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 Graduate Diploma 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 Graduate Certificat, Diploma and 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 Graduate Diploma 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.



NFQ Level: 9 (60 credits)

Level: Graduate Taught

Award: Graduate Diploma

Stage 1 Options - A)20CR:

Students must take the following 20 credits of Core Modules over the course of their programme registration. If possible students should take the Core modules in Autumn of Year 1 as these modules are pre-requisites for several Spring modules. Please keep this in mind when planning your registration and please refer to the Sustainable Food Processing Handbook for further information.

FDSC40500: Chemistry of Nutrients

FDSC40520: Food Microbiology & Safety

FDSC40530: Principles of Biochemistry

FDSC40950: Food Health and Diet



Stage 1 Options - B) Min 25CR:

Students must take a minimum of 25 credits and may take a maximum of 40 credits of option modules from the following list over their programme registration. 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) Min 0CR:

Students may take 15 credits of option modules from the following list over the course of their programme. Students should refer to the Sustainable Food Processing Handbook for further details.

FDSC40920: Plant Foods

FDSC40890: Animal Foods

HNUT40110: Food Quality and Safety (O/L)

The course is aimed at:

1) Individuals working full-time in the food industry charged with improving sustainability of food systems.



2) Recent graduates with a BSc. in areas such as Science, Agriculture, Nutrition and Environmental Sciences, as a means of differentiating themselves from other graduates in this area and thus increasing their employability.



Applicants must hold a minimum of a Second Class Honors degree (NFQ Level 8 or international equivalent) in a cognate subject (Science, Engineering or related discipline).



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



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



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.

Part-time.

Mode of Delivery: Online

D091: Graduate Diploma Sustainable Food Processing

Graduate Diploma



Part-Time: Commencing September 2025

Graduate Taught

Career & Graduate Study Opportunities

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



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