As the human population increases, so does the demand for food. With climate change already limiting our ability to grow food, it is critical for food scientists to find new sources of food proteins, link food with human health, and reduce waste in food production to ensure human survival.
Food Science is the multi-disciplinary study of food involving physical and life sciences, and engineering. McGill’s internationally renowned graduate programs in food science have produced some of Canada’s foremost innovative food scientists.
Our department focuses on the following areas:
- Food Chemistry
- Food Engineering & Processing
- Food Microbiology
- Food Packaging
- Enzymology
- Food Flavors
- Food Safety
- Sensory Science
- Food Analysis
- Food Authenticity
- Quality Assurance
- Foodomics
- Bioinformatics
Ěý
- Ph.D. Food Science and Agricultural ChemistryĚý(Thesis)
- M.Sc. Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry (Thesis)
- M.Sc. Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry (Non-thesis)
- M.Sc. Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry: Food Safety (Non-thesis)
Ph.D. Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry (Thesis)
The Ph.D. Food Science (Thesis) at Ď㽶ĘÓƵ trains independent scientists in the field of food science.
Program details
Application deadlines
| Applicant | Fall | Winter |
|---|---|---|
| Canadian/permanent resident | March 15 | September 1 |
| International | January 15 | July 15 |
Admission requirements
The basic requirement to enter Ph.D. program is a CGPA of 3.4/4.0 or better at the M.Sc. level and 3.2/4.0 in the last two years of the undergraduate degree (as standardized by McGill). Entry into the graduate program also hinges on the availability of a research supervisor and financing.
Thesis
A thesis for the doctoral degree must constitute original scholarship and must be a distinct contribution to knowledge. It must show familiarity with previous work in the field and must demonstrate ability to plan and carry out research, organize results, and defend the approach and conclusions in a scholarly manner. The research presented must meet current standards of the discipline; as well, the thesis must clearly demonstrate how the research advances knowledge in the field. Finally, the thesis must be written in compliance with norms for academic and scholarly expression and for publication in the public domain.
Course and credit requirements
Required courses (9 credits)
Candidates should be prepared to take the Comprehensive Preliminary Examination before the end of the second year of the program.
Note: students entering the Ph.D. program without an earlier degree in Food Science will be requested to take
Forms and Templates
Advisory committee
Each student will have an Advisory Committee, normally consisting of at least three members, including the student's research supervisor. Advisory committees are expected to meet with the student twice a year to discuss the student's course requirements and research progress and prepare a report on a semi-annual basis.
Graduate Program Coordinator - Erin MinnettĚý
M.Sc. Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry (Thesis)
The M.Sc. Food Science (Thesis) at Ď㽶ĘÓƵ is an intensive program including research activities in food science. This research degree provides students an excellent insight into doctoral study.
Program details
Application deadlines
| Applicant | Fall | Winter |
|---|---|---|
| Canadian/permanent resident | March 15 | September 1 |
| International | January 15 | July 15 |
Admission requirements
The basic requirement to enter Ph.D. program is a CGPA of 3.4/4.0 or better at the M.Sc. level and 3.2/4.0 in the last two years of the undergraduate degree (as standardized by McGill). Entry into the graduate program also hinges on the availability of a research supervisor and financing.
Course and credit requirements
For candidates entering the M.Sc. program without restrictions (i.e., not requiring a qualifying term/year), the M.Sc. degree consists of 45 graduate credits. These credits are obtained through a combination of graduate courses and a research thesis.
Course Requirements:
(a) six (6) credits as graduate seminar courses and
(b) a minimum of nine (9) additional course credits usually at the 500/600 level of which, in special circumstances, up to three (3) credits may be at a lower level.
Thesis Requirements:
- M.Sc. Literature Review (8 credits)
- M.Sc. Research Protocol (7 credits)
- M.Sc. Thesis (15 credits).
The Literature Review and Research Protocol, thesis requirements, are courses which require the submission and adjudication of written formal documents which are graded on a Pass/Fail basis and credits awarded accordingly. In special circumstances, a continuance (HH) may be given in the Literature Review and Research Protocol if the deadline is not met for these courses. Failure in any portion of the requirements (courses, seminars or thesis related requirements) will lead to a request to withdraw from the M.Sc. program.
The last fifteen (15) credits for the thesis portion are granted by Graduate Faculty when the thesis has been passed.
Residence requirements
Residence requirement refers to the number of terms (or years) students must be registered on a full-time basis to complete their program. Students are not permitted to graduate until they have fulfilled the residence requirement (or paid the corresponding fees) in their program. The Master of Science (Food Science) has a minimum residence requirement of three full-time terms. This designated period of residence represents a minimum time requirement. There is no guarantee that the work for the degree can be completed in this time. Students may register for such additional terms as are needed to complete the program up to a maximum time limitation of three years.
Qualifying students
Students with a background or academic record considered inadequate to proceed directly into the M.Sc. program will be requested to take a qualifying term or terms to orient them to the field of Food Science. This entails taking selected undergraduate and/or graduate courses as determined by their Advisory Committee. Courses that are successfully completed which meet some of the requirements of the MSc program will be credited to their program as outlined above in “Course and credit requirements”.
Advisory committee
Each student will have an Advisory Committee, normally consisting of two members of the departmental faculty, including the student's research supervisor. Advisory committees are expected to meet with the student twice a year to discuss the student's course requirements and research progress and prepare a report on a semi-annual basis.
Thesis
(a) The presentation of a thesis is a requirement of all Master's candidates.
(b) The thesis should be prepared according to the guidelines provided by the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Office.
