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.
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
Core Coursework
The Major
- In addition to the Food Science major requirements outlined below, all students must:
- meet the college graduation requirements .
- complete one of the three Food Science Concentration: Science, Business, or Safety.
- receive a passing letter grade, or better, within all major coursework.
Core Science Courses
Introductory Biology Course
Two of the following:
Chemistry
Calculus
Statistics
One of the following:
Microbiology
Physics
One of the following:
Concentrations
Science Concentration
At least 3 credits from the following:
At least 2 credits from the following
Business Concentration
Safety Concentration
The Minor
Declaring the Minor:
Requirements for the Minor:
Two courses from the following:
China Agricultural University-Cornell Dual Degree Program
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