In the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences .
Course Offerings
Overview
The food science program prepares students for careers in the food industry, government, academia, and for graduate study in food science or related disciplines. Food scientists enjoy satisfying careers that help ensure the sustainable availability of a safe, nutritious, affordable, and high-quality food supply for people throughout New York State, the nation, and the world.
Undergraduate students in the food science program choose from one of three concentrations in the major:
- Science
- Business
- Safety
The Science concentration acts as the foundational concentration and meets the curriculum standards set by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), the premier professional society for food scientists, allowing students to compete for IFT scholarships and awards. Students choose an concentration based on their individual interests and career goals. If a student is unsure which concentration to select, they are encouraged to start with the Science concentration and work collaboratively with their academic advisor to determine if another concentration would be more appropriate.
For all three concentrations, the first two years of the undergraduate food science program are intended to establish a solid background in math, chemistry, and physical and biological sciences. Required courses include chemistry (introductory and organic), biology, microbiology, calculus, physics, first-year seminar, introductory food science courses, and nutrition. The last two years emphasize the application of these basic sciences and technology to the manufacturing, sensory evaluation, storage, distribution, and safety of foods and food ingredients.
Students are also strongly encouraged to participate in undergraduate research supervised by a faculty member and/or complete an internship in a food company during their program of study. Most teaching faculty in the department also have active research programs and welcome participation by undergraduate students. Students may receive academic credit or wages for faculty-directed undergraduate research. A modern food processing and development pilot plant, an operational dairy plant, and well-equipped laboratory facilities are available to support the teaching and research needs of undergraduates.
Learning Outcomes
- Apply foundational knowledge in chemistry, physics, mathematics, biological sciences, and statistics in food science.
- Devise experimental designs, statistical principles and data analytics tools in the interpretation and presentation of data in food science applications.
- Describe the chemistry and underlying properties and reactions of food components.
- Apply knowledge of microbiology underlying the quality and safety of foods and beverages.
- Define engineering principles and describe unit operations in food preservation and processing, packaging, and water and waste handling.
- Describe the interconnection between the core subfields of food science in understanding principles governing the safety, quality, nutrition, and climate impact of our food system from farm to fork.
- Use oral and written communication skills, independent and team-based work, and leadership and professionalism in successfully working with individuals from diverse backgrounds.
- Propose solutions to a problem using critical thinking skills, evaluations of evidence-based resources, and application of scientific reasoning.
- Apply food science and critical thinking principles in practical situations to question precedence and propose thoughtful recommnedations to real-world challenges.
Faculty
C. I. Moraru, chair (M10H Stocking Hall, (607) 255-8121); G. Sacks, assoc. chair (343 Stocking Hall, (607) 255-2335); A. Abbaspourrad, T. E. Acree, S. Alcaine, K. J. Arnink, D. M. Barbano, C. A. Batt, D. Bershaw, K. J. Boor, J. W. Brady, R. Dando, P. Gibney, J. Goddard, R. H. Liu, C. Loss, A. M. Mansfield, M. Mukai, S. Nugen, O. Padilla-Zakour, S. S. H. Rizvi, A. Snyder, E. Tako, M. Wiedmann, R. Worobo, B. Xavier, L. Zhu
Core Coursework
The Major
- In addition to the Food Science major requirements outlined below, all students must:
- Additional Information:
- All coursework for this major is in person, in Ithaca, unless otherwise noted.
- No prerequisite courses are necessary before declaring the Food Science major.
- All major requirements must be taken for a letter grade.
- A grade of C or better must be earned to meet major requirements.
- Core requirements minimum credits
- Science Concentration–44 credits
- Business Concentration–30 credits
- Safety Concentration–40 credits
- Concentration requirements minimum credits
- Science Concentration–43 credits
- Business Concentration–54 credits
- Safety Concentration–46 credits
Core Science Courses
Introductory Biology Course
Minimum 6 credits from the following:
Chemistry
Calculus
Statistics
One of the following:
Biochemistry (Science and Safety Concentrations)
One of the following:
Microbiology
Physics
One of the following:
Concentrations
Science Concentration
At least 3 credits from the following Group 1 electives:
At least 2 credits from the following Group 2 electives:
Business Concentration
Safety Concentration
The Minor
Declaring the Minor:
Requirements for the Minor:
- A minor in Food Science requires a minimum of 13 total credits.
- Required coursework (minimum 7 credits)
Two courses from the following:
AND:
- A minimum of five additional elective credits in any course(s) with the “FDSC” designation.
- Courses must be ≥ 2000 level.
- Cannot be a special studies course.
- See course the course offerings above.
China Agricultural University-Cornell Dual Degree Program
*No longer admitting students, final class year 2025.
Overview
A dual degree program offered jointly by Cornell University and China Agricultural University (CAU). The curriculum for this program closely follows the Cornell Food Science undergraduate curriculum. Students reside for the full duration of the program at CAU and receive instruction in English for all required courses in the program. Upon successful completion of the degree requirements, students will obtain a Bachelor of Science in Food Science from Cornell University and a Bachelor of Engineering in either Food Science and Engineering, or Food Quality and Safety from CAU.
Eligibility
Enrollment is limited to students accepted into the program at CAU based on the Chinese National College Entrance Exam. Students apply to Cornell in the spring of their first year. Admittance to Cornell is based on students meeting the admissions requirements.
Requirements for Dual Degree
Students in the dual degree program are held to the same requirements as the Cornell Food Science majors on the Ithaca campus, the Food Science major requirements can be reviewed on the page above.
There are two concentrations for dual degree students:
- Food Quality and Safety
- Food Science and Engineering
*Note: the business concentration is not an option for dual degree students and is only available for Ithaca based students.
In addition to the Food Science major requirements, all students must meet the college graduation requirements.
*Note: Students in the dual degree program are exempt from the Cornell swim test and PE requirements.
CAU Curriculum: The CAU bachelor’s degree certificate, graduation certificate and transcript is awarded to students who fulfill the academic and other requirements for the CAU degree.
Program Administration
Leanne Zhu, Professor of Practice and Director of the CAU-Cornell Dual Degree Program, lz42@cornell.edu
Jennifer Alcaine, Program Coordinator-Ithaca, jsa97@cornell.edu