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Undergraduate Catalog

2012 - 2013

BS in Food Science
(65–68 hours*)

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The Discipline

Food science is the multidisciplinary study of food and the application of knowledge thus gained to developing food products and processes, preserving and storing food, and assuring food safety and quality. Food science addresses the conversion of raw agricultural products into a nutritious, convenient, and economical food supply. Most of the food products available in grocery stores were developed, produced, and tested by food scientists. Students graduating in food science are well prepared for immediate employment in the food industry. The technical track curriculum is approved by the Institute of Food Technologists, the principal professional organization of food scientists, and provides excellent preparation as a premedical, predental, or other preprofessional major. With the addition of one credit hour, students graduating in the technical track are able to obtain a minor in chemistry. Students pursuing the management track are eligible to apply for a business minor and are well prepared for graduate studies in a Master of Business Administration (MBA) program.

Valuable experience is gained through numerous opportunities available in the program, including faculty-mentored research, employment within the department, and paid food industry internships. Students also develop a network of professional contacts through participation in the Food Science Club, professional organizations, and national competitions. Scholarships are available from department, college, university, and professional organizations.

Career Opportunities

Exciting careers are available in the worldwide, multibillion dollar food industry in such areas as food product development, production management and sales, ensuring food safety and quality, or basic research. Salaries are highly competitive. The many facets of food science provide employment in large and small food companies, food ingredient companies, government agencies, and universities. Graduates are prepared for immediate employment, further study toward advanced degrees, or professional programs such as medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, law, and business.

Program Requirements    |    View MAP

  1. Consult with a faculty advisor prior to finalizing your curriculum plan.

  2. Complete the following core requirements:
      CHEM 105 : General College Chemistry. (4:5:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      CHEM 105 : General College Chemistry. (4:5:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      WHEN TAUGHT:Fall; Winter; Spring; Summer
      PREREQUISITE: Math 110 (or equivalent) or concurrent enrollment.
      DESCRIPTION: Atomic and molecular structure including bonding and periodic properties of the elements; reaction energetics, electrochemistry, acids and bases, inorganic and organic chemistry.
      NOTE: Primarily for students in engineering and biological sciences. Three lectures and two recitation sections per week.

      Course Outcomes


      MMBIO 221 : General Microbiology. (3:3:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      MMBIO 221 : General Microbiology. (3:3:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      OFFERED: Honors also.
      WHEN TAUGHT:Fall; Winter; Spring; Summer
      PREREQUISITE: Any chemistry course and any biology course.
      DESCRIPTION: Microbial world, emphasizing communicable diseases, their causes and control.
      NOTE: Recommended for students seeking a liberal education in microbiology who do not have the prerequisites to take the more advanced courses.

      Course Outcomes


      MMBIO 222 : General Microbiology Laboratory. (1:0:2)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      MMBIO 222 : General Microbiology Laboratory. (1:0:2)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      WHEN TAUGHT:Fall; Winter; Spring; Summer
      PREREQUISITE: MMBio 221 or concurrent enrollment.

      Course Outcomes


      NDFS 250 : Essentials of Food Science. (3:3:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      NDFS 250 : Essentials of Food Science. (3:3:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      WHEN TAUGHT:Fall; Winter; Spring
      PREREQUISITE: Organic chemistry (Chem 285 or 351) or concurrent enrollment; concurrent enrollment in NDFS 251.
      DESCRIPTION: Overview of food science, including chemical, physical and microbiological principles related to food processing, storage, and utilization. Current issues in food science.

      Course Outcomes


      NDFS 251 : Essentials of Food Science Laboratory. (1:0:3)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      NDFS 251 : Essentials of Food Science Laboratory. (1:0:3)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      WHEN TAUGHT:Fall; Winter; Spring
      PREREQUISITE: Concurrent enrollment in NDFS 250.
      DESCRIPTION: Laboratory experience in the chemistry of changes occurring during food processing, storage, and utilization.

      Course Outcomes


      NDFS 350 : Food Analysis. (4:3:3)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      WHEN TAUGHT:Winter
      PREREQUISITE: CHEM 352 & NDFS 250 & NDFS 251
      DESCRIPTION: Principles, methods and techniques of qualitative and quantitative physical, chemical, and biological analysis of food and food ingredients.

      Course Outcomes


      NDFS 355 : Food Process Engineering. (4:3:3)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      NDFS 355 : Food Process Engineering. (4:3:3)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      WHEN TAUGHT:Winter
      PREREQUISITE: PHSCS 105; Calculus (Math 112 or 115).
      DESCRIPTION: Mass and energy balances, thermodynamics, fluid flow, heat and mass transfer; unit operations in food processing, including thermal processing, frying, irradiation, refrigeration, freezing, and dehydration.

      Course Outcomes


      NDFS 361 : Food Microbiology. (3:2:3)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      NDFS 361 : Food Microbiology. (3:2:3)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      WHEN TAUGHT:Fall
      PREREQUISITE: MMBIO 221 & MMBIO 222
      DESCRIPTION: Pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms in foods and their control. Beneficial microorganisms in food systems. Influence of the food system on growth and survival of microorganisms.

