Overview
The BSc (Hons) (Food Science) Degree is of four years' duration. The programme includes a 24-week period of Work Placement in the Third Year.
First Year - Food Science
In order to be admitted to the First University Examination in Food Science a student must have satisfactorily attended modules amounting to 60 credits.
Second Year - Food Science
No student may register for Second Year Food Science until the First University Examination in Food Science has been passed. To be admitted to the Second University Examination in Food Science a student must have satisfactorily attended modules amounting to 60 credits.
Third Year - Food Science
The Third Year Food Science programme consists of taught modules to the value of 50 credits and Work Placement to the value of 10 credits. No student may register for Third Year Food Science until the Second University Examination in Food Science has been passed. To be admitted to the Third University Examination in Food Science a student must have satisfactorily attended taught modules amounting to 50 credits.
Work Placement
Students must also undertake a 24-week period of Work Placement (FS3001 Work Placement - 10 credits) after the Third University Examination. Students debarred from examination in any module in the Third Food Science Programme will not be permitted to undertake Work Placement (FS3001 Work Placement).
Students who do not secure a work placement position by April 30 each year, or who are debarred from examination in any module in Third Food Science Programme, will take module FS3100 Food Industry Skills (10 credits).
Fourth Year - Food Science
Students who fail or do not undertake FS3001 Work Placement or FS3100 Food Industry Skills must repeat or take this module after the BSc (Hons) Food Science Degree Examination has been completed. To be allowed to graduate a student must have passed either FS3001 or FS3100. To be admitted to the BSc (Hons) (Food Science) Degree Examination a student must have satisfactorily attended modules amounting to 60 credits.
Programme Requirements
For information about modules, module choice, options and credit weightings, please go to Programme Requirements.
Programme Requirements
Module List
| Code |
Title |
Credits |
| |
| BC1001 | Introduction to Biochemistry and the Biological Basis of Disease | 5 |
| BL1004 | Physiology and Structure of Plants and Animals | 5 |
| CM1005 | Introductory Chemistry for Food and Nutritional Sciences | 15 |
| FS1005 | Food Technology, Culture and Ethics | 5 |
| FS1006 | Success Skills for Food Scientists | 5 |
| MA1001 | Calculus for Science Part 1 | 5 |
| MA1002 | Calculus for Science Part 2 | 5 |
| MB1003 | Microbiology in Society | 5 |
| PY1008 | Physics for Biomedical, Environmental, Food and Nutritional Sciences | 10 |
| |
| BC2001 | Biomolecules | 5 |
| BC2002 | Principles of Metabolic Pathways | 5 |
| FS2001 | Introductory Food Chemistry - Analytical Methods | 5 |
| FS2002 | Introductory Food Chemistry: Food Constituents A | 5 |
| FS2003 | Introductory Food Chemistry - Selected Topics in Physical Chemistry | 5 |
| FS2006 | Food Process Design and Optimisation | 5 |
| FS2007 | Topics in Food Quality, Hygiene and Legislation | 5 |
| MB2005 | Fundamentals of Microbiology | 5 |
| NT2013 | Fundamentals of Nutrition Part 1 | 5 |
| MB2906 | Principles of Microbiology | 5 |
| PE2006 | Process Engineering Principles | 5 |
| ST2001 | Introduction to Biostatistics | 5 |
| |
| FS3008 | Fundamentals of Food Packaging | 5 |
| FS3013 | Proteins and Lipids in Food Systems | 5 |
| FS3014 | Macromolecules, Emulsions and Food Structure | 5 |
| FS3015 | Dairy Processing and Preservation | 5 |
| FS3016 | Ingredient Recovery from Milk, Whey and their Co-Products | 5 |
| FS3020 | Methods of Food Processing and Analysis | 5 |
| FS3021 | Professional Skills for Food Scientists | 5 |
| FS3022 | Sensory Evaluation for Food and Nutritional Sciences | 5 |
| MB3003 | Food and Industrial Microbiology I | 5 |
| MB3014 | Food and Industrial Microbiology II | 5 |
| FS3001 | Work Placement 1 | 10 |
| or FS3100 | Food Industry Skills |
| |
| FS4002 | Team Research and Development Project | 10 |
| FS4014 | Food Product Development and Innovation | 5 |
| FS4006 | Cereals and Related Beverages | 5 |
| FS4011 | Advanced Food Packaging | 5 |
| FS4020 | Dairy Fermentations and Biotechnology A | 5 |
| FS4021 | Meat Science and Technology | 5 |
| FS4023 | Food Biopolymer Ingredients | 5 |
| FS4025 | Food Formulation and Design for Nutrition and Health | 5 |
| FS4026 | Food Factory Design, Utilities and Services | 5 |
| MB4011 | Microbial Food Safety | 5 |
| NT4014 | Sustainable Food Systems | 5 |
| Total Credits | 240 |
Examinations
Full details and regulations governing Examinations for each programme will be contained in the Marks and Standards Book and for each module in the Book of Modules.
Programme Learning Outcomes
Programme Learning Outcomes for BSc (Hons) (Food Science) (NFQ Level 8, Major Award)
On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to:
1
1-1
Identify, analyse and solve problems in food science using knowledge of biological and physical sciences and technology;
1-2
2
Describe the chemistry of the major constituents of food systems, and relate the presence of these constituents to food properties;
1-3
3
Explain the principles behind microbial processes in food systems, including adaptation and environmental factors, fermentation, spoilage and pathogenicity, and relate these to processes for production of safe, stable food systems;
1-4
4
Describe unit operations used in food processing and the effects of processing parameters on product quality;
1-5
5
Explain the principles of, and apply in practice, techniques in food analysis;
1-6
6
Plan, conduct, evaluate and report research in food science;
1-7
7
Work effectively as an individual, in teams and in multi-disciplinary settings, in particular in the context of research or food product/process development, and with an appreciation of the structure and operation of the modern food industry;
1-8
8
Develop the capacity to undertake lifelong learning;
1-9
9
Communicate effectively with the food industry and with society at large.
