MSc in New Food Product & Business Development

Students holding a BSc degree or equivalent in one of the following fields are eligible for admission to the MSc in New Food Product & Business Development:

• Food Science or related
• Food Technology or related
• General Agriculture with specialization Food Science and/or Technology

Applicants with other relevant BSc degrees (such as Agricultural studies, Animal Husbandry, Chemistry, Nutrition, Chemical Engineering, Biology, Biotechnology, Public Health, Veterinary etc.) may be considered for admission on the basis of their undergraduate programme curriculum. The admissions committee will review every application on an individual basis and may request that additional courses be completed.

To be considered for admission, candidates are also required to either hold a recent minimum TOEFL score of 80(IBT), or minimum of IELTS score of 6.5, unless their Bachelor degree has been awarded from an English speaking institution or the candidate is a native English speaker. All students with no formal or evidence of English language skills are offered the option to sit the Cardiff Met GETS-HE Test (the test is computer based and is organised at the Perrotis College premises). Successful completion of the GETS Higher (81-89% in any individual component) meets the English Language Requirements for direct entry into the program.

Professional experience is desirable but not required.

The Master of Science in New Food Product and Business Development is an academic program focused on developing impactful Food Scientists specialized in the development of novel food products. Graduates can be employed in large food related industries in Greece andInternationally or act as entrepreneurs.

The program aims to instill the knowledge, skills and mindset needed to thrive in the agro-food sector, as well as the critical skills and perspectives for doing it, through a combination of multi-disciplinary classroom and distance learning teaching (blended model), laboratory sessions, visits, cases studies and research projects. 

Classes take place either online (synchronous and asynchronous distance learning) or in the classroom in the evening on week days and on weekends, offering students who are currently employed the flexibility needed to pursue graduate work.

The impactful results of the program are achieved through the use of four complimentary components:

Academic teaching
Academic rigor creates clarity of thought and the ability to make fast, actionable decisions. The academic part of the program is not just about learning theory; instead, it is aimed at providing clarity of thought in a confusing world and looking for solutions to real realistic cases. The Faculty at Perrotis College Graduate School offers the latest academic thinking frameworks to help students chart their own path. The blended learning environment combines face-to-face interactive teaching with distance learning that incorporates video, text and small group work to provide the most useful and rigorous experience that still allows the flexibility and real-time application enabled by a part-time program, where needed.

Learning-by-doing
The program follows a holistic approach that will enable our students to understand the problems and the opportunities within the food supply chain (from field to fork). The program is designed to be client-specific. In that respect, students will be able to focus and acquire in depth knowledge and become specialists on the specific food product of their choice. Moreover, students meet industry practitioners and learn about emerging challenges and the solutions they found to overcome them. These interactions help students expand not just their industry-specific knowledge but also shape the way they approach their own challenges.

Research project
In the final semester of their studies, students engage in primary research in a thematic area of their interest.Past examples include:

• Effect of harvesting time on the quality characteristics of olive oil produced from Chondroelia Chalkidikis cultivar
• Effect of storage on the quality characteristics of olive oil produced from Chondroelia Chalkidikis cultivar
• Encapsulation of probiotics in biopolymer based matrices; physicochemical properties, viability along the gastrointestinal track
• Use of ultrasound processing as an alternative pasteurization means for non thermal treatment of liquid products
• Physicochemical properties of plant protein based gels and their potential use as meat replacers
• Species specific genomics and functional characterization of Lactobacilli in naturally fermented Halkidiki table olives
• In vivo evolution and identification of predominant bacterial communities in naturally fermented Greek Chalkidiki table olives: Expression of bacterial genes involved in metabolic pathways
• Natural variation in the secondary metabolism of edible Greek ecotypes of the rock samphire (Crithmum maritimum)
• Analysis of the risk management information for the hazards in meat and meat products
• The combined effect of pomegranate juice and packaging on the shelf life of pork meat
• Enhancing the nutritional profile of meat products by the use of inulin and β-glucan as functional ingredients

Collaborative network
It is essential for students to build a vibrant network to allow them to discover new opportunities,learn, andraise their visibility. Perrotis College Graduate School has very good and extensive ties with the food industry, other Academic Institutions, Research Centers, farmer and cooperatives in terms of collaboration in research projects and dissemination of knowledge. Students will be brought into contact with alumni, researchers, industry experts and mentors during the many events offered and will be able to visit various industries and thematic fairs. All these interactions allow the students to to broaden theirnetwork and in collaboration with the career office to explore employment opportunities.

Study

Fall Semester

• Entrepreneurship 
• Research Methods and Data Management 
• Innovative Technologies for Sustainable Agricultural Systems 
• Bioinformatics / Genomics 
• Food Marketing and Branding   
• Risk analysis and Crisis management 

Spring Semester

• Advanced Topics in New Product Development in Plant/Animal Origin Products
• Food Structure and Sensory analysis  
• Food Quality Assurance  
• Applied Food legislation and packaging (Optional) 
• Specialized Nutrition (Optional) 
• Work Based Learning  (Optional)

Summer Semester

• Dissertation  
• Research Methods

Careers

In this highly innovative, client-specific environment, and in-depth research projects, students will acquire the skills and underpinning knowledge needed to follow a range of career paths both in Greece and abroad in food industries: in Safety Management and Quality Assurance, Marketing Management, in the R&D Department, Laboratory of Food Quality and Safety, and as Staff member advising on Legislation & Communication, Purchasing Manager of Raw Materials and Operational Manager. Graduates will also be able to work as entrepreneurs, independent consultants and trainers in the agro-food sector.

Although this is a specialized program, graduates will acquire transferable skills through common coursework, allowing them to seek employment in other sectors as well.

Moreover, students who are interested in an international academic career will have the competencies and knowledge required to pursue Ph.D. studies.