Program Overview

Why choose this course

• Study on an Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST) accredited course ranked 3rd in the UK by The Times/Sunday Times Good University Guide 2022 and 4th in the UK by the Complete University Guide 2022.
• Access our £10m Innovation for Health Learning Laboratory to acquire practical experience that is essential for a research career and valued by a wide range of employers.
• Gain industry experience through our award-winning Professional Training Placements, where you can work for a range of employers, including the Government, specialised bakery, confectionary, cereal and dairy food companies, as well as nutrition businesses.
• Learn from lecturers who’ve been awarded the Queen’s Anniversary Prize 2017-18 for Further and Higher Education, in recognition of their research excellence in the field of food and nutrition.
• Enter the jobs market with confidence. Surrey was named University of the Year for Graduate Employment in The Times/Sunday Times Good University Guide 2022.

What you will study

Food science is a multidisciplinary subject that applies biology and chemistry to the study of food.

In your first year, you’ll study a broad range of topics, including food science and nutrition, to give you a solid foundation upon which to build the rest of your degree.

In your second year, you’ll develop your understanding of what happens to the components of food during processing and storage. You'll gain an understanding of the role of food microbiology and how safe, nutritious food can be produced. You’ll acquire an appreciation for the functionality of ingredients used in foods, while exploring the basis of nutrition and the role this has on aetiology and prevention of key disorders, such as cancer.

In your third year, you’ll have the choice to specialise further, studying topics like food chemistry to continue to evaluate the role of natural and added components in the foods we eat. You will also gain a more in-depth understanding of the technologies used to produce safe and nutritious foods as well as the importance of food security. You’ll also advance your knowledge of the role of nutrition in illnesses like cardiovascular disease.