Food Business & Innovation

Course Outline
Our MSc programme in Food Business and Innovation is offered by the College of Business & Law at University College Cork (UCC) in Ireland. It prepares students for a career in the dynamic world of food business and will set you up to play a lead role in the analysis of key sectoral issues and strategic management of the ever-evolving food industry.

The balance of modules in this programme reflects the global nature of the food industry. Students will expand their knowledge of food, the food consumer, innovation in food and the decision-making processes in companies that develop, brand, distribute, and sell food products. The practical application of learning in this course will equip you with analytical, communication, business, and presentation skills, which are required and highly valued by the industry.

The skills learned in this course are highly transferable so our graduates pursue employment opportunities in both the food sector (international corporations, SMEs, start-ups, and food agencies) and non-food sector (banks, market research firms, and higher education).

Course Practicalities
The MSc in Food Business and Innovation is a full-time 12-month programme. In the first part, you will attend classes and seminars from Monday to Friday (inclusive). During the programme, you will complete a Food Industry Centred Research Project under the guidance of an academic and industry mentor.

Why Choose This Course
A central part of our MSc in Food Business and Innovation programme is the Food Industry Centred Research Project together with a work placement opportunity. This can take place in a food company, food agency, university, bank or related establishment. This placement allows students to gain valuable work experience and apply their theoretical skills, developed through lectures and capstone-style seminars, to the actual workplace.

Participants can complete their placement either in Ireland or abroad, depending on their interests.

Additional unique features of this innovative programme include an in-depth introduction to the national and international food sectors; a unique blend of relevant courses that are relevant to both established food firms and start-ups; and an introduction to leading-edge food research issues, innovative teaching methods (including boot-camps) and an exposure to digital marketing methods.

Connected Curriculum
Our learning approach also reflects our commitment to the Connected Curriculum where we emphasise the connection between students, learning, research and leadership through our vision for a Connected University. Our staff are at the forefront of this integrative approach to learning and will support you in making meaningful connections within and between disciplines such as food policy, food markets, global issues, business and marketing.

Glanbia MSc Food Business and Innovation Scholarship
Applicants to this programme can apply for the Glanbia MSc Food Business and Innovation Scholarship worth almost €11,000. Please see the Glanbia MSc Food Business and Innovation Scholarship page for more information.

The MSc (Food Business and Innovation) programme comprises two parts with a total of 90 credits.

Modules
Part I (60 credits)

FE6005 Strategic Food Marketing (5 credits)
FE6505 Food Entrepreneurship and Innovation (10 credits)
FE6506 Food Branding and Digital Media Marketing (5 credits)
FE6507 Economics of Agri-Food Markets and Value Chain Analysis (5 credits)
FE6511 Category Management and Food Retail Marketing (10 credits)
FE6512 Sustainable Food Systems (5 credits)
FE6517 Supply Chain Management and Food Integrity (5 credits)
FE6902 Global Food Policy Issues (5 credits)
MG6012 Consumer Culture and Consumer-Brand Relationships (10 credits)

Part II (30 credits)

FE6127 Applied Food Industry-Centred Research Project (30 credits)
See the College Calendar (Food Business & Innovation) for further details on content and modules.

Modules

Further details on the modules listed above can be found in our Book of Modules. Any modules listed above are indicative of the current set of modules for this course but are subject to change from year to year.

University Calendar

You can find the full academic content for the current year of any given course in our University Calendar.

To be eligible for the MSc in Food Business and Innovation programme, applicants must hold at least a Second Class Honours Grade II in a primary honours degree (NFQ Level 8).

Consideration under Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) may also be given to applicants who have a minimum of three years of relevant professional experience, subject to the approval of the Programme Director.

English Language Requirements
Applicants that are non-native speakers of the English language must meet the university-approved English language requirements. Please visit our PG English Language Requirements page for more information.

For applicants with qualifications completed outside of Ireland
Applicants must meet the required entry academic grade, equivalent to Irish requirements. For more information see our Qualification Comparison page.

International/Non-EU Applicants
For full details of the non-EU application procedure visit our how to apply pages for international students.

In UCC, we use the term programme and course interchangeably to describe what a person has registered to study in UCC and its constituent colleges, schools, and departments.

Note that not all courses are open to international/non-EU applicants, please check the fact file above. For more information contact the International Office.

The closing date for non-EU applications is 30 June 2023

How Do I Apply
1. Check Dates: Check the opening and closing dates for the application process in the fact file boxes at the top of the page.

For Irish and EU applicants we operate a rounds system and you can check the rounds closing dates here.
Note that not all our programmes are subject to the rounds system so check the opening and closing dates for your specific programme in the fact file boxes above.

2. Gather Documents: Scanned copies of supporting documents have to be uploaded to the UCC online application portal and include:

Original qualification documents listed on your application including transcripts of results from institutions other than UCC.
Any supplementary items requested for your course if required.

3. Apply Online: Apply online via the UCC online application portal. Note the majority of our courses have a non-refundable €50 application fee.

Any questions? Use our web enquiry form to contact us.

Additional Requirements (all applicants)
Please note you will be required to provide additional information as part of the online application process for this programme. We strongly encourage you to complete these sections as this information will support your application.

Additional information required will include the following:

Please enter the details of professional or voluntary positions held.

Please detail your current occupation/specialty.

In addition to your previously declared qualifications, please outline any additional academic courses, self-learning, and professional training relevant to this programme.

Please describe your motivation and readiness for this programme.

Please upload your CV & add the name and email address of two referees.

You will be assessed by examinations, continuous assessment and a Food Industry Centred Research Project report.

12 months full-time.

Start Date 7 September 2020

Skills and Careers Information
Our Food and Innovation course is ideally suited to graduates who seek employment opportunities in a broad sector of food and non-food settings; these areas include market research, consumer research, food business management, product marketing, and brand management, new product development, food retail organisations, the financial sector as food analysts, research institutions and policy organisations, and organisations that support food firms nationally and internationally.

What are our graduates doing?
Graduates on sister programmes have secured employment in international food and non-food firms (Glanbia, Ornua, Kerrygold Ireland, Britvic, Danone, Aldi, Dawn, AIB, LinkedIn), banks, food agencies (Bord Bia, UK Home-Grown Cereals Authority, Teagasc), brand management and marketing departments (Kerry Foods, Musgrave Group, Nestle), non-food agencies (Enterprise Ireland, IBEC, Bord Bia), market research firms (AC Nielsen, Spark Market Research, Dunhumby) and in Higher Education (Munster Technological University, Waterford Institute of Technology, University of Lancaster).