Your degree in Food Science

Skills you’ll develop

While studying Food Science, you’re learning how to apply the fields of chemistry, biology, and engineering to different aspects of the food industry such as food processing, food safety, quality assurance, preservation, and product development.

You’ll develop important skills through laboratory testing and hands-on practical experience. You’ll apply your scientific knowledge and research skills to address the nutritional and sensory properties of food products. The skills you gain will allow you to drive change in the food industry, informing industry trends, policies, and more.

These skills may include:

• Investigation of chemical properties of food components and changes that occur during processing, storage, and utilization
• Ability to distinguish between beneficial, pathogenic, and spoilage microorganisms in food and how to manage their growth, survival, and control
• Execution of food science laboratory experiments emphasizing precision, accuracy, and safety
• Application of food engineering and processing principles to food plant sanitation, food packaging, food preservation, and waste management
• Application of food law, regulatory, quality control, and quality assurance principles to sustainable product development or modification projects
• Development of statistical analysis, critical thinking, and problem solving skills in laboratory, problem based learning, and industry project settings
• Ability to influence the transmission and control of physical, chemical, and biological food hazards
• Project management in the design and implementation of an interdisciplinary, community-based, food systems project
• Experimental design, ethical data collection and analysis, and literature analysis in food science research projects

Career possibilities

Career opportunities vary across a range of fields including food product development, quality assurance, government inspection and regulatory agencies, food product research, supply chain management, business operations, entrepreneurship, sales and marketing, intellectual property, and others.

There are many career paths that can combine your academics, skills, and experience with your different interests. Read through the job titles below for ideas.

Visit the Job Bank Canada website to research basic requirements and responsibilities of jobs in your field. Some career options may require further education or training.

Make the most of your major

Your experiences will open doors to new opportunities and help clarify understanding of your values and interests.

• UBC Food Science Club on Facebook
  Create educational Food Science events for students who share a passion for food.
• UBC Dairy Education and Research Centre
  Access this state-of-the-art facility which provides opportunities for dairy research and education.
• Departmental research opportunities
  Reach out directly to faculty members to ask about potential research positions.
• UBC Farm
  Get involved with many different opportunities in teaching and research on this 24-hectare community farm on campus.
• Agora Eats Café
  Provide affordable, healthy food choices volunteering with this student-run café within the MacMillan building.
• UBC Wine Research Centre
  Connect with this centre that brings together researchers from the Vancouver and Kelowna campuses focused on technological advancement of the wine industry in British Columbia and Canada.
• UBC Nutrikids
  Meet other UBC students to work together to provide nutrition education workshops for Lower Mainland elementary schools.
• Roots on the Roof
  Join this student-run club that manages community garden plots and hosts community events  on the roof of the Nest.
• UBC Sprouts and Seedlings
  Volunteer your time with this student-run non-profit grocery store and café on campus.
• Vegans of UBC
  Work with other vegans to build a more ethical and healthier UBC community.
• BC Children’s Hospital research
  Participate in an undergraduate research project related to child and family health.
• Beneath One Sky UBC
  Volunteer with this non-profit student-run organization to support impoverished communities in Greater Vancouver through events like a soup kitchen.
• UBC PATHS
  Attend events and help raise awareness and funds for common neurodegenerative diseases.
• Canadian Food Inspection Agency
  Learn about the agency that safeguards food, animals, and plants for Canadian communities.
• Canadian Institutes of Health Research
  Connect with 13 health research institutes involved in innovating the Canadian health care system.
• Health Canada
  Dive into the department assisting Canadians with their individual health situations.
• Summer Abroad for Faculty of Land and Food Systems
  Study overseas and immerse yourself in a new culture during the summer with a partnering university.

Build your network

Employers often hire people they know, so help them get to know you. You can build your network through clubs, classes, informational interviews, and more. There are so many ways to make connections and find mentors.

The professional associations below are also great resources for meeting people, learning about specific industries, and finding job and volunteer opportunities. Most have reduced membership rates for students and new grads.

• BC Food Protection Association
• BC Food Technologists
• Canadian Environmental Network
• Canadian Institute of Food Science and Technology (CIFST)
• Canadian Public Health Association
• Canadian Society of Microbiologists 
• Institute of Food Technologists (IFT)
• International Association for Food Protection
• Obesity Canada
• Small Scale Food Processor Association
• Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry

Connect with alumni on LinkedIn

Find UBC Food Science graduates on LinkedIn to learn about where they’re working, and their career and academic paths.

More information

From your Land and Food Systems degree, you’ll develop skills and experiences that can translate into many career paths. Check out other things you can do with your Land and Food Systems degree.