Applicants must have a Bachelor of Science degree in food technology, food science, or a related scientific field. Commodity interests (meats, dairy, fruits, vegetables, bakery products) can be emphasized in any of the areas by careful selection of courses and the research topic. Minors are available in cognate fields. For detailed information, contact the department head or director of graduate studies.

Students in the thesis option are trained with the capability to perform quality research in an area of their interest. In addition to meeting course requirements, a thesis of original research directed by a research faculty member serving as the major professor is required to receive a MS degree with thesis.

The MS non-thesis options (project and coursework only with examination) are available for students with no interest in completing a thesis or decided by the advisory committee for inadequacy to complete a thesis. These options requires same course hours as the MS thesis option.

Options Available

Thesis Option
Project Option
Coursework Only With Comprehensive Exam

Campus Code

Knoxville Campus

Admissions Standards/Procedures

• Admission requirements of the Graduate Council of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, apply.
• The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is required for applicants whose native language is not English.
• In addition, applicants must submit a written statement of educational and career goals, and Graduate Rating Forms or letters of recommendation from at least three people familiar with the applicant’s scholastic ability and professional potential.
• Admission to the program is contingent upon faculty evaluation of the applicant’s undergraduate/graduate grade point average, GRE scores, rating forms, relevant work experience, and TOEFL or IELTS score, if applicable.
• Academic Standards: Students are on probation if they earn less than a 3.00 semester graduate GPA, or less than a C in any course, or NP in FDSC 500 , or if withdraw from a course without pre-approval from their graduate advisory committee.

Credit Hours Required

30 graduate credit hours

Required Courses

• Option Requirements
  • Thesis Option: FDSC 500  (6 credit hours)
  • Project Option: FDSC 503  (6 credit hours)
• All Students:
  • ANSC 525  or PLSC 525  (1 credit hour)
  • FDSC 601  (2 credit hours)

Additional Course Requirements

• Option Variations
  • Thesis Option: Minimum of 21 additional credit hours of graduate coursework is required.
  • Project Option: Minimum of 21 additional credit hours of graduate coursework is required.
  • Coursework only with comprehensive exam Option: Minimum of 27 additional credit hours of graduate coursework is required.
• This coursework must be approved by the student’s advisory committee.
• A minimum of 14 credit hours exclusive of FDSC 502  must be in courses numbered above 500.
• All students are required to complete at least 3 credit hours of graduate level statistics courses as approved by the graduate committee.
• All students are required to complete at least 6 credit hours from FDSC 511  Integrated Food Science, FDSC 514  Food Colloids, FDSC 521  Advanced Food Microbiology, FDSC 525  Molecular Parasitology, FDSC 530  Food Biochemistry, FDSC 545  Food Rheology, FDSC 541  Food Engineering, FDSC 551  Advanced Regression for Agricultural Research, FDSC 616  Physical Properties of Foods, FDSC 617  Food Proteins, FDSC 618  Structure and Functionality of Polysaccharides, or FDSC 690  Innovations in Food-related Technologies.

Non-Course Requirements

• Thesis Option:
  • Prior to research for the thesis, the student must develop a detailed written research plan and defend it by his/her advisory committee at least one semester before the graduating semester.
  • Students are expected to attend FDSC 601  and participate in discussions during their master’s program.
  • All students are required to have teaching experience in the FDSC Department for at least one term.
  • An oral final examination covering the thesis and coursework is required.
• Project Option:
  • Students are required to complete a project in cooperation with their employer (company or governmental agency) and/or their advisory committee.
  • Students are expected to attend FDSC 601  and participate in discussions during their master’s program.
  • An oral final examination covering the project and coursework is required. The oral examination will be held on the Knoxville campus. In case of failure, the candidate may not apply for reexamination until the following semester. The result of the second examination is final.
• Coursework Only with Comprehensive Exam Option:
  • Students are required to take a written comprehensive examination covering their coursework.
  • Students are expected to attend FDSC 601  and participate in discussions during their master’s program.
  • An oral final examination covering the contents in the written comprehensive exam and coursework is required. The oral examination will be held on the Knoxville campus. In case of failure, the candidate may not apply for reexamination until the following semester. The result of the second examination is final.

Five-Year BS/MS Program – Food Science Major, MS

For qualified students, the Department of Food Science offers an 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 by the end of their 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 starting the senior 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, Science concentration, with a minimum GPA of 3.40, 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 by the end of their junior year of undergraduate study.

Any graduate course taken before satisfying all requirements for the BS degree must be approved by the student’s graduate advisory committee, the Graduate Director, and the Graduate School. These graduate courses must be identified in advance in consultation with the undergraduate advisor and the graduate advisory committee.

A student that is conditionally admitted to the BS-MS program may complete up to 9 credit hours of graduate level coursework during the student’s undergraduate study and apply those 9 credit hours to satisfy both the BS degree requirements and also the MS degree requirements, provided that these graduate credit hours were approved by both the Department and by the Graduate School.

The form “Food Science Conditional Admission 5 Year BS-MS” is available from the Graduate Director and must be completed and signed by the undergraduate advisor, undergraduate coordinator, and graduate advisory committee at least two months before the end of the junior year. After review by the Department, the form will be signed by the Graduate Director and submitted to the Graduate School for approval and processing.

To receive graduate credit for the 9 credit hours listed on the Food Science Conditional Admission Form and approved by their graduate advisory committee, and others granting approval by signing that form, the student must complete and submit the Senior Requesting Graduate Credit Form to the Graduate School. If the graduate courses are to be taken during different semesters, the student will need to submit this form per each relevant semester.

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 submit an application for admission to the Office of Graduate Admissions and to the MS program during their senior year of undergraduate study for the term immediately following the completion of their 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.