BSc Food Science with Business with Industrial Training
-
UCAS code
D691 -
A level offer
Course closed for September 2023 entry -
Year of entry
2023/24 -
Course duration
Full Time: 4 Years
-
Year of entry
2023/24 -
Course duration
Full Time: 4 Years
Gain a competitive edge in the food industry by combining specialist food science skills and business expertise – and spend a year working in industry – with our BSc Food Science with Business with Industrial Training degree.
Taught by experts from the Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences and Henley Business School, this four-year degree will prepare you for managerial, commercial or technical positions in the food sector. It includes an integrated work placement year in industry to broaden your skill set and enhance your employability.
Become a food science specialist at the University of Reading
- Top ten UK university for Food Science (joint 5th in The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2021).
- 95% of our research impact is rated outstanding (Research Excellence Framework 2021, combining 4*, 3* and 2*submissions – Agriculture, Food and Veterinary Sciences).
- In the National Student Survey 2023, 100% of our students agreed our teaching staff were good or very good at explaining things (100% of respondents studying in the Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences).
- Our food science graduates have the second-highest median salary of such graduates six months after graduation (The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2019, based on analysis of 2017 graduate salaries).
Study with experts at Henley Business School
- Henley Business School is part of an elite group of business schools to hold triple-accredited status from the UK, European and US accrediting bodies (AMBA, EQUIS and AACSB).
- Ranked 5th in the UK for graduate prospects in Business, Management & Marketing, Guardian University Guide, 2021.
You'll combine the essentials of business with the fundamental science underpinning food and nutrition, including:
- food processing and engineering
- food product development
- human physiology
- microbiology
- economics
- marketing
- financial management.
At Reading, you’ll also develop key technical skills through laboratory-based practicals, sensory evaluation, and work in our pilot-scale food processing plant.
During your final year you will carry out an original project as part of one of our existing research groups, and embark on a venture project within Henley Business School.
Professional accreditation
Our BSc Food Science with Business with Industrial Training course is accredited by the Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST), the industry’s leading professional body.
Accreditation provides an assurance that your degree meets the standards expected by the food industry, helping you to stand out in a competitive job market. You'll also be recognised as a professional food scientist by the Institute of Food Science and Technology.
Industrial Placement
Between your second and final year, you will spend a year on a paid industrial training placement. Placements can be located anywhere in the UK, and occasionally abroad. You can expect to earn between £15,000 and £20,000.
In recent years, students have taken on a variety of roles, including quality assurance officers, food technologists and product development scientists. Some placements take place at large multinational organisations but you could also opt for a small independent manufacturing or research company.
Previous students from the Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences have undertaken placements with:
- Mars Food
- Graze
- Marks & Spencer
- Bakkavor.
Read about Louisa Andrews, who credits her industrial placement experience as fundamental to securing a job in the food industry after graduation.
You will be given support to secure your ideal placement, including help with your CV, interview practice skills, and guidance from our placement coordinator and team of careers consultants.
Learn more about professional placements with the Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences.
Teaching and research facilities
The University of Reading has one of the UK's largest Food and Nutritional Sciences departments, with extensive facilities that enable us to engage in diverse teaching and research.
- The Food Processing Centre is one of the largest facilities of its kind in the UK, with a floor space of 1100 square metres. The Centre contains processing equipment for food product development work, allowing you to simulate and recreate industry conditions.
- The Flavour Centre analyses the chemistry of flavour, which is crucial to developing successful new products.
- The Sensory Science Centre provides high-quality sensory evaluation data, offering valuable insight into how we perceive flavour, taste and texture in food.
- The Hugh Sinclair Unit of Human Nutrition explores the relationship between diet and the risk of chronic disease.
Our research expertise feeds directly into the topics you will study throughout your degree, giving you access to the latest developments in food science.
Depending on the modules you choose, you will also have the opportunity to use our versatile facilities in your studies.
Overview
Gain a competitive edge in the food industry by combining specialist food science skills and business expertise – and spend a year working in industry – with our BSc Food Science with Business with Industrial Training degree.
Taught by experts from the Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences and Henley Business School, this four-year degree will prepare you for managerial, commercial or technical positions in the food sector. It includes an integrated work placement year in industry to broaden your skill set and enhance your employability.
