Course Overview

The food industry in the United Kingdom has developed a world-renown reputation for the production of exceptional quality, safe, wholesome products. To maintain this position in the global market, it is vital that the workforce is equally competent and highly skilled.

The Masters of Food Science and Technology at Cardiff Met has been designed to provide you with professional training combining comprehensive theoretical and practical knowledge within the fields of food science and food technology.

It is ideal for students and professionals seeking to expand their career prospects into a wide range of food manufacturing, commercial, government or research roles in the broad field of food science and food technology.

Students will be presented with tasks to develop and strengthen their knowledge, leadership, research and problem-solving skills in order to meet the global challenges associated within all aspects of the food industry, from farm to fork.

The university is home to the Zero2Five Food Industry Centre, a leading centre of excellence that provides food businesses with technical, operational and commercial support to enable them to compete more effectively. The Centre has an international reputation for food safety research and provides expertise, training and advice to the food industry, and students undertaking this degree will benefit from the close association and expertise from the Centre and staff. 

Course information on this page relates to September 2018 entry.

Please note: This programme will undergo periodic review in 2017/18. As such, course content shown below may change to ensure the programme remains current. Any applicants will be informed of any changes once confirmed.

Course Content​​

The MSc Food Science and Technology programme has been restructured to ensure it remains current, and ensures students receive the best possible education whilst studying at Cardiff Met University. As such, themes have been developed throughout the programme whereby modules have been structured to allow clear links between each route and career aspirations. A number of core modules will remain throughout the first term, however, students will then choose which pathway they wish to take, which will be recorded on their degree transcript. These include:

Food Chemistry and Biochemistry 
Food Safety Management 
Food Product Development

Core Modules include:

Food Quality Management
Product Conformity and Labelling
Research Methods
Global Food Safety
Research Project

Pathway Modules:

Food Chemistry and Biochemistry:
Food Chemistry and Biochemistry
Food Analysis and Examination
Food Safety Management:
Risk Management
Emergency Risk/Crisis Management 
Food Product Development:
Food Product Development
Food Processing

Research Project/Dissertation:

A written dissertation is based on a project chosen by the student to reflect their interest in a specific field under supervision. All research projects are developed with the guidance of the programme director and an academic project supervisor, assigned based on the field of research undertaken.  

Students are encouraged to initiate project ideas within areas of interest and/ or through existing networks. All ideas will be accompanied by discussions with academic staff, prior to commencement, to ensure projects are both viable and achievable.

Degree Structure:

The degree programme will be taught at the Cardiff Met Llandaff Campus, over one year (12 months) full-time, or two years part-time.

• Term one (Sept - Dec) – 12 weeks* teaching 
• Term two (Jan - Mar) – 10 weeks* teaching 
• Term three (Apr - May) – 2 weeks teaching*, followed by 1 week revision, and 3 weeks' examinations 
• Summer (June - Sept) – No formal lectures. Students can use this time to write up/submit their research dissertation

*Please note, term durations may alter slightly depending on when national holidays fall.  

Learning & Teaching​

Lectures are seen as opportunities for imparting key information and pointing students in a particular direction for further study. They are also intended to be interactive and debate is encouraged. Lectures are complemented by seminars, tutorials, workshops and practical sessions as a means of helping students to develop analytical and critical appraisal skills.

There is a strong emphasis on applying the theoretical frameworks to problem-solving which reflects the applied nature of the programme, especially through practical sessions. 

Students must possess intellectual, ethical, and emotional capabilities required to participate in the full curriculum and to achieve the levels of competence required by the programme. 

It is University policy to take reasonable steps to make reasonable adjustments so as to enable student’s participation whist studying at Cardiff Met. Adjustments can be provided to minimise the impact of a disability; however, students will need to be able to participate in an independent manner in order to fulfil the learning objectives of the course. 

Assessment

A range of assessment methods are used to test all aspects of a student's abilities, including:

• Closed (or open) book examinations
• Written assignments
• Practical/ laboratory reports
• Oral Presentations (individual/ group)
• Case studies
• Posters
• Portfolios
• Research project (dissertation)

Employability & Careers​

The programme provides the potential for graduates to progress within the food industry, retail, government or education. Our past students have found employment in some of the major UK retailers, local regional and international food manufacturers, food laboratories, various sectors of the Government and consultancy advisory roles. 

Entry Requirements​ & How to Apply

An honours degree in relevant science and/or technology subjects. 

Under certain circumstances, applicants who do not possess a first degree, but who can demonstrate relevant industrial/professional experience in a cognate discipline will also be considered.

International applications are required to satisfy the University’s English language requirements for postgraduate courses. 

Selection Procedure:
Written application which may be supplemented by an interview.

International Applicants
Students whose first language is not English will need to provide evidence of fluency to at least an IELTS 6.0 standard or equivalent. For full details about how to apply and English Language qualifications please visit the International pages on the website.

How to Apply:
Applications for this course should be made direct to the university via our self-service facility. For further information please visit our How to Apply pages at www.cardiffmet.ac.uk/howtoapply.

If you are interested in using credit from another institution, or have obtained qualifications and/or experience to study for a course at Cardiff Met,  you can find further information on this as well as information on how to apply on the RPL page.

Additional Information

Tuition Fees and Financial Support:
For up to date information on tuition fees and the financial support that may be available. Please refer to www.cardiffmet.ac.uk/fees.

25% Alumni Discount:
The Cardiff Metropolitan University Alumni Discount is a 25 per cent reduction in tuition fees for Cardiff Met Alumni enrolling on taught postgraduate courses. 
See if you are eligible.

Part-time fees:
Charges are per Single Module unless specified:
Undergraduate = 10 Credits; Postgraduate = 20 Credits

Generally we find most students will complete 60 credits per year for both Undergraduate and Postgraduate study; to obtain a true costing please clarify this by contacting the Programme Director directly. 

Contact Us

For general enquiries please contact the Admissions Team on 029 2041 6044 or email askadmissions@cardiffmet.ac.uk.

For course specific enquiries, please contact the Programme Director, Simon Dawson: Email: sdawson@cardiffmet.ac.uk  

Click here for more info / to apply