Explore Food Science
- Would your dream job be working with candy, chocolate, or ice cream?
- Do you want to make healthier foods to help solve the world’s obesity epidemic?
- Would you like to discover how foods can help fight cancer?
- Are you interested in making food safer?
Food Science may be the major for you!
Food Science integrates and applies knowledge within the disciplines of chemistry, engineering, biology, and nutrition to preserve, process, package, and distribute foods that are nutritious, wholesome, affordable, desirable, and safe to eat.
Food Scientists study the chemical composition of food and food ingredients; their physical, biological and biochemical properties; the microbiology of foods; and the interaction of food constituents with each other and their environment.
What is Food Science?
See what professionals in the field have to say about Food Science as a career.
Watch the video – What is Food Science?
Read about our Alumni – stars of the food industry
Brad Bolling spent several semesters as a teaching assistant during his Food Chemistry graduate student program. This work helped Brad discover a future in academia. Brad is currently a post-doc at Tufts University, investigating cancer chemopreventative agents in foods.
Alecia Christensen is a Quality Assurance Supervisor at Nestlé Corporation, responsible for an array of tasks ranging from evaluating quality systems at the plant to recruiting UW-Madison graduates for Nestlé’s Operations Management Training program. Christensen’s leadership ensures that Nestlé continues producing the quality chocolate the world has come to expect.
Laura Folts helps graduate students and private companies conduct food research as the Sensory Center Coordinator at University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. Laura's experiences in sensory analysis, from both the UW-Madison Food Science Product Development Team and an internship at the Kellogg Corporation, helped her determine the focus of her graduate studies, as well as prepare her for her current position.
Jennifer Vincent leads a team of scientists that are constantly looking for ways to improve our favorite food products. Her work in product development challenges Jennifer to use science, math, and creativity in order to predict “the next big trend."
Food Science as a Career
| Table 1. Job functions of BS Food Science graduates. | |
| Job Title | Approximate Percentage of Students Employed |
Quality Assurance |
30-40% |
Product/operations management |
20-25% |
Product development |
10-15% |
Graduate school |
15-30% |
Technical sales |
5-10% |
Regulatory agency |
< 5% |
Other (Students who work outside the profession) |
10-15% |
Admissions
Are you good at math? Are you interested in chemistry? Do you like to experiment with food? Then, consider Food Science! Students entering Food Science generally have a background in the sciences (chemistry, biology, and physics) and math (algebra, trig and calculus). The University of Wisconsin has specific admission requirements for all students.
Particular questions about Food Science can be answered by contacting the department at: (608) 262-3046 or foodsci@wisc.edu
Learn more about Food Science at UW-Madison.
Wondering what courses you would take as a food science student? See the Undergraduate program page for more information!
Financial Aid & Scholarships
Financing your college education can be
key to success. Contact the
College of Agricultural and Life Science student services office or
the University Financial Aid office for information on scholarships and loans.
UW Graduate Student working in Babcock Hall