Education

What can you find on this webpage?

Our (future) students can find the official study programme and other useful info here.

You can find information about admission requirements, further studies and more practical info such as ECTS sheets, or a weekly timetable of the current academic year.

Are you a future student?

Be sure to first take a look at the page about the European Master of Sustainable Food Systems Engineering, Technology and Business.

There you can find more info on:

- What’s the programme about?

- Starting profile

- Admission and application

- Future possibilities

- Why KU Leuven

- Contact

- ...

Objectives

The FOOD4S course is unique in its modular format and also in the range of topics and experiences which students undergo in completing the individual modules. International mobility is a characteristic which is inherent to the course. This interdisciplinary programme in innovative fields assembled a broad coverage of areas and subjects and offers an education which is at the same time broad and in-depth aiming to foster and develop knowledge and awareness of scientific trends in food science, safety and quality, food product and process design, sustainable production, computational methods and risk analysis in food science in a global context. Essential elements of risk assessment, predictive modelling and computational optimisation are brought together with both sustainability principles of food production and food processing as well as energy and food chain concepts (Life Cycle Assessment) and food business, economics and marketing, within one coherent structure at a level for MSc students.

The course seeks to expand the scope of the theoretical research and policy debates over sustainable agriculture and food production. It offers a better understanding of food systems and ecological dynamics and offers strategies in terms of regenerating natural systems, providing predictive tools for the food industry and governmental bodies. Predictive modelling tools can be applied to evaluate the effects of climate change on food safety with regard to managing this new threat for all stakeholders, including industry, government and regulatory agencies. The objectives of the course are to be achieved by an education which is at the same time broad in its compulsory modules and in-depth in the optional modules and area for master thesis research. Additional (optional) professional competency module offers an integrative approach for linking academic competences to professional competences by inserting in the programme a practical placement in a production or research environment in industry or academia.

As defined by the learning outcomes, by the end of the programme students will have: (i) knowledge and understanding of the scientific principles underpinning technology for safe and sustainable food systems, food production and food processing, (ii) knowledge and understanding of traditional and novel food processing technology and automation, (iii) knowledge of state of the art technologies used to plan, perform and control sustainable food production and processing, (iv) skills to carry out an evaluation of the risks for the production of safe food, (v) skills in systemic thinking when solving problems and working within a complex environment such as a food company, (vi) the capacity to evaluate and select an optimal methodology, (vii) skills to devise scientific research hypotheses, carry out course of research investigation, apply appropriate measurement techniques, statistical analysis and interpret findings, (viii) the ability to effectively communicate and defend their work in written, oral and poster format, (ix) understanding of the need for high ethical standards and professionalism, (x) the ability to direct personal learning and to engage in lifelong learning.

Educational quality of the study programme

Here you can find an overview of the results of the COBRA internal quality assurance method.

Educational quality at study programme level

Blueprint
Blueprint_MA_EMM Food Science Technology and Business.pdf

Educational quality at university level

• Consult the documents on educational quality available at university level.

More information?

• More information on the educational quality at KU Leuven
• More information on the available documents