The Department of Chemical Engineering

Overview

The Food Science & Technology Unit operates under the Department of Chemical Engineering where it provides offerings of one (1) taught Masters Degree in Food Science & Technology and two (2) degrees by research at the MPhil and PhD level. In order to keep its programmes relevant and applicable to industry, the Unit maintains links with the food processing industry and other relevant stakeholders, particularly in the area of food product development/developmental research. Staff are also involved in scientific and technical societies, in particular, the Institute of Food Technologists (USA), the Canadian Institute of Food Science & Technology and the Institute of Food Science & Technology (UK), They also maintain contacts with numerous overseas institutions which they visit, and in which they sometimes conduct research.

The Food Science and Technology Unit is equipped with science laboratories that include a semi-commercial processing hall containing a range of small-scale equipment suitably instrumented for the systematic study of operations involved in the food industry — along with a food microbiology laboratory, a quality assurance laboratory, a food research laboratory with specialized analytical equipment, and a sensory evaluation facility.

Graduates of our programmes have found employment in the food industry, mainly in research and development, quality assurance and production management. Some individuals are engaged in research and innovation in government and industry-sponsored research organizations. Other graduates are academic staff within universities. Many opportunities also arise within catering food service establishments and pharmaceutical industries, in teaching, in libraries and information centres, and within overseas institutions and development agencies.

Programme Objectives and Learning Outcomes

These postgraduate programmes guide students in the application of scientific principles toward the development of new food products, design of innovative processing/packaging/distribution technologies, improvement of food quality and nutritional value, enhancement of the safety of foods and in ensuring the wholesomeness and availability of our food supply. In a broad sense, students graduating from this programme would be able to:

• Accommodate the useful application of knowledge to the developmental needs of the food industry in the Caribbean, to the real world of commerce, and to the public need

• Foster scholastic achievement in academics and in the conduct of research by both applied and theoretical methods, thus producing individuals equipped for research, innovation and production in the food industry, in government institutions, in other universities and research institutions, in development agencies, in other teaching and technical establishments, and in libraries and information centres

Research within the Food Science & Technology Unit is aimed at the development of the indigenous food resources of the Caribbean region.

Areas of Research

Current research includes:

• Food analysis, food safety and risk assessment

• Food preference and sensory studies

• Food fermentations

• Milk, meat, fish and seafood, fruit and vegetable microbiology and technology

• Food dehydration, root crop processing and food product development

MSc Programme Structure and Course Requirements

Following the guidelines established by the Institute of Food Technologists in the United States of America and the Institute of Food Science & Technology in the United Kingdom, students will be required to pursue an appropriate course of study as determined by The UWI School for Graduate Studies and Research, St. Augustine and the Department of Chemical Engineering — Food Science & Technology Unit.

Students are required to complete 41 credits for the award of the MSc Food Science & Technology. Students should demonstrate proficiency in Food Science & Technology by satisfactory completion of at least 35 credits of coursework (comprised of core and compulsory courses) and 6 credits in their research project.

Duration of Study: The MSc programme is offered both Part-Time and Full-Time, and must be completed in 3 years and 5 years respectively.

Course Load: A Part-Time student is required to carry half the course load per semester than that of a Full-Time student.

MSc Programme Course Listing

Core Courses

32 Credits
 

Compulsory Course

3 Credits
 

Research Project

6 Credits
 

MPhil / PhD Programme Structure and Course Requirements

These being research degrees, students will be expected to produce a satisfactory thesis (MPhil or PhD) as stipulated in the University's regulations.

Depending upon their academic background, students will be required to read departmental courses totaling six (6) credits for MPhil or nine (9) credits for PhD. These courses will be used to direct the student's approach towards the research topic, in particular, strengthening their food science knowledge base in the specific area of interest and to research methodology in general. Candidates are required to pass both the coursework and the written examinations before submitting the thesis.

The MPhil Degree shall be awarded on the basis of an examination by thesis and the appropriate University Regulations for the Master’s Degree shall apply.

For a PhD Degree, the appropriate University and Faculty of Engineering Regulations for award of the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy shall apply. Attendance at the oral examination for the PhD Degree in the Faculty of Engineering shall be open to the academic and professional community. A minimum of seven days notice shall be given before the examination.

What's Next

For further information on the MSc / MPhil / PhD Food Science & Technology programmes, please contact us with your questions. Information on the application and registration process can be found via the links below.