      Course Outcomes


      NDFS 362 : Food Commodity Processing. (3:2:3)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      NDFS 362 : Food Commodity Processing. (3:2:3)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      WHEN TAUGHT:Fall
      PREREQUISITE: NDFS 250 & NDFS 251
      DESCRIPTION: Characteristics of raw food material; principles of food preservation and food processing techniques; packaging materials and methods; sanitation and water and waste management.

      Course Outcomes


      NDFS 462 : Food Regulations and Quality Assurance. (2:2:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      NDFS 462 : Food Regulations and Quality Assurance. (2:2:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      WHEN TAUGHT:Fall
      PREREQUISITE: STAT 121 & NDFS 250 & NDFS 251
      DESCRIPTION: Federal and international food regulations and methods of assuring food quality.

      Course Outcomes


      PHSCS 105 : Introductory Applied Physics. (3:3:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      PHSCS 105 : Introductory Applied Physics. (3:3:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      WHEN TAUGHT:Fall; Winter; Spring
      PREREQUISITE: High school algebra and trigonometry.
      RECOMMENDED: Concurrent enrollment in Phscs 107.
      DESCRIPTION: Applied physics course not requiring calculus. Topics include mechanics, heat, wave motion, sound.

      Course Outcomes


      STAT 121 : Principles of Statistics. (3:3:1)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      STAT 121 : Principles of Statistics. (3:3:1)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      OFFERED: Independent Study also; Honors also.
      WHEN TAUGHT:Fall; Winter; Spring; Summer
      RECOMMENDED: MATH 110 or equivalent.
      DESCRIPTION:  Stemplots, boxplots, histograms, scatterplots; central tendency, variability; confidence intervals and hypothesis testing involving one and two means and proportions; contingency tables, simple linear regression.

                : Honors Principles of Statistics.

      Course Outcomes


  3. Complete one of the following tracks:
    1. Food science technical track:
      1. Complete the following:

      2. Complete one course from the following:

    2. Food industry management track:

      1. Complete the following:

      2. Complete one course from the following guest lecture series:

      3. Complete one of the following major electives:
          BUS M 372 : Basic Entrepreneurship Skills. (3:3:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
          BUS M 372 : Basic Entrepreneurship Skills. (3:3:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
          WHEN TAUGHT:Fall; Winter; Spring
          DESCRIPTION: Practical aspects of business formation and growth; key skills and principles needed to successfully start up and grow a business.
          NOTE: For non-Marriott School of Management students.

          Course Outcomes


          NDFS 200 : Nutrient Metabolism. (3:3:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
          NDFS 200 : Nutrient Metabolism. (3:3:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
          WHEN TAUGHT:Fall; Spring
          PREREQUISITE: NDFS 100; Organic chemistry or concurrent enrollment.
          DESCRIPTION: Chemical structures of nutrients, their food sources, requirements, digestion, absorption, transport, metabolism, functions, storage and excretion; metabolic consequences of nutrient deficiencies, interactions, imbalances, and toxicities.

          Course Outcomes


          NDFS 450 : Food Chemistry. (3:3:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
          WHEN TAUGHT:Fall
          PREREQUISITE: NDFS 250 & NDFS 251
          DESCRIPTION: Structure and properties of food components, including water, carbohydrates, protein, lipids, other nutrients, and food additives. Chemistry of changes occurring during processing, storage, and utilization.

          Course Outcomes


          NDFS 465 : Food Product Development. (3:1:6)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
          NDFS 465 : Food Product Development. (3:1:6)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
          WHEN TAUGHT:Winter
          PREREQUISITE: NDFS 361 & NDFS 362 & NDFS 462; NDFS 350, 355 or concurrent enrollment.
          DESCRIPTION: Integration and application of food science principles to develop new food products. Laboratory experience in food product design and development. Integrative capstone course.

          Course Outcomes


  4. During the junior year or upon declaring food science as a major, students are strongly encouraged to select one of the following options to enhance career preparation (students in food industry management track MUST take 1 credit hour of NDFS 399R to graduate):
    1. Choose a research topic and faculty mentor. Working in a research laboratory for 10–20 hours per week over the course of eight months, the student has daily contact with graduate students, technicians, and fellow undergraduate colleagues and frequent interactions with a faculty mentor. Student research often leads to participation in a publication and/or a presentation at a professional meeting. NDFS 494R credit is available.

    2. Produce a senior thesis in collaboration with a faculty mentor, derived primarily from library study that extensively explores the relevant questions. The thesis is written in the format of a scientific review paper. NDFS 494R credit is available.

    3. Work in an approved, faculty-supervised summer internship with a food company (generally the internship does not include study abroad.) NDFS 399R credit is available.

Recommended Courses

Consult with a faculty advisor before selecting:

  1. Food science technical track:

  2. Food industry mangement track:

*Hours include courses that may fulfill university core requirements.



Show all Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Science (NDFS) Courses