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 MSc 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 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 MSc 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.



What Will I Learn?

Graduates of the MSc Sustainable Food Processing will:

• Be skilled in proposing and developing solutions to sustainability problems as they relate to post-farm-gate food processing and communicate these to stakeholders, at a professional and appropriate level, utilizing information technology and a range of approaches

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

• Demonstrate competence to acquire, organise, analyse, integrate and critically review information from a wide range of sources relating to issues in Sustainable Food Processing and construct and defend reasoned conclusions

• Demonstrate effective time management and organization skills

• Have a working knowledge of the structures and theoretical tools that enable efficient teamwork, in order to generate innovative ideas and know-how to approach their subsequent selection for further development

• Integrate and apply knowledge of key principles underlying Sustainable Food Processing

• Think independently, show initiative, evaluate and select appropriate and reasoned approaches to solve problems

• Use the principles of scientific inquiry, to research a particular Sustainable Food Processing issue that merits a detailed research investigation.



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. 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.

Module/Trimester/Credits



Stage 1 Options - A)25CR:

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. Students should refer to the Sustainable Food Processing Handbook for further details.

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

FDSC40930 Sustainability Project Spring 5



Stage 1 Options - B)50CR:

Students must take all option modules from the following list (50 credits) over 2-4 years of the programme. Students should refer to the Sustainable Food Processing Handbook for further details.

BSEN30640 Life Cycle Assessment O/L Autumn 5

FDSC40980 Sustainability in Diet 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

FDSC40940 Food Toxicology Spring 5

FDSC41030 Food Chain Integrity O/L Spring 5

FDSC41040 Environmental Food Processing Spring 5

FDSC41050 One Health O/L Spring 5



Stage 1 Options - C)15CR:

Students must take 15 credits of option modules from the following list over 2-4 years of the programme. Students should refer to the Sustainable Food Processing Handbook for further details.

FDSC40710 Bioinformatics in Food Safety Autumn 5

FDSC40900 Food Microbiology Autumn 5

FDSC40920 Plant Foods Autumn 5

FDSC40970 Food Safety Genomics Autumn 5

FDSC40890 Animal Foods Spring 5

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

• Applicants must hold a minimum of a Second-Class Honours degree in a cognate subject (Science, Engineering or related discipline), or international equivalent.

• Applicants with other awards who hold substantial relevant work experience will 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.

• 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.

D074: Master of Science in Sustainable Food Processing Part-Time

Commencing September 2026

Graduate Taught

Careers & Employability

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 MSc 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.