The following areas of specialization are offered: basic studies
in physical, chemical, or biological changes in foods; chemistry of
fats and oils; flavor chemistry, including isolation and identification
of food flavors; chemistry of food proteins; nutritional aspects of
food products; food enzymology and biochemistry; food microbiology;
food toxicology; heat and mass transfer in foods; energy conservation
in processing; food packaging, theoretical aspects, functionality, and
properties; food colors; food emulsions; sensory attributes of foods;
and biotechnology. The program is suitable for both full- and part-time
study.
Applicants are expected to have completed one year each of
calculus, physics, and organic chemistry, and to have some foundation in the
biological sciences. Biochemistry, microbiology, nutrition, and statistics are
recommended. Some undergraduate food science courses may be taken for future
graduate credits. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) must be taken. Graduate
assistantships, teaching assistantships, and fellowships are available to
qualified students. These financial supports are highly competitive, depending
on the number of applicants, the funding situation, and other factors.
All graduate students must demonstrate proficiency in food
biology, food chemistry, and food engineering early in their academic careers.
They are required to complete, with an average grade of B or better, the three core
courses: Food Chemistry Fundamentals (16:400:513), Food Biology Fundamentals
(16:400:514), and Food Engineering Fundamentals (16:400:507).
The program offers a master of science (M.S.) degree with a thesis or
nonthesis option. In the thesis option, the student must take a
minimum of 9 research credits and 21 course credits, and must carry out
a research problem and defend a thesis. For the nonthesis option, the
student must take a minimum of 30 course credits and defend a critical
essay. The nonthesis M.S. is normally considered a terminal degree; however, the student with the support of his or her major adviser may
petition the faculty for permission to continue with the doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) degree program.
The Ph.D. degree requires a minimum of 72
credits beyond the bachelor's degree, of which at least 33 must be
course credits. Qualifying examinations for the doctorate include both written and oral
examinations. After passing the written qualifying examination, the
student takes the oral qualifying examination, which normally includes
approval of the research proposal for the dissertation.
After passing both the written and oral components of the qualifying
examination, the student is recommended as a candidate for the Ph.D.
There is no language or residency requirement for the Ph.D. degree. The master of philosophy degree
is an option for doctoral candidates who have achieved records of distinction
during the predissertation phase.
A concentration within the professional
science master's program is also offered, leading to the degree of master of business and science, more fully described under Business and Science 137. The concentration in food science will educate students about the
essential skills for managing technical development and commercial
applications in the food and related consumer-driven industries. The
students will be taught the principles and applications of food science
and technology, management and planning, teamwork, communications
skills, and fundamentals of making proper financial decisions. The food science concentration consists of three required courses and five
electives. For more detailed information, go to http://mbs.rutgers.edu.
For more up-to-date information about the Rutgers University-New Brunswick Department of Food Science, please see our website at http://foodsci.rutgers.edu.
