MSc Advanced Food Safety
Belfast, United Kingdom
DURATION
1 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
30 Jun 2025
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2025
TUITION FEES
GBP 25,800 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* international fee
Key Summary
Introduction
The MSc in Advanced Food Safety is tailored towards students who are seeking to develop a career within the agri-food industry and related sectors and offers the opportunity to obtain a unique internationally recognised qualification from a global leader in the fields of food safety and food security.
With an ever-increasing global population, the world’s food production and supply chains are under increased pressure, and issues relating to food safety and food security are of key concern for all. The Institute for Global Food Security (IGFS) at QUB is one of the University’s four Global Research Institutes and is leading the world in addressing one of the greatest challenges we face – how to ensure the safety of our food.
The MSc Advanced Food Safety programme is delivered and taught by IGFS researchers and focuses on the new and emerging issues threatening food safety and food security, and concentrates on the utilisation of recent developments in analytical approaches to monitor and regulate food integrity, authenticity and security.
Applicants are advised to apply as early as possible and ideally no later than 31st July 2022 for courses that commence in late September. In the event that any programme receives a high number of applications, the University reserves the right to close the application portal.
Please note a deposit may be required to guarantee a place on the course. Due to high demand, applications may not be considered if the course has reached its maximum class size and will be placed on a waiting list.
Advanced Food Safety Highlights
World-Class Facilities
- Purpose-built teaching and research facilities based in the Institute for Global Food Security within the new £40 million Biological Sciences Building.
Internationally Renowned Experts
- You’ll study at a University with researchers who work at the very forefront of food safety research and learning. Professor Chris Elliott, the founder of IGFS, led the UK government's independent review of food systems following the uncovering of the horsemeat scandal in 2013.
Student Experience
- Taught by world-leading research staff at the Institute for Global Food Security (IGFS), the programme focuses on new and emerging issues. Concentrating on developments in analytical approaches to monitor and regulate food safety, authenticity and security, you will gain practical experience in the use of conventional and emerging state of the art bioanalytical technology.
Career Opportunities
The Institute for Global Food Security has strong links with industry, companies and government bodies, and is internationally recognised as a leading player in food safety education and research, so completing this course will provide you with excellent employment opportunities both locally and further afield. Previous graduates have gone on to employment in; International agri-food sector companies; Diagnostic service provision companies; Research and regulatory analyst laboratories; and many have gone on to pursue further PhD-level study both at QUB and at other leading Universities.
Graduate Plus/Future Ready Award for extra-curricular skills
In addition to your degree programme, at Queen's you can have the opportunity to gain wider life, academic and employability skills. For example, placements, voluntary work, clubs, societies, sports, and lots more. So not only do you graduate with a degree recognized by a world-leading university, you'll have practical national and international experience plus a wider exposure to life overall. We call this Graduate Plus/Future Ready Award. It's what makes studying at Queen's University Belfast special.
Gallery
Curriculum
You will learn about emerging issues within the field of food safety, and focus on analytical approaches to monitor and regulate food safety, authenticity and security.
You will study core topics in the field:
- Food safety, health and disease;
- Food authenticity and traceability;
- Chemical/biological hazards in animal feed and human food;
- Current and emerging analytical technologies to prevent food safety incidents.
Module topics
You’ll be assessed by continuous assessment in the following areas:
- Food Safety, Health and Disease
- Advanced Food Bioanalysis
- Agri-food Traceability and Fraud
- Bio-entrepreneurship and Advanced Skills
- Foundations for Research in the Biosciences
- Literature Review
- Biological Mass Spectrometry
Research Project (triple module)
You’ll complete a dissertation-based food safety-related research project.
Learning and Teaching
Learning opportunities available with this course are outlined below:
At Queen’s, we aim to deliver a high-quality learning environment that embeds intellectual curiosity, innovation and best practices in learning, teaching, and student support to enable students to achieve their full academic potential.
On the MSc in Advanced Food Safety, we do this by providing a range of learning experiences that enable our students to engage with subject experts, develop attributes and perspectives that will equip them for life and work in a global society and make use of innovative technologies and a world-class library that enhances their development as independent, lifelong learners.
Across a combination of morning and afternoon classes, examples of the opportunities provided for learning in this course are lectures, practical laboratory experiences, self-directed study, and supervised research work to enhance employability.
Assessment
Assessments associated with the course are outlined below:
Continuous assessment of coursework, and assessment of modules based solely on submitted work related to private individual study - There are no formal written examinations.
A major component of this degree will involve the completion of a food safety-related research project under the supervision of a member of the IGFS research staff.
Admissions
Program Tuition Fee
Scholarships and Funding
How do I fund my study?
The Department for the Economy will provide a tuition fee loan of up to £6,500 per NI / EU student for postgraduate study.
A postgraduate loans system in the UK offers government-backed student loans of up to £11,836 for taught and research Master's courses in all subject areas. Criteria, eligibility, repayment, and application information are available on the UK government website.
International Scholarships