Surrey has a great reputation for food science, and I loved the breadth of the programme. I discovered subjects I never thought I’d enjoy such as microbiology, physiology and pathology. I was able to build up a big picture on food: the influences on food and how food impacts the population.
Food science is the hidden science behind many of the foods you buy in supermarkets every day. It is a multidisciplinary subject involving the application of sciences such as chemistry and biology to the study of food. Studying a broad-based curriculum, you will gain an understanding of the raw materials that will become food, how these interact, and how food science can have dramatic implications for human health.
Nutrition is concerned with the role of diet in disease, whilst food science is associated with the study of the chemical nature of food. There is considerable overlap between these subjects. As a nutritionist, you may be concerned with the beneficial components in a food, but as a food scientist, you will need to ensure that a food bought from a supermarket contains the optimum amount of these components.
The recommendation ‘Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food’ was made by Hippocrates in 400 BCE. Today, we know that this holds true, as food science has revealed that many foods contain natural components that can prevent or delay many of the illnesses that lead to premature death. We have designed a unique degree, not only to provide you with a thorough understanding of food composition, food safety and analysis, but also to give you a high standard of experience in nutrition.
Our programmes aim to provide you with a broad and integrated understanding of food science. Being delivered in a department that carries out world-class research, our degrees offer you the opportunity to appreciate the latest developments in this subject.
Food safety also forms a key component of both degree programmes. You have only to open a newspaper, with their frequent food safety scares, to appreciate how food can be a major source of disease-causing chemicals and micro-organisms.
Year 1 covers a wide range of subjects to give you the broad scientific background required for food scientists.
Modules include:
In Year 2, your studies become more specialised and you will focus on many different aspects, including food science, food microbiology, nutrition and food analysis. A specific focus during your studies in Year 2 is on preparing you for your Professional Training placement year. You will acquire key skills which will help you not just on placement, but also in your future employment.
Modules include:
We strongly encourage you to take a salaried placement in the UK or overseas with an industrial leader such as Unilever, Nestlé, GlaxoSmithKline, the Food Standards Agency, and Mars Confectionery. We place great emphasis on organising a successful, research-based placement, allowing you to extend and enhance your practical abilities and sharpen your professional skills. Employers may sponsor the final year of your study, and many offer our students employment on graduation.
Year 3 will give you a high degree of specialisation, including an understanding of novel foods. You will have the opportunity to perform your own research project, carried out under the supervision of a member of academic staff. This will give you the opportunity to explore a research area that you are especially interested in and develop specialised lab-based skills and experience.
Modules include:
Our programmes are recognised by the Institute of Food Science and Technology.
In the third year, you will have the option of a salaried placement with an industrial leader in the UK or overseas. We place great emphasis on organising a successful placement for you that will involve a high level of personal responsibility. To help ensure that you have a successful experience, you will be visited by a tutor on average three times during the year.
The placements are research-based, allowing you to extend and enhance your practical abilities and sharpen your leadership, communication and teamwork skills. All this enables you to relate your knowledge to the solution of real problems. In the competitive world of graduate employment, companies are more likely to consider applicants who have previous professional experience.
Employers may sponsor the final year of your study and many offer our students employment on graduation.
Our placements can be international or UK-based and are with many of the leading food companies and agencies, including Waitrose, United Biscuits, Unilever, Nestle, Nutricia, Yakult, GlaxoSmithKline, the Food Standards Agency, Abbott Nutrition, Mars Confectionery, Sainsbury’s and Dairy Crest.
Our degrees are modular and based on a structured programme, allowing you to pursue the subjects essential to your degree whilst offering flexibility. On average, you will have approximately 24 hours of contact time each week (lectures, practicals and tutorials), and you will also be expected to undertake private study for a similar amount of time (laboratory write-ups, essays and other coursework).
All modules are assessed individually as you progress through the degree programmes and 15 credits are awarded for the successful completion of each one. You can accumulate marks gradually towards your final degree classification rather than everything resting on one final examination performance. Assessment takes place through a combination of examination and/or coursework, practical examinations and practical reports.
Over the last decade, our employment figures have been amongst the best in the UK, with impressive salaries being paid. We place 85 per cent of our graduates into graduate-level jobs, compared with the national average of 66 per cent. Our graduates have found exciting careers in the major food companies and retailers worldwide.
An important aspect of food science is understanding the crucial link between diet and health, so that foods can be developed which have maximum nutritional value. You could be involved in exciting research into the potential and most recent applications of food science, that is, the development of novel foods.
These include foods with new synthetic ingredients which are used to replace fats or lower cholesterol uptake, foods with novel health-promoting extracts from plants, or foods that have been altered by genetic manipulation.
You will find our graduates involved in product development, food analysis, research, consumer advice, legislation, food safety and teaching. The majority of our graduates go immediately into the job market and positions often follow naturally from a successful professional placement, but further study comes a close second. This includes taught MSc programmes and PhD studentships.
Graduates over the last few years have entered employment in roles such as:
Come to one of our Open Days, when you can tour the campus, speak to students and academic staff, see our student accommodation and ask as many questions as you like. In the meantime, order a personal prospectus – tailored to only include the subjects that interest you.
GCSE English Language and Mathematics at grade C or above (or equivalent).
Two science A-levels, one of which should be Biology.
Offers are normally made in terms of grades. Suitable candidates may be invited to an Applicant Day. During the visit to the University the candidate can find out more about the programme and meet staff and students.
Non-native speakers of English will normally be required to have IELTS 6.5 or above, with a minimum of 6.0 in each sub-skill (or equivalent).
We offer intensive English language pre-sessional courses, designed to take you to the level of English ability and skill required for your studies here.
| Award | Course Length | Professional Training | UCAS code | KIS code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BSc (Hons) | 3 years | BD46 | View KIS data set | |
| BSc (Hons) | 4 years | BD46 | View KIS data set |
We offer a range of bursaries, scholarships and other financial support.
See course information for students applying to start in September 2013.
Phone: +44 (0)1483 681 681
