At the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Food Science and Technology is a major that combines biological sciences, physical science, food science, math and social sciences. This program prepares students to join the industry that helps ensure consumers have safe, nutritious, and diverse food choices by teaching them the scientific background of food and the technologies that protect, preserve and enhance it.
The Food Science and Technology Department has introduced two new option areas for the Food Science and Technology bachelor’s degree: Food and Technology and Food and Health. These options will open to students in the fall 2025 semester. These options will allow students to further customize their academic pathway and open doors to further their career goals.
The Food and Technology option is approved by the Institute of Food Technologists, the leading professional organization for scientists working with food. In 2024, IFT members with a Bachelor’s degree are earning a median salary of $96,500 and working in the food industry (everything from large multinationals like PepsiCo or Conagra to small innovative startups; in areas such as food product development, quality assurance, flavor and sensory science, engineering, supply chain, and regulatory); as independent business owners or contractors; or in government positions such as health inspectors.
The Food and Health option targets those students with an interest in medical, veterinary, or other professional programs by incorporating classes that professional schools require (psychology, genetics, anatomy or physiology) and that are needed for the MCAT while still providing a thorough grounding in Food Science. The classes in Food Chemistry, Food Microbiology, and Sensory Evaluation (also taken by Food and Technology students) provide insight into aspects of food composition and its impact on the body that offers these students a unique edge in their future studies. To accommodate the pre-professional classes, this option has dropped the four food processing-oriented classes of the Food and Technology option.
Our food science graduates have gone on to careers in science labs, quality assurance, food safety, and food development in addition to graduate programs in food science, biosystems, dentistry, and pharmacy. The Food Science and Technology major helps students pursue science pathways to be career-ready after graduation and can be a great fit for students interested in pre-health to set themselves up for success in the medical field.
Food Science and Technology is a part of the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources with the program housed at Nebraska Innovation Campus with the Food Processing Center. This allows our students to access and learn in sensory labs, kitchens, microbiology labs, and experience all the equipment and technology food processing facilities utilized on a smaller scale. With so many options for hands-on learning and building valuable experience as an undergraduate, Nebraska stands apart from other food science degree programs.
More details at: https://foodscience.unl.edu/major/food-science-and-technology/