Food Science Major, MS

Applicants must have a Bachelor of Science degree in food technology, food science, or a related scientific field.

Requirements

Thesis Option

• Prior to research for the thesis, the student must develop a detailed written research plan and submit it to his/her committee by the end of the second semester in the program. A minimum of 6 credit hours of FDSC 500 - Thesis  is required to fulfill degree requirements. 
• In addition to the thesis requirement, a minimum of 24 credit hours of graduate course work is required. This work must be approved by the student’s committee and a minimum of 14 credit hours must be courses numbered above 500. The committee may require additional course work if the student’s progress or background indicates such need. 
• All students are required to take 1 credit hour ANSC 525  or PLSC 525 - Research Ethics for the Life Sciences  and 2 credit hours of FDSC 501 - Seminar  during their program. Students are expected to attend FDSC 501  and participate in discussions during their master’s program. 
• An oral final examination covering the thesis and course work is required.

Non-Thesis Option

• In lieu of a thesis, students are required to complete a problem in cooperation with their employer (company or governmental agency) and their faculty committee. Students working on a problem must register for 6 credit hours of FDSC 503 . 
• In addition to the requirement for 6 credit hours of FDSC 503 , a minimum of 24 credit hours of graduate course work is required. This work must be approved by the student’s committee and a minimum of 14 credit hours must be in courses numbered above 500. The committee may require additional course work if the student’s progress or background indicates such need. 
• All students are required to take 1 credit hour ANSC 525  or PLSC 525 - Research Ethics for the Life Sciences  and 2 credit hours of FDSC 501 - Seminar  during their program. Students are expected to attend FDSC 501  and participate in discussions during their master’s program.
• Students will be required to take a written comprehensive examination covering their course work. In addition, an oral final examination covering the problem and course work is required. The oral examination will be held on the Knoxville campus.

 

Accelerated Five Year BS-MS Program, Food Science Major

For qualified students, the Department of Food Science offers an accelerated 5-year BS/MS program with a BS major in Food Science and a thesis-based MS major in Food Science. Central to this program is that a qualified student may take up to 9 credit hours of approved graduate courses for their senior undergraduate electives and have them count toward both the BS degree and the MS degree. Students will be considered for conditional admission to the program during, or immediately following junior year of undergraduate study at UT.  Because the MS program requires that students write a thesis based on their original research, students in BS/MS program must start working on their research project not later than immediately following junior year of undergraduate studies. For each student in the program, a graduate advisory committee composed of a minimum of three faculty members must be established before completion of BS degree.

To be considered for conditional admission to the program:

• A student must be a declared Food Science major with a minimum GPA of 3.4, must have completed at least 15 credit hours of Food Science courses, and must have completed at least 90 credit hours of the 120 credit hours of coursework required for the BS degree with a major in Food Science.
• A student must provide three letters of recommendation and complete a personal interview with individuals comprising the Graduate and Undergraduate Committees in the Department of Food Science. 
• A student must obtain a commitment from a Food Science graduate research faculty member to serve as their graduate mentor-advisor (i.e., major professor) and at least two other graduate research faculty members to serve on their graduate advisory committee.
• Applicants are required to have completed FDSC 241 - Food Preservation and Packaging. The Department may consider other relevant factors such as an applicant’s work experience and level of maturity before conditionally admitting a student to the BS/MS program. Conditional admission of a student into the 5-year BS/MS program must be approved by both the Department of Food Science and the Graduate School. Students will be typically informed of the outcome of their application before the beginning of their senior year of undergraduate study.

Any course taken for graduate credit before satisfying all requirements for the BS degree must be approved both by the Graduate Director and by the Graduate School. These courses must be identified in advance, in consultation with the undergraduate advisor, proposed master’s graduate advisor, and advisory committee members. UT’s Senior Privilege rule imposes a maximum limit of 9 credit hours on the number of graduate-level credit hours that an undergraduate student may complete before completing an undergraduate degree and being formally admitted to the Graduate School. The form “Senior Requesting Graduate Credit” is found on the Graduate School website and must be completed, signed, and submitted to the Graduate School for approval and processing.

Conditional admission into the BS/MS program does not guarantee acceptance into either the Graduate School or the MS program. Students in the BS/MS program must apply for admission to the Graduate School and to the MS program during their senior year of undergraduate study, following the same procedures of all other student applicants. A GRE score must be submitted as part of the application for admission into any graduate program in the Department of Food Science. Students will be fully admitted to the MS program after they have been accepted both by the Graduate School and by the Food Science Department. Students will not be eligible for graduate assistantships until they are enrolled as graduate-level students in the Graduate School.