The University of British Columbia (UBC) offers a Bachelor of Science in Food, Nutrition and Health specializing in Food Science at its Vancouver campus.
UBC’s Food Science program combines the chemistry and microbiology of food, its nutritional and sensory properties, and how it is engineered and processed for consumption. Students will explore topics such as concepts in nutrition, preventing foodborne illness, and the connection between land, food, and community. This program is ideal for individuals who are interested in a career that explores the science of food.
Taught by skilled researchers and teachers, the four-year Food Science major emphasizes hands-on experience through extensive foundational science and food-specific laboratory courses. Students will also participate in community-based learning through the Land, Food, and Community series, investigating regional, national, and global food systems that are ecologically, socially, and economically sustainable. In addition, students have the opportunity to work in food industry co-op placements.
The Food Science program offers has spacious chemistry and microbiology laboratories used only for undergraduate teaching. Other facilities include a teaching kitchen, sensory evaluation space, and a Pilot Plant facility, which is a modern analytical research laboratory used to develop new food products in sustainable ways.
The Food Science major is approved by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT). Student are eligible to apply for Canadian Institute of Food Science and Technology (CIFST) scholarships and other food science-specific student funding, and attend CIFST and IFT events.
Graduates of the Food Science program are ready to work in the food industry. A recent UBC survey showed that many areas of the industry need food scientists, including for research and development, regulation, quality control, food safety, processing, food marketing, and management.
Faculty of Land and Food Systems