Master’s in Food Safety

Wageningen University & Research has an academic year divided into 6 periods. In one academic year, you should take 60 credits (ECTS). In periods 1,2 and 5 two subjects are taught, generally one in the morning and one in the afternoon. These periods consist of 6 weeks of teaching, followed by one week of self-study and one week of exams. The third and fourth periods are shorter, 4 weeks, and in these weeks one course is taught block-wide and full-time. After each period you will have the exam of that course. The sixth period consists of 8 weeks, all students follow the integrated course Food Safety Management.

The first year consists entirely of coursework. The choice of courses is dependent on the specialisation. Every specialisation has three types of courses: compulsory courses (CS), courses that are restricted optionals (RO1 or RO2, which means choosing one or more courses from a specified list), and courses that can be chosen as optionals (O). With the study adviser you will make a detailed plan of courses for the first year. 

The second year is divided into a thesis (36 ECTS) and an internship (24 ECTS). The topics of the thesis and internship should be within the scope of your specialisation.

A thesis is carried out at Wageningen University. You receive individual supervision from a chair group (department) staff member. Every chair group (department) offers thesis topics. You will be able to apply for one of them during the first MSc year. You will be assigned to a thesis topic and the thesis supervisor by the chair group. Your resulting thesis is graded by your supervisor and another, independent, staff member. You are also required to present your results during a seminar, the ‘colloquium’.

Internship

The internship is always outside Wageningen University and can be in any country.  At a university, an industry or an institute. Your internship is a unique learning opportunity, where you can apply your academic skills in a professional environment. The internship is not related to the thesis, but is under supervision of one of the required departments in Wageningen. 

Within this master's programme, you can choose one of the specialisations below to meet your personal interests. Each of them trains you to become an expert in that field. Within your specialisation, you choose at which research group you would like to write your thesis. The two major parts of your specialisation are the (thesis-preparing) courses and a major thesis. You can extend your specialisation with an internship or a research practice. For a more detailed information on the programme structure per specialisation, visit the MSc in Food Safety Study Handbook page.  

• Applied Food Safety
  This specialisation focuses on the more technological aspects of food safety and food safety management. The first half of the first year students will follow courses on specific subjects, in the second half, the different disciplines are integrated. Focuses on the more technological aspects of food safety (microbiology, toxicology) and food safety management.
• Food Law and Regulatory Affairs
  This programme provides you with a solid legal foundation regarding key issues in food safety and food regulation at international, EU and national level, as well as questions of trade, consumer and intellectual property rights law. Focuses on food legislation.
• Supply Chain Safety
  This specialisation provides you with an in-depth understanding of the role of food safety within modern global and local agri-food supply chains. It explores the complex interplay between the technical and socio-economical aspects of food safety, along the different stages of the supply chain. Students choose what aspects they prefer. They can dive into the social, economical, or logistical dimensions of both food safety practices and policies, and measures to improve these. But they can also specialize to have a more microbiological view on these practices and policies. Graduates with this Master Food Safety specialisation will be equipped with multidisciplinary and systems-thinking tools to analyse and improve food safety across global and local food supply chains. 

All three specialisations have two compulsory courses in common, which include Food Law and Food Safety Management.  

The programme is a full-time two year programme, fully taught in English. The first year of the programme consists entirely of courses. The second year consists of an individual research thesis and an internship.

• Lectures – theoretical frameworks in microbiology and toxicology, but also the legal, economic, risk management and communication aspects of food safety.
• Practicals  – in the laboratory and in the field. Moreover, your theoretical knowledge will be tested with practical exercises during all of your courses.
• Group projects – collaborations with a broad range of students on real cases in the field of law and food technology.
• Internship or thesis research – applied research in an institution outside of the university.

During your studies, you will receive guidance from your study adviser, your thesis supervisor and from the internship coordinator. Your study adviser will assist you in the process of choosing the right specialisation track and electives. Your thesis supervisor will be a staff member of one of the chair groups related to this master's programme, that will supervise you during your 24-week thesis period. Besides a study adviser and thesis supervisor, you will also be guided by an internship coordinator to help you find a company that suits your learning goals and ambitions. 

• Master's in Food Quality Management
  Food safety and food quality are naturally interlinked. Food safety is part of quality control systems. However, in the Master's Food Safety, students gain a deeper understanding of microbiology, toxicology, risk analysis and food safety management. They can also choose to focus on food legislation. The MSc Food Quality Management takes a much broader perspective on quality and less emphasis on food safety.
• Master's in Food Technology
  This study programme focuses more on food production and innovation, which includes elements of quality that are also part of the MSc Food Quality Management. However, the MSc Food Safety focuses less on the product than in the MSc Food Technology.

