MSc SUSTAINABLE FOOD QUALITY FOR HEALTH

The MSc in Sustainable Food Quality for Health offers industry professionals the opportunity to develop their professional roles and to implement an independent programme of research within the workplace.

A flexible pathway delivers training that crosses traditional skill disciplines within the fields of food and agricultural science and the MSc programme brings the opportunity to engage in critical reflection upon existing scientific literature and current state-of-the-art research findings towards the planning and execution of original industry-based research. Graduates of the programme will acquire cognitive, practical, professional and transferable skills to enable them to assume leadership roles within the industry.

Part 1 - Taught Component - 120 credits

The taught component aims to provide a depth of understanding at the cutting edge of current knowledge across a broad base of disciplines relevant to the modern food industry. The programme has been designed as flexible, modular training to allow for part-time and online study to enable participants to balance study with work.

Part 2 - Research Component - 60 credits

The research project is conducted within the participant’s workplace with additional access to facilities and expertise within the AFTP. The project will be supervised by at least one academic supervisor (a permanent member of academic staff The University of Reading) and one company-based supervisor.

Developed with leading academics from the Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences and School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, in conjunction with the AgriFood AFTP’s academic and industrial partners and collaborators typically, holders of the MSc qualification can expect to gain the following knowledge, understanding and skills:

Knowledge and understanding of:

• Advanced concepts and techniques in scientific disciplines relevant to the food and agricultural industries
• Global food security issues and their impact on the food and agricultural industries
• Background scientific, technical, commercial and policy literature
• Research methods and study design
• Project planning and management
• Current professional developments within field of work

Intellectual Skills

• Think logically and evaluate critical research and advanced scholarship in their discipline
• Plan and implement tasks at a professional level to solve problems related to their discipline
• Relate systematic evidence to issues arising in professional practice
• Plan, conduct and write a report on an independent research project

Practical Skills

• Apply, or adapt, experimental methodology safely and accurately
• Interpret quantitatively the results of experiments undertaken by themselves or others
• Devise experimental methods appropriate for tackling a particular problem
• Use statistical and related methods to objectively evaluate data and draw conclusions
• Access a wide range of literature and data using bibliographic and IT skills
• Communicate scientific ideas and conclusions to different audiences across disciplines

Transferable skills

• Monitor own learning
• Communicate orally and in writing with scientific rigour
• Critically evaluate information from a variety of sources to develop understanding and make decisions
• Project planning and management
• Data analysis
• Report writing

For a full breakdown of this course, take a look at the AFTP profile.