The objective of this master is to provide a multi-disciplinary and specialized professional education in food technology, with special emphasis on postharvest and food preservation engineering on the one hand and food science and technology on the other.

Technologies for safe, high quality and nutritious foods in a local and global context. The InterUniversity Programme in Food Technology (IUPFOOD), a Master of Science in Food Technology programme, is jointly organised by the faculties of Bioscience Engineering at KU Leuven and Ghent University (UGent).

Objectives:

IUPFOOD intends to equip future alumni with the scientific, technical and managerial knowledge, skills and attitudes which they require to contribute successfully to solving problems related to food security through the production of safe foods of high quality. Although oriented towards international students in general, the IUPFOOD programme in particular recruits students from the South (countries in Africa, Asia and South America) where food/nutrient security (delivering enough nutritious, high-quality safe foods) is a current and future major concern and key challenge.

Two technological dimensions of crucial importance in food processing and preservation are the key objectives and programme options in IUPFOOD:

1. Postharvest and food preservation engineering, with focus on the role of postharvest and food preservation unit operations in delivering safe and nutritious foods, in particular plant based foods, to the end consumer;
2. Food science and technology, with focus on the transformation of raw materials in products for human consumption or in intermediate ingredients for further use in the food industry.

The IUPFOOD programme is a two stage programme representing 120 credits (ECTS).

The first stage is common to all students (all courses compulsory) and takes into account their diverse backgrounds. The first semester courses are organized at UGent, the second semester courses are taught at KU Leuven. This stage consists of two segments, ‘In depth education in food science’ and ‘In depth education in engineering and food engineering’ both spread over two semesters.

During the second stage students opt for one of the two majors, ‘Postharvest and Food Preservation Engineering’ or ‘Food Science and Technology’, respectively taught at KU Leuven and UGent. Next to the major segment, the second stage comprises a master thesis and a segment of optional courses. All courses are open to all students of the programme. Optional courses can thus be taken at the university other than the university where the major is taken.

Career perspectives:

IUPFOOD alumni are typically employed in academic institutes (37%) as teaching and/or research staff, private industry (20%) mainly in quality related jobs, governmental institutes (7%), non-governmental institutes (2%) and research institutes (2%).

About 27% undertake further PhD studies and this group of alumni mainly ends up in academic institutions.

In the long term, a large part of the IUPFOOD alumni (75%) are involved in education, research, and service in academic institutes, research institutes and governmental institutions creating a true nucleus for multiplier effects of their knowledge in particular in their home countries in the South.

Learning outcomes:

The learning outcomes cover four generic aspects as recognized by different food professional and academic organizations: (i) a set of learning outcomes on integrated domain-specific knowledge (across the food areas) and understanding including its application, (ii) a set of learning outcomes related to professional domain-specific skills, (iii) a set of domain-specific integrated scientific learning outcomes, focusing on research and (iv) a set of learning outcomes in generic skills including a life-long learning attitude.

The educational aims focus on (i) the development of a collegial and constructive attitude and inter-professional cooperation, (ii) an appreciation of and responsible attitude towards the societal role of science and research and (iii) an appreciation of and responsible attitude towards the societal role and impact of food science, technology and nutrition.

The learning outcomes and educational objectives include specific reference to issues in the South, referring to food security, postharvest and processing in low income countries.

The translation of the IUPFOOD overall objectives and its specific international orientation into the programme intended learning outcomes is illustrated in the link below.