Food Safety

As the global population increases, creating a demand for even more food, producing safe food has never been as important. Many of us are in the lucky position that we can say we get to eat something everyday, and ideally, that food which we eat should not make us sick or cause us to feel unwell. Put simply: ‘If it isn’t safe, it isn’t food!’.

This programme, which is underpinned by current and ongoing research, will give students a detailed understanding of the issues affecting food safety both from the perspective of the food industry and regulatory authorities, as well as enabling students to develop the necessary analytical skills and theoretical understanding to manage food safety programmes within global food companies or within national and international food safety regulatory agencies. This programme is designed for and will appeal to Science or Technology graduates who currently don’t have a qualification in Food Safety, as well as professionals who are currently working in the Food Industry, that wish to upskill and further develop their expertise in food safety.

Delivered by leading international experts from the UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science and the UCD Institute of Food and Health the MSc Food Safety will develop committed and interdisciplinarily trained graduates skilled in the area of Food Safety in the context of the broader food industry.

Stage 1 Option
Chemistry of Nutrients FDSC40500
Food Microbiology & Safety FDSC40520
Principles of Biochemistry FDSC40530
Food Process Technology FDSC40540
Bioinformatics in Food Safety FDSC40710
Animal Foods FDSC40890
Food Microbiology FDSC40900
Plant Foods FDSC40920
Food Toxicology FDSC40940
Food Health and Diet FDSC40950
Food Safety Genomics FDSC40970
Sustainability in Diet FDSC40980
Food Safety Project FDSC40990
Food Security FDSC41020
Food Chain Integrity O/LFDSC41030
Environmental Food Processing FDSC41040
One Health O/LFDSC41050
Food Regulatory Affairs (O/L) HNUT40100
Food Quality and Safety (O/L) HNUT40110
Research Design and Statistics HNUT40130

Applicants must hold a minimum of a second-class level 8 degree, or international equivalent, in a cognate subject (Science, Engineering, or related discipline) and/or have considerable relevant work experience in the Agri-Food industry.
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.
Applicants with other awards who hold substantial relevant work experience will be considered.
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.

The following entry routes are available:

MSc Food Safety PT (D079)
Duration 2 Years
Attend Part Time
Deadline Rolling*

* Courses will remain open until such time as all places have been filled, therefore early application is advised

MSc - 2 Years Part Time
MODE OF DELIVERY: Online

NEXT INTAKE: 2024/2025 September.

Careers & Employability
The UCD MSc in Food Safety positions graduates for leadership roles in this critically important area for the Irish and Global economy.

There are excellent career opportunities for graduates in advisory, technical, and management roles both within the food industry, government organisations, and regulatory agencies.

Graduate Roles include:
Food Regulation
Food Safety and Risk Analysis
Food Safety Research
Policy Development
Scientific Analyst