The Distance Food Science Master's Degree is a competitive program offered to degree holding food industry professionals that meet the prerequisites.  The program is not an entitlement because you have paid the tuition and fees.  This is an advanced degree program that provides additional educational training for those in the food industry.  All applications go through a rigorous process in which only qualified applicants are selected for the program.  Thus, not everyone who applies is accepted.

Non-Thesis Option
A minimum of 30 credit hours with 20 core credits and at least 18 hours at 700 level are required.  The core courses as outlined below are to ensure that the student possesses the critical graduate level food science knowledge and communication skills required.

Report option
A Food Science Master's degree, report option requires 28 hours of course work. Up to 9 hours of graduate credit directly relating to food science can be transfer credit. A bachelor's degree is required for entry into the program and the program requirements and application procedures are the same as for the on-campus graduate program. A written master's report is required and counts for 2 hours of graduate credit.

Thesis option
The Distance Food Science Master's degree program is a report option.  If an individual would like to pursue a thesis option, the student must petition the committee with appropriate justification.  Please contact the Graduate Food Science Program Chair for details.  Contact information is above right.

An administrative fee of $500 per term (three terms per year), from start to finish of the degree requirements, is charged in addition to the cost of courses taken. The $500 fee is paid each term regardless of the number of credit hours taken. If the fee is not paid, the student is dropped from the program and must reapply to continue.

A student enrolled in three credit hours per term (fall, spring and summer) or nine credits per year may complete the Masters of Science degree programs (report or thesis) in approximately 10 terms (3.5 years). The graduate school regulations state that a Masters of Science degree must be completed in a maximum of seven years. With this format of fee assessment, students are encouraged to proceed as rapidly as possible to allow servicing the maximum number of qualified students.  

Course Information
For a list and description of courses offered, see the Distance Education Food Science Graduate Distance Courses listing.

For available courses by semester, description, and cost, see the Division of Continuing Education Course Offerings.