(c) The thesis will be evaluated by one internal examiner, who may be a member of the student's Advisory Committee and/or by one external examiner. There is no oral examination for the Master's thesis, however a seminar presentation on the thesis subject matter is possible.
(d) Students should refer to the Calendar of Dates to determine deadlines for submitting their thesis.
Graduate Program Coordinator - Erin MinnettĚý
M.Sc. Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry (Non-Thesis) - 45 credits
The M.Sc. Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry (Non-Thesis) Food Science stream aims to prepare its students for high-end industry and government positions in food science.
Program details
Application deadline
Our non-thesis programs only accept applications once per year (for Fall semester). The deadline to apply is January 15 (for all applicants).
Admission requirements
Applicants must be graduates of a university of recognized reputation and hold a B.Sc. in Food Science or a related discipline such as Chemistry, Biochemistry, or Microbiology with a minimum cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 3.4/4.0 (second class–upper division). High grades are expected in courses considered by the academic unit to be preparatory to the graduate program.
Course and credit requirements
The course requirements include, in addition to a seminar course:
- 10 graduate-level courses (45 total credits) with at least five courses (chosen in consultation with the project advisor) selected from among from the Department of Food Science's offerings.
- The completion of a 12-week, full-time research project under the direction of a staff member or external supervisor and and the submission of a detailed report to the department.
In the form of a literature review, the project will critically evaluate and summarize the current stage of development and suggest ways to resolve issues associated with the topic. The project also normally includes wet or dry lab work analyzing data that points to a current research problem in food science.
Residence requirements
Residence requirement refers to the number of terms (or years) students must be registered on a full-time basis to complete their program. Students are not permitted to graduate until they have fulfilled the residence requirement (or paid the corresponding fees) in their program. The Master of Science (Food Science) has a minimum residence requirement of three full-time terms, usually completed in a 12-month period. This designated period of residence represents a minimum time requirement. There is no guarantee that the work for the degree can be completed in this time. Students may register for such additional terms as are needed to complete the program. An additional (part-time) term in the fall may be required at the end of the program depending on actual course loads and/or additional required preparatory coursework.
Program cost
Fees are payable on a term-by-term basis throughout the course of the program. To learn more consult the (select the appropriate residency, then “Master’s non-thesis programs”). For estimated costs of living, visit the AES graduate student funding page.
Financial aid
There is no funding available for students in non-thesis programs. Students must have their own source of funding (e.g., scholarship or personal funds). For more information on graduate funding and estimated costs of living, visit the AES graduate student funding page.
Advisor - Prof. H. Ramaswamy
M.Sc. Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry: Food Safety (Non-thesis)
The M.Sc. Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry (Non-Thesis) Food Safety stream is offered to candidates who seek further specialization in food safety but do not wish to pursue independent research. A strong undergraduate background in microbiology and knowledge of foodborne pathogens and food toxicants are required for admission to this program. Students complete a combination of graduate-level courses and a 12-credit research project.
Program details
Application deadline
Our non-thesis programs only accept applications once per year (for Fall semester). The deadline to apply is January 15 (for all applicants).
Admission requirements
Applicants must be graduates of a university of recognized reputation and hold a B.Sc. in Food Science or a related discipline such as Chemistry, Biochemistry, or Microbiology with a minimum cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 3.4/4.0 (second class–upper division). High grades are expected in courses considered by the academic unit to be preparatory to the graduate program.
Course and credit requirements
The course requirements include, in addition to a seminar course:
- 10 graduate-level courses (45 totalĚýcredits) with atĚýleast five courses (chosen in consultation with the project advisor) selected from among from the Department of Food Science's offerings.
- The completion ofĚýa 12-week, full-time research project under the direction of a staff member or external supervisor and and the submission of a detailed report to the department.
In the form of a literature review, the project will critically evaluate and summarize the current stage of development and suggest ways to resolve issues associated with the topic. The project also normally includes wet or dry lab work analyzing data that points to a current research problem in food science.
Residence requirements
Residence requirement refers to the number of terms (or years) a student must be registered on a full-time basis to complete their program. Students are not permitted to graduate until they have fulfilled the residence requirement (or paid the corresponding fees) in their program.
The Master of Science (Food Science) has a minimum residence requirement of three full-time terms, usually completed in a 12-month period. This designated period of residence represents a minimum time requirement. There is no guarantee that the work for the degree can be completed in this time. Students may register for additional terms as needed to complete the program. An additional (part-time) term in the fall may be required at the end of the program depending on actual course loads and/or additional required preparatory coursework.
Ian and Jane Munro Chair in Food Safety
The M.Sc. (Non-Thesis) Food Safety program is one of the many milestones of the endowed Ian and Jane Munro Chair in Food Safety. Inaugurated in 2011, the Ian and Jayne Munro Chair in Food Safety ensures that the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (FAES) continues to play a pivotal role in food safety research. Led by the Chair-holder, the FSQP will undertake collaborative research with industry and government, offer undergraduate and graduate programs, and provide independent, third-party expertise for the Canadian food industry, in order to address the complex scientific, legal and policy issues of global food safety. The Chair is Professor Xiaonan Lu, who is internationally recognized for his research on food safety and food microbiology.
Program Cost
Fees are payable on a term-by-term basis throughout the course of the program. To learn more consult the Ěý(select the appropriate residency, then “Master’s non-thesis programs”). For estimated costs of living, visit the AES graduate student funding page.
Financial aid
There is no funding available for students in non-thesis programs. Students must have their own source of funding (e.g., scholarship or personal funds). For more information on graduate funding and estimated costs of living, visit the AES graduate student funding page.
Advisor - Prof. Xiaonan Lu
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