Program Overview
The 1-Year Professional M.S. is an accelerated, industry-focused non-thesis program designed for students seeking to advance their careers in the food industry. The program combines rigorous coursework with hands-on laboratory training and capstone projects, providing practical experience and strong industry connections. Students from food science and other science backgrounds are welcome. The program includes career development activities, industry networking events, and a career fair to help students transition into professional roles. Graduates develop strong technical and professional skills for a wide range of careers in the food industry.
General Requirements
- Total Credits: 30 graduate credits
Minimum GPA of 3.0 required - Duration: 2 semesters
Fall + Spring (1 academic year)
- Professional development workshops on resume writing, interview skills, and industry networking.
- Capstone project presentations to industry partners and faculty in the Spring semester.
- Access to UMass Amherst Career Services and alumni network.
- Complete 30 graduate credits with a minimum GPA of 3.0.
- Successfully complete the capstone project and present results.
- Submit the master's degree eligibility form through the SPIRE system.
At least 12 credits of Food Science courses at the 600- or 700-level.
One credit of Seminar (FS791A). Either letter grade or SAT (satisfactory grade, no presentation required).
Literature review (3 credits) + lab work (6 credits).
- 4a: Independent Study (Capstone Project 2): literature review (3 credits) + lab work (5 credits)
- 4b: 8 credits of 500- or upper-level courses
- 4c: 5 credits of 500- or upper-level courses + 3 credits from Capstone Project 2 literature review
- 4d: 3 credits of 500- or upper-level courses + 5 credits of lab work from Capstone Project 2
| Course | Name | Credits | Note |
| FOOD-SCI 541 | Food Chemistry I | 3 | - |
| FOOD-SCI 542 | Food Chemistry II | 3 | - |
| FOOD-SCI 561 | Food Processing | 3 | - |
| FOOD-SCI 567 | Food Microbiology | 3 | - |
| FOOD-SCI 575 | Elements of Food Process Engineering | 4 | - |
| FOOD-SCI 581 | Analysis of Food Products | 3 | - |
| BIOSTATS 530 | Intro to Statistical Computing with R | 1 | Fall |
| BIOSTATS 531 | Intermediate Statistical Computing in Data Science using R | 1 | Fall; pre-req: BIOSTATS 530 |
| NUTRITN 577 | Nutrition Problems in the US | 3 | Spring |
| ENVIRSCI 515 | Microbiology of the Soil | 3 | Fall |
| ENVIRSCI 561 | Analytical Methods for Energy & Climate | 3 | Fall |
| ENVIRSCI 575 | 4 | Fall | |
| ENVIRSCI 554 | Sustainable Food Systems | 4 | Spring |
| ENVIRSCI 585 | Inorganic Contaminants in Soil, Water, Sediment | 3 | Spring |
| EHS 588 | Developmental Origins of Disease | 3 | Fall |
| STOCKSCH 530 | Plant Nutrition | 4 | Fall |
| Course | Name | Credits |
| FOOD-SCI 751 | Future Foods | 3 |
| FOOD-SCI 750 | Bioactive Food Components | 3 |
| FS790STA | Research Methods | 3 |
| FOOD-SCI 761 | Physical Phenomena in Food | 3 |
| FOOD-SCI 745 | Food Biochemistry | 3 |
| FOOD-SCI 790T | Sustainable Foods | 3 |
| FOOD-SCI 790S | Advanced Topics in Food Safety | 3 |
| FOOD-SCI 797A | Special Topics: Genomic Approaches for Food Science | 3 |
| FOOD-SCI 781 | Advanced Food Analysis | 3 |
Ready to Apply?
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Submit your application through the UMass Amherst Graduate School portal.