Food Safety

Required Emphasis Area Courses (18 credit hours)

 FDSC 58203. Principles of Food Microbiology

This web-based course is a study of the fundamentals of food microbiology to include its history, classifications, spores and their importance, and the most common and serious pathogenic food microorganisms. Fermentation, spoilage microorganisms and control methodology are also discussed. Offered fall semester of even years. 

FDSC 52203. Food Biosecurity

This course is the study of the security of agricultural products and the protection of our food supply from intentional and accidental, domestic and international contamination. Offered fall semester of even years. 

FDSC 54203. Foodborne Diseases

This course will introduce students to the major pathogens associated with foodborne diseases, their epidemiology, and approaches to outbreak investigation and control of foodborne illness. An emphasis will be placed on understanding the relationships between the host, the etiologic agent, and the environment as they relate to disease causation. The student will gain knowledge through lectures, case studies, readings, and an individual project. Offered summer semester of odd years. 

FDSC 55003. Safety and Sanitation for the Food Industry

This web-based course will provide an appreciation of the need for sanitation in food processing and increase the students' knowledge of sanitary techniques. Topics will include contamination sources, plant and equipment design, cleaners and sanitizers, HACCP, and food biosecurity. Also covered will be considerations in selecting, establishing and maintaining a sanitation program. An understanding of general microbiology and chemistry principles is expected for this course. Offered summer semester of even years. 

POSC 51103. Food Toxicology and Contaminants

During this course, the student will learn basic concepts of food toxicology, study the different physiological processes involved in food borne intoxications, and learn about potential health problems associated with exposure to these compounds. Offered spring semester of odd years. 

AGEC 57103. Food Safety Law

This course provides students with an introduction to food law and policy, history of food regulation, the organization of federal food law and regulatory agencies, government inspection and enforcement powers, food safety standards, food labeling, food advertising and product liability. Offered fall semester of odd years. 

Required Statistics Courses (3 credit hours)

Only ONE of these is required

AGED 54703. Interpreting Social Data in Agriculture

The development of competencies in analyzing, interpreting and reporting the results of analyses of social science data in agriculturally related professions. Students will select appropriate analysis techniques and procedures for various problems, analyze data, and interpret and report the results of statistical analyses in narrative and tabular form. Offered fall semester. 

ESRM 53903. Statistics in Education and Health Professions

Applied statistics course for Master's degree candidates. Includes concepts and operations for frequency distributions, graphing techniques, measures of central tendency and variation, sampling, hypothesis testing, and interpretation of statistical results. Offered every semester. 

Additional Elective Coursework (6 credit hours)

Various electives offered each semester. Advisor/Program approval required.

Program Capstone Course (3 credit hours)

AFLS 60103. Food Safety Capstone

A culminating academic experience to demonstrate that students have achieved the learning objectives of the program. Students will demonstrate their ability to apply the knowledge acquired from previous courses in the program to address real-life food safety concerns. By the end of the course, students will produce a scientific paper and an oral presentation on their chosen topic. Faculty advisor approval must be attached before enrollment into this course. Offered fall and spring semesters.

 

NOTE: Courses and schedule subject to change.