Master of Food Science

The standard Master of Food Science is a two-year program. However, accelerated options are available through Recognition of Prior Learning (Credit Transfer): students with a Bachelor Degree with Honours or AQF Level 8 equivalent in a cognate discipline may complete the degree in as little as one year, while students with an AQF Level 7 undergraduate qualification in certain cognate disciplines may complete it in approximately 1.7 years.

For domestic students, the 2026 indicative first year full fee is $45,000 and the indicative full fee to complete the degree is $92,500. For international students, the 2026 indicative first year full fee is $61,000 and the indicative full fee to complete the degree is $127,000. Fees are subject to annual review and may vary.

The program includes 4 Advanced Disciplinary Courses (2 core and 2 electives), 7 Disciplinary Courses (4 core and 3 electives), 2 Science Technical Management Courses (1 core and 1 elective), and 3 Enquiry-based courses (which include a research project or product development courses). Core courses include Sensory Analysis of Foods, Advanced Food Microbiology, Food Process Principles, Food Products and Ingredients Technology, Food Properties and Functions Laboratory, and Food Safety and Quality Assurance.

The Master of Food Science is delivered by the School of Chemical Engineering at UNSW. The school focuses on working with national and international partners to develop sustainable chemical solutions in the energy, resources, water, food and health sectors. It was ranked five-stars in Food Sciences by the ERA Research Excellence in 2019, and has been delivering research and teaching for over 65 years. UNSW is ranked #1 in Australia and #33 globally for Engineering and Technology (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2026).

Graduates can pursue highly specialised and senior roles including global food standards specialist, food regulatory affairs manager, nutritional product developer, plant-based food technologist, flavour scientist, sensory evaluation lead, packaging innovation engineer, food data scientist, fermentation scientist, ingredient innovation chemist, R&D project manager, and food sustainability consultant. UNSW Food Science graduates are in high demand in the food and beverage industries, university and CSIRO research, and government regulatory bodies such as FSANZ.