
- mathematics, including college algebra, calculus and statistics;
- biochemistry and organic chemistry;
- a course in physics;
- an introductory course in microbiology; and
- a course in botany, zoology, or biology.
The student's supervisory committee will resolve course deficiencies. Certain programs within Food Science may require additional courses. When the student's committee believes it necessary, the student will be required to take additional undergraduate courses to prepare more completely for the individual program.
Course requirements for the program of study will be evaluated by the student's supervisory committee. However, students are expected to select courses that provide adequate coverage in several food areas, with primary emphasis in one or more areas. The chair of the Food Science Graduate Program must approve members of the student's supervisory committee and the program of study.
The M.S./Ph.D. program usually includes courses in biochemistry, food chemistry, microbiology, food processing, food engineering, and statistics. For the M.S. degree, a minimum of 30 semester hours of graduate credit is required including 6 hours of credit for thesis research (thesis option) or 2 hours of report work (report option). For the Ph.D. degree, at least 90 semester hours is required including a dissertation representing at least 30 hours of research credit. Students are expected to earn a M.S. degree prior to acceptance in the Ph.D program. Students who hold a master's degree may transfer up to 30 hours of that degree toward a Ph.D. In addition, Ph.D. students must complete 24 hours of credit within a 12-month period (residence requirement). Of these 24 hours, at least 12 hours must be in graduate-level courses. There is no foreign language requirement.
