UMaine launches online graduate program for food industry professionals
The University of Maine’s School of Food and Agriculture will offer a new online graduate program for food and brewing industry professionals starting in January 2020.
The 12-credit Graduate Certificate in Food Technology was developed for aspiring entrepreneurs, current professionals and those with a science or engineering background who wish to work in the food industry.
In the United States, more than 1.5 million people work at 26,000 food companies. The food and beverage industry faces complex demands — including consumers who want healthier foods, an increasing number of food safety regulations, and concern for socioeconomic and environmental effects of food production and manufacturing.
The curriculum in UMaine’s new program integrates the latest in food science with the core concepts of the food production industry. Students will develop scientific and practical knowledge and learn how to critically assess current research to solve real-world food issues. Graduates will be prepared for careers in health food markets, brewing, product development, agricultural processing, food safety and quality, research and development, and preservation and packaging.
Completion of the certificate waives the GRE admission requirement for the new online Master of Science in Food Science and Human Nutrition. The 30-credit Master of Science in Food Science and Human Nutrition is a nonthesis option that will offer students broad, advanced exposure to their field. The curriculum includes professional development courses that emphasize ethics, communication, and cultural competence, knowledge, and skills necessary for success as food industry and nutrition professionals.
More information about UMaine’s human nutrition and food technology graduate programs is online.
Contact: Mary Ellen Camire, camire@maine.edu, 207.581.1627