Food Science and Technology (MS)

As a graduate student in our program, you will work closely with internationally recognized faculty. Our research areas are dedicated to solving real problems within the food system, from harvest to food processing to consumption to individual health. We invite you to work long side faculty conducting research on food allergens, bioinformatics, biotechnology, food chemistry, food engineering, human health, food microbiology, food processing, food safety, and risk analysis.

Food Science and Technology faculty are located in the Food Innovation Center on Nebraska Innovation Campus (NIC). The Food Innovation Center includes state-of-the-art classrooms, teaching labs, and wet/dry lab research space. It also includes clinical facilities, sensory lab, and pilot plants.

The program is highly flexible allowing you to tailor your curriculum to meet your individual interests and goals. Alumni now hold positions in industry, at academic institutions and in government agencies.

We offer two options in Master of Science Degree (M.S.) in Food Science and Technology

• Thesis consists of original research that contributes to new knowledge. It is designed to prepare students for careers in research. MS Option A is eligible for assistantship funding.
• Project is considered a professional, terminal degree. It is designed for students who do not intend to pursue a graduate degree beyond a master's degree or research career. MS Option B is not eligible for assistantship funding.

Specializations

• Bioinformatics

Program-Related Information

Graduate Chair

Amanda Ramer-Tait
402-472-7293
aramer-tait2@unl.edu 

Program Website

https://foodsci.unl.edu/gradprograms

• Resume or curriculum vitae: Be sure to include prior educational, research, teaching, internship/work, and volunteer experiences. Applicants are also encouraged to include information about awards, publications, and presentations, and highlight any extra-curricular and/or leadership activities.
• Personal Statement: In two pages or less, describe 1) your motivation for pursuing a graduate degree in Food Science; 2) your relevant experiences (research, teaching, internships/work, volunteering) that have prepared you for graduate school; and 3) what you want to gain during graduate school. Where appropriate, include examples of your ability to overcome obstacles, your initiative, and your communication skills. Although you do not need to identify an advisor to apply, indicate if there are specific faculty members you are interested in working with and why.
• Other Upload: FDST-MS Professional Development Supplemental Form PDF.
• Three recommendation letters
• Optional: On the application form's Additional Information page, you may upload or provide a URL for abstracts, publications, documentation of special recognitions or certifications, etc. Do not duplicate information/documents uploaded elsewhere in the application.
• Funding/Assistantship: Check the appropriate boxes in the Funding section of the application. This department will consider self-funded applicants at the master's level.

Apply by December 1 for Fall admission or by August 15 for Spring admission.