*** Only for Incoming First Years and Repeat First Years 2024/2025 ***
*** Click here for Marks and Standards for all other years ***
Marks and Standards
These Marks and Standards should be read in conjunction with the Programme Requirements and the Book of Modules.
Fitness to Practise
All students on programmes subject to Fitness to Practise in UCC will be required to comply with the Fitness to Practise Policy and meet the relevant Fitness to Practise standards, in order to progress to the next year of his/her/their programme. Click here for a list of programmes subject to the Fitness to Practise Policy.
Marks and Credits
Students are required to take modules to the value of 60 credits.
Total Marks for year: 1200.
First Year - Pass and Progression Criteria
To pass first year and progress to second year, students must achieve:
- An aggregate mark of 40% across all modules,
- A pass mark in modules to the value of at least 50 credits, and
- A module mark of at least 30% in any remaining modules.
Pass by Compensation: Students who satisfy each of the above criteria are allowed to compensate in modules to the value of 10 credits and pass the year overall.
Examination Boards
- Provisional marks for Semester 1 examinations are released in January/February of each year. These marks are subject to approval at the University Examination Board.
- Marks for all modules taken in Semester 1 and 2, including those wholly assessed by Continuous Assessment, will be presented to the University Examination Board at the end of Semester 2.
Supplemental Examinations and Assessment
- Students who fail to achieve the progression standard for the year at the Summer Examination Board must complete Supplemental Examinations and/or Continuous Assessment for those specific module(s), where there is provision to do so.
- Please refer to the Book of Modules for requirements governing the Supplemental Examination and Assessment for individual modules. Note: For some modules there is no Supplemental Examination and Assessment.
- The marks achieved in the Supplemental Examinations and/or Continuous Assessment of a repeat module are considered at the Autumn Examination Board.
- The actual mark achieved by the candidate in the Supplemental or Repeat Year Examination will be recorded on the student record (Academic Transcript).
- The maximum mark that will be taken into account for aggregation and progression purposes is a pass level, unless the student has been granted a cap waiver or deferral by the University Mitigation Committee, or a University Examination Board, or has been approved to defer the previous attempt by the University Mitigation Committee.
- At the Autumn Examination Board, marks from all passed modules approved at the Summer Examination Board are carried forward and are combined with the marks achieved in Supplemental Examinations and/or Assessments. The pass and progression criteria are applied to the aggregate mark achieved.
Note: The mark achieved at the last examination/assessment attempt is the mark that is included in the calculation of the aggregate mark for pass and progression purposes.
Study Abroad
- When students study abroad as part of his/her/their degree programme, they will be assessed by his/her/their host university.
- To pass the study abroad period and progress to the subsequent year, a student must achieve a pass standard as applied by the host institution.
- A Pass/Fail judgement will be presented to the UCC Examination Boards:
- At the Summer Examination Board for students spending Semester 1 abroad.
- At the Autumn/Winter Examination Board for students spending the full academic year abroad or Semester 2 only.
- For students failing to achieve a pass mark, Supplemental Assessment will be prescribed by the School in UCC, and these results will be presented at a Winter Examination Board.
Exemptions
All passed modules carry an exemption, which is limited to a period of five academic years (or two in the case of Computer Science modules) subsequent to the award of the exemption.
Repeat Year Examinations
Students repeating the year may do so choosing one of the following mechanisms:
1. Students retain module exemptions, if any, and must repeat all failed/absent modules, including those modules where the failing mark previously achieved was greater than the level of compensation (≥ 30%) but who failed to achieve the progression standard for the year (see above). The pass and progression criteria are then applied to the combination of full marks achieved in modules passed at the first attempt, plus capped marks achieved in modules in the Repeat Year Examinations.
Note: For students selecting different modules not previously taken, there are no restrictions on the marks awarded for those modules at the first attempt in a repeat year. The selection of different modules by the student means that the student foregoes any previous marks achieved in the original modules (including previously passed modules).
2. Students may forego all module exemptions achieved and repeat the year choosing modules to the value of the full 60 credits. In determining pass and progression, there is no restriction on the marks awarded for modules taken at the first attempt of the Repeat Year. Modules taken at the subsequent Supplemental Examination and Assessment are capped at the pass mark.
Subject to capacity, all students - whether they have failed or passed - are allowed to choose this second option, in an attempt to improve his/her/their grade.
Students repeating the final year are eligible for the award of Honours in the first Repeat Year only. Final year students wishing to repeat the year with a view to improving his/her/their degree result may do so only if they have not been conferred.
Three Year Rule
Students must pass/progress within three academic years of the date of first registration for a year, otherwise they cannot continue in the programme.
Terms and Definitions
Programme Description
Module Descriptions/Assessment
- Module descriptions, including the pass standard for a module, special requirements to pass a module, and assessment elements and their weightings, are contained in the Book of Modules.
Marks and Credits
- A maximum of 100 marks may be awarded for every five credits of a programme.
- Some modules are assessed on a Pass/Fail basis only, i.e. marks are not awarded.
Pass and Progression
- Progression is defined as the permission granted to a student to register in the subsequent academic year for the next set of modules within his/her/their programme of study.
- Compensation is defined as the process by which a student, who fails to satisfy some of the regulations for credit in a specific module, is nevertheless recommended for credit to be awarded on the grounds that the failure is offset by his/her/their performance in the other modules on his/her/their programme of study.
