Food Science and Engineering M.Sc.
| Degree | Master of Science (M.Sc.) |
| Study period | 4 semesters (120 credits) |
| Language | English |
| Study places | 43 places |
Modern food processing is concerned with the transformation of plant-based and animal-based raw materials into value-added, safe and stable food, or nutrient formula. The Master’s program in Food Science and Engineering is research-oriented and focuses on the interface between complex food matrices and technical processes in the development and production of food.
In this program you acquire expertise in the processing of food combined with a thorough understanding of the biogenesis of raw materials and their microbiological ecology. You learn to develop appropriate food formulas and processing techniques that allow for product-specific processing conditions in automated production processes. The development of innovative technologies by transferring the results of basic research into new technological approaches is one of the key aspects of this program.
More information about the individual modules can be found in the module catalog.
In the first year of studies,
the focus is on combining approaches from soft matter science with microbiological knowledge and engineering methods in order to understand all aspects of processing complex food matrices. You will analyze food processing methods and become familiar with new technologies used to effectively produce functional compounds from plant and animal raw materials, modify them at the enzyme level, or stabilize them with encapsulation.
At the same time, you will learn scientific methodological skills. This includes modern chemical, physical, molecular, and statistical methods but also methods for modelling and simulating these processes and the resulting reactions. In lab courses, you will apply your knowledge. In seminars, you will examine food production in natural science, engineering, and business contexts.
In the second year of studies,
you can design your program according to your individual interests and desired area of specialization. You will continue to expand the knowledge you gained in your first year of studies and your practical skills by specializing in a sub-field of food science. Possibilities include, for example, meat, milk, cereal, fruit, food microbiology, or process engineering. You will also increasingly be introduced to conducting independent research.
The open structure of the second year of studies also allows you to spend a semester abroad at one of our outstanding partner universities or to complete an extended internship at a national or international research institution in the food industry. A project assignment at the Institute of Food Science and Biotechnology will introduce you to our current research projects.
A research-intensive Master's thesis
with a department of your choice is imbedded in the ongoing research work at the Institute of Food Science and Biotechnology and enables you to demonstrate your ability to carry out independent research work.
Prof. Jörg Hinrichs (Department Soft Matter Science and Dairy Technology)
“We want to offer our students the best degree program possible.”
- Research groups at national or international universities or research institutions
- Research and development, project management, quality assurance, or technical director in the following industries:
- Food industry and its supply industries
- Biotechnology industry
- Pharmaceutical industry
- Healthcare industry
- Equipment, process and packaging technology
- Private and public research institutions
- Journalism
- Business consulting
- Small degree program with excellent student-faculty ratio
- Links between research and teaching
- Modern labs with cutting-edge technology
- Technical test facilities with pilot plants for research and teaching offer the chance to develop and test new production processes
- Possibility to include modules in the related disciplines Biology and Nutritional Science
The Master’s program Food Science and Technology is embedded in the ongoing research projects at the Institute of Food Science and Biotechnology. Together with the Institute of Food Chemistry and the nutritional science institutes, our interdisciplinary expertise covers all aspects of food systems and their analysis.
Specializations of our scientific staff include, for example, food microbiology, food biotechnology, food analytics, food chemistry, and food sensors.
Research Focuses
There are two major research focuses in the area of food science, biotechnology, and food chemistry in Hohenheim:
The focus “safe and technological treatment of food systems” combines research activities on the links between food ingredients, microorganisms, and enzymes with the technological processes used to produce them. The experimental research in this area concentrates on the behavior of individual substances during production and the reactions of substances with and in the complex food matrix as well as food contact materials.
The second research focus “producing functional food substances” includes activities that look into the viability and safety of new substances and additives in food production. Our research in this area aims to increase the quality of food, but also to develop new and innovative food products that offer advantages to specific consumer groups.
Cooperation
So that we can continue to expand our successful, ongoing research projects and to create sustainable synergies, we collaborate intensively with our excellent partners:
- Technical University of Munich
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
- German Institute of Food Technologies (Osnabrück)
- Max-Rubner Institute
| Application deadlines | |
|---|---|
| 1st subject-related semester |
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Higher subject-related semesters |
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| Requirements | |
|---|---|
| Formal requirements | Bachelor’s degree in natural or engineering sciences (180 ECTS credits) |
| Content criteria |
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| Language skills | English B2 |
| Pre-study internship | no |
| Selection procedure | |
|---|---|
| Selection criteria | no |
| Selection interview | no |