The Major

Students in Food Science can choose between three major options: Food Science and Technology or Food Health and the Environment or Culinary Science.

Food Science and Technology

This option is designed for students who wish to pursue industrial careers in research or technology development or who wish to enter graduate school. Students take a combination of courses in basic and applied sciences. Required math and science courses include calculus (MATH 127 and 128), general chemistry (CHEM 111 and 112), organic chemistry (CHEM 261, 262 and 269), biology, physics, microbiology, and biochemistry. Food Science requirements include food processing, food chemistry, food microbiology, food engineering, and nutrition.

Food, Health and the Environment

The food industry is becoming increasingly aware of the interrelationship of foods, health, and the environment. Students in this option study the basic sciences while exploring complex problems related to food policy, nutrition, food safety, and toxicology in order to prepare for jobs in regulation, quality assurance, and product development. Basic math and science requirements include CHEM 111 and 112, and organic chemistry, as well as courses in math, biology, physics, microbiology, and biochemistry. Depending on a student’s interest, additional courses in food science, nutrition, environmental science, public health, and resource economics are used to fulfill graduation requirements.

Culinary Science

Home-cooked and restaurant-quality foods that are quickly prepared, delicious, and convenient are now the standard sought by consumers. This demand has created job opportunities in the food industry for individuals with expertise in both culinary arts and food science. The Department of Food Science has developed a unique program in Culinology® that has been accredited by the Research Chefs Association. This program combines culinary arts and food science by accepting students with a two-year culinary arts degree and providing them with a science-oriented framework that enables them to obtain a B.S. in Food Science from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in three years. Basic science requirements include CHEM 111 and 112, organic chemistry, as well as courses in mathematics, statistics, physics, and microbiology. Food Science requirements include food processing, food microbiology, food chemistry, and nutrition.