Become a food science specialist at the University of Reading
- Top ten UK university for Food Science (joint 5th in The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2021).
- 95% of our research impact is rated outstanding (Research Excellence Framework 2021, combining 4*, 3* and 2*submissions – Agriculture, Food and Veterinary Sciences).
- In the National Student Survey 2023, 100% of our students agreed our teaching staff were good or very good at explaining things (100% of respondents studying in the Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences).
- Our food science graduates have the second-highest median salary of such graduates six months after graduation (The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2019, based on analysis of 2017 graduate salaries).
Study with experts at Henley Business School
- Henley Business School is part of an elite group of business schools to hold triple-accredited status from the UK, European and US accrediting bodies (AMBA, EQUIS and AACSB).
- Ranked 5th in the UK for graduate prospects in Business, Management & Marketing, Guardian University Guide, 2021.
You'll combine the essentials of business with the fundamental science underpinning food and nutrition, including:
- food processing and engineering
- food product development
- human physiology
- microbiology
- economics
- marketing
- financial management.
At Reading, you’ll also develop key technical skills through laboratory-based practicals, sensory evaluation, and work in our pilot-scale food processing plant.
During your final year you will carry out an original project as part of one of our existing research groups, and embark on a venture project within Henley Business School.
Professional accreditation
Our BSc Food Science with Business with Industrial Training course is accredited by the Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST), the industry’s leading professional body.
Accreditation provides an assurance that your degree meets the standards expected by the food industry, helping you to stand out in a competitive job market. You'll also be recognised as a professional food scientist by the Institute of Food Science and Technology.
Industrial Placement
Between your second and final year, you will spend a year on a paid industrial training placement. Placements can be located anywhere in the UK, and occasionally abroad. You can expect to earn between £15,000 and £20,000.
In recent years, students have taken on a variety of roles, including quality assurance officers, food technologists and product development scientists. Some placements take place at large multinational organisations but you could also opt for a small independent manufacturing or research company.
Previous students from the Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences have undertaken placements with:
- Mars Food
- Graze
- Marks & Spencer
- Bakkavor.
Read about Louisa Andrews, who credits her industrial placement experience as fundamental to securing a job in the food industry after graduation.
You will be given support to secure your ideal placement, including help with your CV, interview practice skills, and guidance from our placement coordinator and team of careers consultants.
Learn more about professional placements with the Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences.
Learning
Teaching and research facilities
The University of Reading has one of the UK's largest Food and Nutritional Sciences departments, with extensive facilities that enable us to engage in diverse teaching and research.
- The Food Processing Centre is one of the largest facilities of its kind in the UK, with a floor space of 1100 square metres. The Centre contains processing equipment for food product development work, allowing you to simulate and recreate industry conditions.
- The Flavour Centre analyses the chemistry of flavour, which is crucial to developing successful new products.
- The Sensory Science Centre provides high-quality sensory evaluation data, offering valuable insight into how we perceive flavour, taste and texture in food.
- The Hugh Sinclair Unit of Human Nutrition explores the relationship between diet and the risk of chronic disease.
Our research expertise feeds directly into the topics you will study throughout your degree, giving you access to the latest developments in food science.
Depending on the modules you choose, you will also have the opportunity to use our versatile facilities in your studies.
Entry requirements Course closed for September 2023 entry
Structure
Compulsory modules include:
Code | Module | Convenor |
---|---|---|
AP1EM2 | The Fundamentals of Business and Marketing | MR Nick Walker |
CH1FC3 | Molecular Studies for the Life Sciences | DR Silvia Baldanza |
FB1AG2 | Farm to Fork | DR Emma Bennett |
FB1EP2 | Introduction to Food Processing and Engineering | DR Colette Catherine Fagan |
FB1MF1 | Food Microbiology | PROF Dimitris Charalampopoulos |
FB1PN | Introduction to Human Physiology and Nutrition | PROF Jeremy Spencer |
MM1F10 | Student Enterprise | DR Lebene Soga |
Optional modules include:
Code | Module | Convenor |
---|---|---|
AP1EM1 | Introduction to Marketing | MR Nick Walker |
AP1SB1 | Introduction to Management | PROF Julian Park |
CH1FC1 | Fundamental Concepts in Chemistry 1 | DR Silvia Baldanza |
AR1EMP10 | Early Empires: Mesopotamia, Egypt & Rome [10 credits] | PROF Roger Matthews |
AR1FOR10 | Forensic Anthropology and the Archaeology of Death [10 credit] | DR Gundula Müldner |
AR1RAT1 | Revolutions and Transitions: The Human Journey from 6 Million Years Ago to the Present Day | PROF Steve Mithen |
AR1SOC10 | Contemporary world cultures: an introduction to social anthropology [10 credits] | DR Alanna Cant |
GV1B1 | Introduction to Environmental Science | DR Hazel McGoff |
MT1CC | The Science of Climate Change | PROF Nigel Arnell |
These are the modules that we currently offer. They may change for your year of study as we regularly review our module offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.
