Sustainable Food Processing

At UCD, we have a long-standing commitment to addressing environmental sustainability concerns. We are uniquely positioned to provide the skills, knowledge, and expertise to a new generation of individuals passionate about tackling this pressing global topic. If you share the determination to make a positive impact and contribute to a more sustainable future, our institution can offer you the educational foundation and opportunities to become a part of the solution.



The MSc in Sustainable Food Processing will provide students with excellent knowledge of the principles underlying the sustainable processing of foods and enable graduates to apply the technical knowledge acquired to the production of high quality, safe and nutritious foods, while maximising sustainability and minimising the environmental impact of food production and processing.



The School of Agriculture and Food Science has many long-standing online MSc programmes, and as a result we are acutely aware that students require a programme that can be integrated into their busy schedules to successfully complete programmes of this nature. We have designed this MSc to be flexible, with all lectures, tutorials and other online learning tools available to you when you need them. As a fully remote, online course, we hope to make this programme as accessible as possible to people who want to study while remaining in full-time employment.



The course is delivered by leading international experts from the UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science and the UCD Institute of Food and Health. Graduates will be skilled in proposing and developing solutions to sustainability problems as they relate to post-farm-gate food processing from the point of production to the point of sale, and communicating these to stakeholders professionally.



In a time where we need to find new ways of processing food at unprecedented volumes whilst minimising their environmental impact, graduates of this programme will acquire a critical awareness of principles relating to scientific integrity and ethical issues in Sustainable Food Processing using a range of approaches.



This course is aimed at individuals working full-time in the food industry who are charged with improving the sustainability of food systems, or recent graduates who wish to specialise in the area of sustainability.



What Will I Learn?

Graduates of the MSc Sustainable Food Processing will:

• Be skilled in proposing and developing solutions to sustainability problems as they relate to post-farm-gate food processing and communicate these to stakeholders, at a professional and appropriate level, utilizing information technology and a range of approaches

• Demonstrate a critical awareness of principles relating to scientific integrity and ethical issues in Sustainable Food Processing

• Demonstrate competence to acquire, organise, analyse, integrate and critically review information from a wide range of sources relating to issues in Sustainable Food Processing and construct and defend reasoned conclusions

• Demonstrate effective time management and organization skills

• Have a working knowledge of the structures and theoretical tools that enable efficient teamwork, in order to generate innovative ideas and know-how to approach their subsequent selection for further development

• Integrate and apply knowledge of key principles underlying Sustainable Food Processing

• Think independently, show initiative, evaluate and select appropriate and reasoned approaches to solve problems

• Use the principles of scientific inquiry, to research a particular Sustainable Food Processing issue that merits a detailed research investigation.



NFQ Level: 9 (90 credits)

Level: Graduate Taught

Award: Master of Science

Stage 1 Options - A)25CR:

Students must take the 25 credits of core modules listed below over 2-4 years of the programme. Students should take FDSC40500, FDSC40520, FDSC40530, and FDSC40950 in their first Autumn trimester of Year 1. These modules are pre-requisites for several Spring modules. Students should refer to the Sustainable Food Processing Handbook for further details.



FDSC40500: Chemistry of Nutrients

FDSC40520: Food Microbiology & Safety

FDSC40530: Principles of Biochemistry

FDSC40950: Food Health and Diet

FDSC40930: Sustainability Project



Stage 1 Options - B)50CR:

Students must take all option modules from the following list (50 credits) over 2-4 years of the programme. Students should refer to the Sustainable Food Processing Handbook for further details.

BSEN30360: Life Cycle Assessment

FDSC40980: Sustainability in Diet

FDSC41020: Food Security

HNUT40100: Food Regulatory Affairs (O/L)

HNUT40130: Research Design and Statistics

FDSC40910: Food Processing

FDSC40940: Food Toxicology

FDSC41030: Food Chain Integrity O/L

FDSC41040: Environmental Food Processing

FDSC41050: One Health O/L



Stage 1 Options - C)15CR:

Students must take 15 credits of option modules from the following list over 2-4 years of the programme. Students should refer to the Sustainable Food Processing Handbook for further details.

FDSC40900: Food Microbiology

FDSC40920: Plant Foods

FDSC40970: Food Safety Genomics

FDSC40710: Bioinformatics in Food Safety

FDSC40870: Food Micro Hazards

FDSC40890: Animal Foods

HNUT40110: Food Quality and Safety (O/L)

• Applicants must hold a minimum of a Second-Class Honors degree in a cognate subject (Science, Engineering or related discipline), or international equivalent.



• Applicants with other awards who hold substantial relevant work experience will be considered.



• Applicants who do not hold the requisite Science qualification (but who hold a Level 8 Honors degree or equivalent) have been admitted previously and are advised to submit an application for assessment by the Programme Director to determine eligibility.



• 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.



You may be eligible for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), as UCD recognises formal, informal, and/or experiential learning. RPL may be awarded to gain Admission and/or credit exemptions on a programme.



Please visit the UCD Registry RPL web page (https://tinyurl.com/2ae2ffax) for further information. Any exceptions are also listed on this webpage.

2 years part-time.

Delivery: Online

D074: MSc Sustainable Food Processing

Master of Science



Part-Time: Commencing September 2025

Graduate Taught

Careers & Employability

The course is aimed at individuals working full-time in the food industry charged with improving the sustainability of food systems or those working in the food industry seeking to upskill and differentiate themselves for a career in this area. Recent graduates of food or health related disciplines seeking new careers in this rapidly expanding sector are also encouraged to apply.



Graduates of this MSc will be positioned for leadership roles in this critically important sector for the Irish and Global economy.



Opportunities for employment include: Sustainability Manager, Environmental Of?cer, Food Processing Manager, Food Production Manager, Food Safety , New Product Development, Food Regulation Manager as well as emerging opportunities around Sustainable Food Systems.