Food Science

The Food Science Graduate Program at Purdue University is an interdepartmental program, including all 20 of the faculty in the Department of Food Science and 11 select faculty in the following departments: Agricultural & Biological Engineering, Animal Sciences, Nutrition Science.  On average, there are 75 graduate students in the program, equally divided between M.S. and Ph.D. students, and approximately equally divided between U.S. and international students. All graduate students are supported on assistantships (or fellowships).

We have special programs for graduate students, outstanding facilities, award-winning faculty, and very helpful and capable staff. There are many opportunities for networking with companies, government agencies, and other university colleagues. We expect a lot from the students accepted into our program, including taking on leadership opportunities. Many of our graduate students have held leadership positions in national organizations.

Students develop and obtain approval (from Major Professor, Advisory Committee, Food Science Graduate Committee, Graduate School) for a Plan of Study, then successfully complete (i.e., minimum GPA of 3.0 on 4.0 scale) coursework in the Plan of Study. Beyond the minimum course requirements (see below), students select additional courses based on their chosen area of specialization. Listings are available of additional courses recommended for the general specializations of Food Chemistry, Food Microbiology, Food Processing, and Foods & Health.

The Food Science Graduate Program has no minimum total credit hours for a M.S. or Ph.D. degree, but M.S. students average 25-28 semester credit hours on their Plan of Study, and Ph.D. students average 20-24 credits.

Minimum coursework requirements of all graduate students are as follows:

• Basic Food Science Course Series (6 cr.)
  • Food Chemistry (1 cr.) FS 550
  • Food Analysis (1 cr.) FS 551
  • Nutritional Sciences (1 cr.) FS 552
  • Food Microbiology (1 cr.) FS 553
  • Food Processing and Packaging (2 cr.) FS 554
• Case Study Course (1 cr.) FS 555
• Statistics (M.S. students - 3 cr.; Ph.D. students - the equivalent of STAT 511 or 512, and STAT 514, i.e., though Experimental Design)
• Responsible Conduct in Research (1 cr.) ENTM 612, or equivalent
• Seminar (1 cr.) FS 684 or equivalent

Signature Areas

• Food Chemistry, Structure, and Function
• Food Safety and Microbiology
• Food Processing and Technology Development
• Foods for Health

• Undergraduate Cumulative Grade Point Average:
     3.0 or equivalent required
• Graduate Record Examination (GRE):
     Minimum Score Required: (before 8/2011) Verbal 400, Quantitative 500, Analytical 4.0
  (after 8/2011) Verbal 146, Quantitative 144, Analytical 4.0
• Resume and Purpose Statement
• Three letters of recommendation
• Official or unofficial transcripts – Official transcripts must be submitted to Graduate School upon admissiom
• Two copies of B.S. diploma – One submitted to Food Science graduate program and one submitted to Graduate School upon admission

International Applicants

• Undergraduate Cumulative Grade Point Average:
      3.0 or equivalent required
• Graduate Record Examination (GRE):
      Minimum Score Required: (before 8/2011) Verbal 400, Quantitative 500, Analytical 4.0
  (after 8/2011) Verbal 146, Quantitative 144, Analytical 4.0
• TOEFL for Non-Native English Speakers:
      Minimum Internet-Based Test (IBT) Overall Score Required: 77
      With the following minimum section requirements:
      Reading: 19
      Listening: 14
      Speaking: 18 
      Writing: 18
• IELTS (TOEL alternative) - 6.5 or higher will be accepted
• Pearson Test of English (PTE) (Academic Module): 
     An alternative to the TOEFL, scores of 58 or higher will be accepted  
• TWE for Non-Native English Speakers:
     Required -- minimum score of greater than or equal to 5.0. If iBT is taken, TWE is not required.
• Resume and Purpose Statement
• Three letters of recommendation
• Official or Unofficial Transcripts – (attested copies will not be accepted) Language of instruction and English translation required.  Official transcripts must be submitted to Graduate School upon admission
• Two copies of B.S. diploma – One copy should be in the language of  instruction and the other an English translation. One set submitted to Food Science graduate program and one set submitted to Graduate School upon admission

Scholarships

Support for our Graduate Program comes in numerous forms. Naturally, government and research grants support student assistantships as well as competitive assistantships offered internally within Purdue University. However, funds for graduate students also are needed for supplementing these assistantships, travel to professional meetings, awards, and special programs.

We are pleased to also announce several endowments that support programs, directly or indirectly, for our graduate students. Those endowments include:

• Allen Kirleis Graduate Award
• B. J. Liska Graduate Scholarship
• B. J. Liska Graduate Teaching Award
• Bill and Margie Stadelman Endowment for the Graduate Program
• Philip E. Nelson Endowment for Excellence

These endowments provide indefinite annual spending income of over $18,000 per year, helping support our programs and providing flexibility.