Check more information on Studiekeuze123.nl to discover how you might be able to compare this programme. 

The programme aims to prepare its students as well as possible for the labour market. The vast majority of graduates find a job within a few months after graduating within the field of Food Safety, giving you great career perspectives!

Depending on the interest and the specialisation of the graduate, alumni are found working in these functions:

• Food Safety Officer at the World Health Organization (WHO).
• Regulatory Affairs Manager in an international food company like Yakult or Unilever.
• PhD Researcher at a university or research institute, such as Nestlé or North Carolina State University.
• Microbiologist in food innovation companies like DSM or Micreos.
• Consultant in food safety and quality for international organisations such as FAO.
• Food Inspector for national governments or food authorities.
• Head of Quality and Safety in large-scale food companies like Marley Spoon. 

Interested in the master's programme Food Safety? Find out whether your knowledge and skills match the entry level of the programme.

Purpose and reason for the admission requirements

The admission requirements for Food Safety are defined in such a way that the students should be able to successfully complete at least one of the specialisations of the master's programme Food Safety within two years. In order to comply to this multidisciplinary programme, the student needs to have sufficient academic knowledge and skills in the area of food sciences related to food safety or law and regulatory affairs. This is to ensure that the student has got a solid basis for the more advanced studies in the master's programme, because the master's Food Safety programme builds further upon this knowledge.

The criterion used for admission is

a WUR BSc degree in Food Technology, Nutrition and Health, or equivalent.

The norm for this equivalence is

An assessment of the student's expertise in three or more of the following topics:

• Food Sciences (food engineering, food chemistry, food microbiology, food quality and safety, gastronomy, and/or dairy science)
• Nutrition (dietetics)
• Pharmacy
• Veterinary sciences
• Biology (microbiology, toxicology)

Or in the following topic:

• Law

Not all topics mentioned need to be mastered at the same level; they will be weighed by the Admission Board per individual application.

Method of assessment whether this norm is met

• Transcript of records displaying the content of previous course subjects and project work;
• Curriculum vitae displaying relevant work, internship and/or project experience on an academic level in a relevant field if applicable.

Scores attributed by the Admission Board

Admitted / not admitted / admitted under condition obtaining the BSc or MSc degree / not admitted with offer of pre-master.

You can apply for this Master's here.

It’s not possible to apply for a pre-master's, it may only be offered to you by the Admission Board when you apply for the Master's in Food Technology (online). The pre-master's is only offered in case the applicant meets the general requirements and lacks specific knowledge in one of the mentioned areas, but never to compensate for the GPA requirement (7/10 or equivalent).  

The Admission Board may allow and/or suggest compensation of knowledge gaps by:

• a GPA≥7.0* for the previous education for small discrepancies, as new knowledge is sufficiently easily acquired;
• a GPA≥7.0* and an individual pre-master's programme for larger discrepancies that can be compensated in ≤30 ECTS and one year of study.

*Check the general admissions page for the International credentials evaluation guide for international equivalencies to a Dutch GPA>7.0. This guide includes compensating factors for a slightly lower GPA the Admission Board may include in their judgement. 

Admissible study programmes

Graduates from study programmes that may meet the knowledge requirements for Food Safety are for example: Dairy Science & Technology, Dietetics, European Studies, Food Engineering, Food Quality & Safety, Food Science (& Technology), Gastronomical Sciences, Law, Microbiology, Nutrition, Pharmacy, Toxicology, and Veterinary Sciences.

Study programmes with knowledge gaps 

Study programmes whose students often have to follow additional courses during the previous study programme or a pre-master to fulfil the knowledge requirements are for example: Animal Sciences, Biotechnology, Chemical Engineering, Culinary Sciences, Environmental Health, Food Design, Laboratory Sciences, Logistics Managements, Post-Harvest Technology, and Public Health.  

Students from the BSc 'Voedingsmiddelentechnologie' of the HAS University of Applied Sciences may be directly admissible. The terms of their admissibility is presented during the annual on-site information session.

Contact us to discuss the possibilities of a pre-master or how to mitigate knowledge gaps if you are still in the process of obtaining your degree.

Find out more about enrolment and fees of a pre-master's programme. 

Studying in the Netherlands costs money. Curious to see what you should expect? All information about the costs of this programme can be found on this page.

Outside of your study at WUR, you will most likely fill your day with other fun activities in and outside of Wageningen! Before you know it, you will be hanging out with your roommates, picnicking at the Rhine, visiting the market, or attending one of the many sport activities! All information about student life in Wageningen can be found on this page.