Compulsory modules include:
Code | Module | Convenor |
---|---|---|
FB2C20 | Composition and Properties of Foods | PROF Richard Frazier |
FB2EFP | Food Processing | DR Colette Catherine Fagan |
FB2FQS | Food Quality and Sensory Science | DR Stella Lignou |
FB2MF2 | Microbiological Hazards in Foods | DR Marie Lewis |
FB2PYA | Industrial Training Preparation | MRS Justine Norris |
Optional modules include:
Code | Module | Convenor |
---|---|---|
AP2EM5 | Digital Marketing | DR Rodrigo Perez Vega |
AP2SB3 | Applied Marketing and Management | MR Akbar Karim |
These are the modules that we currently offer. They may change for your year of study as we regularly review our module offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.
Compulsory modules include:
Code | Module | Convenor |
---|---|---|
FB2PYB | Industrial Training Year | MRS Justine Norris |
These are the modules that we currently offer. They may change for your year of study as we regularly review our module offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.
Compulsory modules include:
Code | Module | Convenor |
---|---|---|
AP3EB3 | Supply Chain Management | DR Giacomo Zanello |
FB3FLV | Advanced Flavour Chemistry | DR Maria Oruna-Concha |
FB3FPD | Food Product Development | DR Maria Oruna-Concha |
FB3PFB | Research Project | PROF Gunter Kuhnle |
FB3QSF | Advanced Food Quality and Sensory | MRS Justine Norris |
MM392 | Entrepreneurial Management Venture Project | DR Amal Ahmadi |
MM399 | Digital Entrepreneurship | DR Matteo Borghi |
Optional modules include:
Code | Module | Convenor |
---|---|---|
FB2IFC | Issues in Food Choice | PROF Lisa Methven |
FB3GSA | Consumer Attitudes to Food Quality | PROF Lisa Methven |
These are the modules that we currently offer. They may change for your year of study as we regularly review our module offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.
Fees
New UK/Republic of Ireland students: £9,250*
New international students: £24,500
*UK/Republic of Ireland fee changes
UK/Republic of Ireland undergraduate tuition fees are regulated by the UK government. These fees are subject to parliamentary approval and any decision on raising the tuition fees cap for new UK students would require the formal approval of both Houses of Parliament before it becomes law.
EU student fees
With effect from 1 August 2021, new EU students will pay international tuition fees. For exceptions, please read the UK government’s guidance for EU students.
Placement year fees
If you spend a full year on placement, you will only pay 15% of your usual tuition fee for that year. For more information, please see our fees and funding pages or contact placements@reading.ac.uk.
Additional Costs
Some courses will require additional payments for field trips and extra resources. You will also need to budget for your accommodation and living costs. See our information on living costs for more details.
Financial support for your studies
You may be eligible for a scholarship or bursary to help pay for your study. Students from the UK may also be eligible for a student loan to help cover these costs. See our fees and funding information for more information on what's available.
Careers
95% of our graduates are in work or further study within 15 months of graduating (Graduate Outcomes Survey, 2017/18; based on first degree responders from Food and Nutritional Sciences).
Food is Europe's largest and most buoyant industry. There is a constant demand for graduates with a combination of technical skills and business knowledge.
Our graduates typically find employment in food product development, quality management, food technology, and nutritional science.
Recent graduates from the Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences have gone on to work for:
- PepsiCo
- Nestlé
- Marks & Spencer
- Mars
- Unilever.