Master of Science (MSc) in Integrated Food Studies

Citizen in Denmark, EU EEA og Switzerland

Bachelor’s degree from Denmark

International bachelor’s degree

Citizen in a country outside EU, EEA or Switzerland

Bachelor’s degree from Denmark

International bachelor’s degree

Prioritisation of applicants

If the number of qualified applicants to the programme exceeds the number of places available, applicants will be prioritised according to the following criteria:

• Relevance of their study program (including elective courses and project work) defined as ECTS credits within the subject areas of food science and social science studies of food
• Grade-point average of the qualifying degree

Limitation on second degrees

If you have already completed a Master's degree, please check out the rules concerning a second degree.

The teaching takes the form of a varied combination of lectures, workshops, and practical and theoretical exercises. The compulsory courses include practical work in food labs.

During the first year, you follow a number of compulsory courses. In the second year, you have the option of taking elective courses from the wide range on offer at the University of Copenhagen.

Collaboration with companies and institutions in the food sector is a high priority for the study programme. The courses therefore include presentations by people who work with issues related to the programme’s subject areas. Some courses include visits to companies and institutions.

Master's Thesis

The programme concludes with a master’s thesis of your choice worth 30 or 45 ECTS (corresponding to six or nine months of study). The thesis is written either individually or in groups, usually on a specific research problem related to a company or institution in the food sector.

Examples of thesis subjects:

• Local Food Supply: What is the potential for establishing local food supplies for public-sector institutions in the City of Copenhagen?
• Food Waste in Restaurants: Working with companies to develop tools to minimise food waste.
• The Food Legislation From the Perspective of Small Producers: How do small producers view co-operation with the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration, and how does this affect the implementation of new legislation concerning small producers?
• Meat Consumption Among Single Men: Which attitudes and practices does this population group have when it comes to meat consumption?
• Food Strategies and Networks in Local Municipalities: What actions and efforts promote local authorities’ food initiatives and support sustainable development?
• Food Experiences at Festivals: What are the food practices of festival-goers? What influences people’s food choices at a temporary event?
• Consumption of Organic Fish: Questionnaire survey of attitudes and taste test.

Programme Overview

The programme can be structured in two ways, depending on the size of your thesis:

Course table, Thesis 30 ECTS

Compulsory courses: 60 ECTS
Elective courses: 30 ECTS
Thesis: 30 ECTS

One block each year equals nine weeks of study and 15 ECTS. The table is primarily for guidance and may be subject to revision.

Course table, Thesis 45 ECTS

Compulsory courses: 60 ECTS
Elective courses: 15 ECTS
Thesis: 45 ECTS

One block each year equals nine weeks of study and 15 ECTS. The table is primarily for guidance and may be subject to revision.

How do social structures and actors such as politicians, consumers and industry form our food systems? How can we understand and improve the transition of food systems and the complex problems associated with food production, processing, and consumption in a modern globalised world?

These are the overarching questions addressed by the Master of Science (MSc) in Integrated Food Studies.

During the study programme, you will gain an understanding of the sociological aspects of the role of food in society and learn to work with different methods of studying food systems and consumption. Thus, you become an expert in innovative solutions aimed at food waste, combatting climate change, ensuring sustainability, and addressing environmental problems associated with food production and consumption.

The compulsory courses provide an in-depth introduction to food systems and transition, social-science theory and methods, and food science approaches. You acquire skills in qualitative and quantitative methods of working with consumption and food systems.

Other courses focus on food science methods and approaches, including practical work in food labs. You take part in a cross-disciplinary course on sustainable meals, involving input from four different disciplines (social science, food science, plant science, nutrition). You also attend classes in innovation, where you acquire skills for concrete development work in the field of food.

Graduates of the MSc in Integrated Food Studies are able to:

• Handle complex issues within the food sector that require an interdisciplinary approach.
• Apply relevant theories and research methods to analyse current problems in the food sector.
• Propose innovative ways to change food systems, including the production, distribution, and organisation of private or public meal services.

Employment

Graduates have a range of career opportunities in the food sector:

• In the private part of the food sector – e.g., the food industry and retail trade – you can work with management, strategic planning, and innovative design, or manage change projects in food-related organisations and companies.
• In the public sector, you can work with strategic development and consultancy, as well as preparing and implementing policies in the food area.
• You will be able to work with the strategic development and implementation of public and private meal services. This could involve, for example, developing local authority meal services for elderly people, designed to reduce food waste and improve health.
• Graduates can work with food systems at international level e.g., in the EU, the UN, or international NGOs.
• You can also set up your own business, drawing on the study programme’s broad knowledge base in nutrition, design, consumption, and policy development.

Where Will I be Studying?

The Integrated Food Studies programme is primarily based at Frederiksberg Campus.