Program Overview

Your degree in Food Science

Skills you’ll develop

While studying Food Science, you’re learning how to apply the fields of chemistry, biology, and engineering to different aspects of the food industry such as food processing, food safety, quality assurance, preservation, and product development.

You’ll develop important skills through laboratory testing and hands-on practical experience. You’ll apply your scientific knowledge and research skills to address the nutritional and sensory properties of food products. The skills you gain will allow you to drive change in the food industry, informing industry trends, policies, and more.

These skills may include:

• Investigation of chemical properties of food components and changes that occur during processing, storage, and utilization
• Ability to distinguish between beneficial, pathogenic, and spoilage microorganisms in food and how to manage their growth, survival, and control
• Execution of food science laboratory experiments emphasizing precision, accuracy, and safety
• Application of food engineering and processing principles to food plant sanitation, food packaging, food preservation, and waste management
• Application of food law, regulatory, quality control, and quality assurance principles to sustainable product development or modification projects
• Development of statistical analysis, critical thinking, and problem solving skills in laboratory, problem based learning, and industry project settings
• Ability to influence the transmission and control of physical, chemical, and biological food hazards
• Project management in the design and implementation of an interdisciplinary, community-based, food systems project
• Experimental design, ethical data collection and analysis, and literature analysis in food science research projects

Career possibilities

Career opportunities vary across a range of fields including food product development, quality assurance, government inspection and regulatory agencies, food product research, supply chain management, business operations, entrepreneurship, sales and marketing, intellectual property, and others.

There are many career paths that can combine your academics, skills, and experience with your different interests. Some career options may require further education or training.

• Bacteriological technician
• Chemistry technician
• Consumer product officer
• Quality assurance technician or manager
• Quality assurance or lab technician
• Quality control technician in food processing
• Food bacteriological technician
• Food analysis technician
• Food laboratory manager
• Food processing specialist inspector
• Food industry regulation or inspection
• Food packaging technologist
• Food manufacturing maintenance
• Food technologist
• Microbiology quality control technologist
• Microbiology technologist (except medical)
• Product development chef
• Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) coordinator
• Microbiology technician
• Food production manager

Make the most of your major

Your experiences will open doors to new opportunities and help clarify understanding of your values and interests.

• UBC Food Science Club
• UBC Dairy Education and Research Centre
• Departmental research opportunities
• UBC Farm
• Agora Eats Café
• UBC Wine Research Centre
• UBC Nutrikids
• Roots on the Roof
• UBC Sprouts and Seedlings
• Vegans of UBC
• BC Children’s Hospital research
• Beneath One Sky UBC
• UBC PATHS
• Canadian Food Inspection Agency
• Canadian Institutes of Health Research
• Health Canada
• Summer Abroad for Faculty of Land and Food Systems

Build your network

Employers often hire people they know, so help them get to know you. You can build your network through clubs, classes, informational interviews, and more. There are so many ways to make connections and find mentors.

The professional associations below are also great resources for meeting people, learning about specific industries, and finding job and volunteer opportunities. Most have reduced membership rates for students and new grads.

• BC Food Protection Association
• BC Food Technologists
• Canadian Environmental Network
• Canadian Institute of Food Science and Technology (CIFST)
• Canadian Public Health Association
• Canadian Society of Microbiologists
• Institute of Food Technologists (IFT)
• International Association for Food Protection
• Obesity Canada
• Small Scale Food Processor Association
• Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry

Connect with alumni

Find UBC Food Science graduates to learn about where they’re working, and their career and academic paths.

As you read, take note of interesting job titles, organizations, and experiences you may want to explore. If a particular story or profile aligns with your goals, consider reaching out for an informational interview.

More information

From your Land and Food Systems degree, you’ll develop skills and experiences that can translate into many career paths. Check out other things you can do with your Land and Food Systems degree.

• Your degree in Applied Animal Biology
• Your degree in Dietetics
• Your degree in Food and Resource Economics
• Your degree in Food Science
• Your degree in Food, Nutrition, and Health
• Your degree in Global Resource Systems
• Your degree in Nutritional Sciences
• Your degree in Sustainable Agriculture and Environment