Food Science and Technology is an exciting multidisciplinary field that prepares majors with a comprehensive knowledge of the biological, physical and engineering sciences to develop new food products, design innovative processing technologies, improve food quality and nutritive value, enhance the safety of foods and ensure the wholesomeness of our food supply. Food Science majors apply the principles learned in the basic sciences such as food chemistry, biochemistry, genetics, microbiology, food engineering and nutrition to provide consumers with safe, wholesome and attractive food products that contribute to their health and well-being. For more information, visit http://foodscience.tamu.edu.
The undergraduate curriculum is approved by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) and offers two tracks, a Food Science Option and an Industry Option. These tracks provide promising career opportunities in areas such as food product/process design, technical service, research and development, quality assurance, food safety, food law, regulatory oversight, technological innovation, marketing, corporate sales, sensory evaluation and operations management. There are numerous opportunities available for corporate internships, scholarships and study abroad programs that provide real-world experience and enhance opportunities for employment after completing a baccalaureate degree. The major also provides an excellent background for those interested in professional schools, graduate studies, medicine, veterinary medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, physical therapy, nursing, occupational therapy and public health.
Food Industry Option
The Food Industry option integrates knowledge from the basic disciplines of chemistry, microbiology, physics and biology and applies scientific principles from food engineering, food processing operations, sensory evaluation, food safety, HACCP, quality assurance and management to produce foods that are wholesome, affordable and safe. The goal of the curriculum is to prepare Food Technologists for careers in the food and related industries. These careers may involve food processing, manufacturing, technical service, food product development, operations management, regulatory oversight and other technology based opportunities.
Plan of Study Grid First Year |
Fall |
CHEM 119 | Fundamentals of Chemistry I | 4 |
ENGL 103
| Introduction to Rhetoric and Composition
or Composition and Rhetoric | 3 |
FSTC 201 | Food Science | 3 |
FSTC 210/NUTR 210 | Horizons in Nutrition and Food Science | 1 |
1 | 3 |
2 | 1 |
| Semester Credit Hours | 15 |
Spring |
CHEM 120 | Fundamentals of Chemistry II | 4 |
| 3 |
| Introduction to Agricultural Economics | |
| Principles of Economics | |
| Principles of Economics | |
3 | 3 |
3 | 3 |
1 | 3 |
| Semester Credit Hours | 16 |
Second Year |
Fall |
BIOL 111 | Introductory Biology I | 4 |
CHEM 257 | Organic Chemistry I - Structure and Function | 4 |
NUTR 202
| Fundamentals of Human Nutrition
or Scientific Principles of Human Nutrition | 3 |
POLS 206 | American National Government | 3 |
| Semester Credit Hours | 14 |
Spring |
ACCT 209 | Survey of Accounting Principles | 3 |
PHYS 201 | College Physics | 4 |
3 | 3 |
3 | 3 |
2 | 3 |
| Semester Credit Hours | 16 |
Third Year |
Fall |
ENGL 210 | Technical and Professional Writing | 3 |
FSTC 311 | Principles of Food Processing | 3 |
POLS 207 | State and Local Government | 3 |
| 3 |
| Meats | |
| Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point System | |
| Introduction to Fermentation and Brewing Sciences | |
| Fundamental Baking | |
| Fermentation Technology for Alternative Protein Production | |
| Molecular Methods for Microbial Detection and Characterization | |
| Understanding Obesity - A Social and Scientific Challenge | |
| Food Safety and Preventive Controls for Human Food | |
| Precision Fermentation and Future of Foods | |
| Supervised Research in Mediterranean Nutrition and Food Processing in Italy | |
| Food Processing for Sustainable Nutrition in Brazil | |
| Harnessing the Power of Healthy Functional Food Ingredients | |
| Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point System | |
| Directed Studies | |
| Special Topics in... | |
| Research | |
| Viticulture and Small Fruit Culture | |
| Concepts of Wine Production | |
| Enology | |
| Scientific Principles of Foods | |
| Religious and Ethnic Foods | |
| Nutritional Pharmacometrics of Food Compounds | |
| Poultry Further Processing | |
2 | 4 |
| Semester Credit Hours | 16 |
Spring |
AGEC 314 | Marketing Agricultural and Food Products | 3 |
FSTC 312 | Food Chemistry | 3 |
FSTC 313 | Food Chemistry Laboratory | 1 |
MGMT 309 | Survey of Management | 3 |
| 3 |
| Introduction to Biometry | |
| Statistical Methods | |
| Statistical Methods | |
2 | 1 |
| Semester Credit Hours | 14 |
Fourth Year |
Fall |
FSTC 314 | Food Analysis | 3 |
AGSM 315/FSTC 315 | Food Process Engineering Technology | 3 |
ANSC 326/FSTC 326 | Food Bacteriology | 3 |
ANSC 327/FSTC 327 | Food Bacteriology Lab | 1 |
| 3 |
| Meats | |
| Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point System | |
| Introduction to Fermentation and Brewing Sciences | |
| Fundamental Baking | |
| Fermentation Technology for Alternative Protein Production | |
| Molecular Methods for Microbial Detection and Characterization | |
| Understanding Obesity - A Social and Scientific Challenge | |
| Food Safety and Preventive Controls for Human Food | |
| Precision Fermentation and Future of Foods | |
| Harnessing the Power of Healthy Functional Food Ingredients | |
| Supervised Research in Mediterranean Nutrition and Food Processing in Italy | |
| Food Processing for Sustainable Nutrition in Brazil | |
| Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point System | |
| Directed Studies | |
| Special Topics in... | |
| Research | |
| Viticulture and Small Fruit Culture | |
| Concepts of Wine Production | |
| Enology | |
| Scientific Principles of Foods | |
| Religious and Ethnic Foods | |
| Nutritional Pharmacometrics of Food Compounds | |
| Poultry Further Processing | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 13 |
Spring |
BICH 303
| Elements of Biological Chemistry
or Comprehensive Biochemistry I | 3 |
FSTC 401 | Food Product Development | 3 |
FSTC 444 | Fundamentals of Food Law | 3 |
FSTC 481 | Seminar | 1 |
2 | 6 |
| Semester Credit Hours | 16 |
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 120 |
A total of 120 hours is required for graduation; 36 hours of 300/400 level courses are required to meet the Texas A&M University residency requirement.