University adds online degree in food science

University adds online degree in food science

Kansas State University (KSU) has recently announced that it has added a degree in food science to its online education curriculum.

KSU decided to create the online degree program in order to reach out to members of the food industry who are currently employed in the field, but have never finished their bachelors degree.

Online courses will be offered in processing fundamentals, microbiology, food safety risk analysis, as well as trade and agricultural health.

"We brought together stakeholders in food safety and defense and they developed key learning objectives and defined what knowledge and skill sets they thought would be needed for someone to be a food defense professional," said assistant professor Kelly Getty.

KSU has also joined an education alliance, along with Iowa State University, the University of Missouri and the University of Nebraska, to offer online graduate school-level instruction in the food defense field. Of the nine courses offered through the alliance, five are based at KSU.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that opportunities in the food science industry are expected to see strong growth over the next ten years, particularly for those holding a masters or PhD, which can be obtained from a variety of online universities.