Food Safety

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 interdisciplinarity trained graduates skilled in the area of Food Safety in the context of the broader food industry.



This programme is delivered and assessed entirely online. The minimum registration to the MSc is two years, however, students have four years in which to complete the programme thereby affording flexibility. The online format of the programme enables students enrolled to combine studying while in employment.



What Will I Learn?

Graduates from the MSc Food Safety will:

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

• Develop core principles of Food Safety from a consumer and policy perspective.

• Develop Knowledge of background of Food Safety and regulation.

• Familiarity with process of Risk Analysis consisting of: Risk Assessment, Risk Management, and Risk Communication.

• Identify and knowledge of hazards in the food supply chain.

• Integrate and apply knowledge of key principles underlying Food Safety.

• Understanding of development of Food Safety from farm to fork.

• Use the principles of scientific inquiry to research a particular Food Safety issue.



This programme is suitable for individuals working full-time in the food industry charged with improving the safety and security of food systems as well as recent graduates of Science and Technology from areas such as Agriculture, Bioinformatics, Microbiology, and Molecular Biology who are interested in enhancing their knowledge in the area of Food Safety.

Module/Trimester/Credits



Stage 1 Options - A)25CR:

All 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.

FDSC40500 Chemistry of Nutrients Autumn 5

FDSC40520 Food Microbiology & Safety Autumn 5

FDSC40530 Principles of Biochemistry Autumn 5

FDSC40950 Food Health and Diet Autumn 5

FDSC40990 Food Safety Project Spring 5



Stage 1 Options - B) 50CR:

Group 1 Option Modules: Students must take all option modules from the following list (50 credits) over 2-4 years of the programme.

FDSC40710 Bioinformatics in Food Safety Autumn 5

FDSC40900 Food Microbiology Autumn 5

FDSC40970 Food Safety Genomics Autumn 5

FDSC41020 Food Security Autumn 5

HNUT40100 Food Regulatory Affairs (O/L) Autumn 5

HNUT40130 Research Design and Statistics Autumn 5

FDSC40540 Food Process Technology Spring 5

FDSC40890 Animal Foods Spring 5

FDSC40940 Food Toxicology Spring 5

FDSC41050 One Health O/L Spring 5



Stage 1 Options - C)15CR:

Group 2 Option Modules: Students must take 15 credits of option modules from the following list over 2-4 years of the programme.

FDSC40920 Plant Foods Autumn 5

FDSC40980 Sustainability in Diet Autumn 5

FDSC41030 Food Chain Integrity O/L Spring 5

FDSC41040 Environmental Food Processing Spring 5

HNUT40110 Food Quality and Safety (O/L) Spring 5

• 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.



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 for further information at: https://www.ucd.ie/registry/prospectivestudents/admissions/rpl/ Any exceptions are also listed on this webpage.

Online Application.



Who Should Apply?

Part Time option suitable for:

Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes

International (Non EEA) applicants: Yes

2 Years Part Time. Delivery: Online.

D079: Master of Science in Food Safety Part-Time

Commencing September 2026

Graduate Taught

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