MSc Food Safety

As the global population increases, creating a demand for even more food, producing safe food has never been as important. Many of us are in the lucky position that we can say we get to eat something everyday, and ideally, that food which we eat should not make us sick or cause us to feel unwell. Put simply: ‘If it isn’t safe, it isn’t food!’.

This programme, which is underpinned by current and ongoing research, will give students a detailed understanding of the issues affecting food safety both from the perspective of the food industry and regulatory authorities, as well as enabling students to develop the necessary analytical skills and theoretical understanding to manage food safety programmes within global food companies or within national and international food safety regulatory agencies.

• Applicants must hold a minimum of an upper second-class level 8 degree, or international equivalent, in a cognate subject (Science, Engineering, or related discipline) and/or have considerable relevant work experience in the Agri-Food industry.
• Applicants who do not hold the requisite Science qualification (but who hold a Level 8 Honours degree or equivalent) have been admitted previously and are advised to submit an application for assessment by the Programme Director to determine eligibility.
• Applicants with other awards who hold substantial
  relevant work experience will be considered.
• Applicants whose first language is not English must also demonstrate English language proficiency of IELTS 6.5 (no band less than 6.0 in each element), or equivalent.

Modules include a mixture of autonomous student learning, course work, and lectures. The course is assessed by a combination of assignments, in-trimester continuous assessment exercises, and end of trimester examinations.

Modules for students enrolling in this programme include:

• Advanced Food Safety and Security
• Bioinformatics in Food Safety
• Food Chain Integrity
• Food Microbiology and Safety
• Food Preservation
• Food Safety Project

This programme is delivered and assessed entirely online. The minimum registration to the MSc is two years, however, students have four years in which to complete the programme thereby affording flexibility. The online format of the programme enables students enrolled to combine studying while in employment.

The UCD MSc in Food Safety positions graduates for leadership roles in this critically important area for the Irish and Global economy. There are excellent career opportunities for graduates in advisory, technical, and management roles both within the food industry, government organisations, and regulatory agencies.

Graduate Roles include:

• Food Regulation
• Food Safety and Risk Analysis
• Food Safety Research
• Policy Development
• Scientific Analyst