This 45-credit program is offered to candidates who seek further specialization in the area of food safety but do not wish to pursue independent research. A strong undergraduate background in microbiology and knowledge of foodborne pathogens and food toxicants are required for admission to this program.
Credits are obtained through a combination of graduate-level courses and a 12-credit research project*.
This M.Sc. non-thesis program accepts September admissions only. Its typical duration is three academic terms which are normally completed in a 12-month period. The program may be extended, however, to accommodate, for example, a modified course load and/or additional required preparatory courses.
The typical course load sequence is:
15 credits lectured courses in fall term
15 credits lectured courses in winter term
15 credits research projects* and graduate seminar in summer term
An additional term may be required depending upon actual course load and/or additional required preparatory coursework.
International applicants are required to show proof of financial support for the duration of the program. The current cost of tuition and ancillary fees for three academic terms (fall/winter/summer) can be viewed by using the McGill Student Accounts fee calculator https://www.mcgill.ca/student-accounts/tuition-charges/fallwinter-term-tuition-and-fees/graduate-fees.
Select the appropriate Residency, and select “Master’s non-thesis program”. The amount will be shown for the fall and winter terms (two full-time terms, 30 credits). Estimated total program fees for M.Sc. non-thesis students can be pro-rated from the 30 credit estimate to 45 credits required for the program.
*A note on the Research Project which is a requirement for the MSc non-thesis programs in Food Science and Food Safety*
The Research Project (12 credits) must contain a research component and is primarily to be conducted within a research lab in the Department of Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry. It is the prerogative of the Project Instructor and Program Advisor whether to allow a student to be involved in a project external to the Department or the University. An industry internship is not guaranteed. Professors have a priority to assign students to internal research projects.
Please watch the following video to learn more.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhbPrtazSdE&feature=youtu.be
There is no financial assistance or demonstratorships associated with this program. Work for a co-op, research project, or internship will form an integral part of the student’s program. International students are required to have a work co-op permit in addition to a study permit. All applicants must be self-funded.
Academic advisor: Dr. Xiaonan Lu
Required Courses (24 credits)
FDSC 634
Food Toxins & Toxicants
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Food Science: Toxins and toxicant residues in food are explored from an analytical perspective. New techniques of analysis and strategies are emphasized.
Offered by: Food Science&Agr.Chemistry
- Winter
- Prerequisite: FDSC 213 or permission of instructor.
FDSC 624
Current Food Safety Issues
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Food Science: Examining current and emerging food safety issues and concerns as they occur, including food recalls, in the context of food safety hazards and health risk, food laws and regulations, food industry standards and practices.
Offered by: Food Science&Agr.Chemistry
FDSC 626
Food Safety Risk Assessment
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Food Science: Food safety risk assessment as a key component of the risk analysis framework. Various aspects of the risk assessment process including planning, conducting and reviewing a risk assessment.
Offered by: Food Science&Agr.Chemistry
FDSC 545
Advances in Food Microbiology
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Food Science: An advanced level food microbiology course providing a perspective on advanced topics in food microbiology (microbial biofilms, antimicrobial resistance, bacterial endospores) and describing the fundamental principles of advanced techniques in food microbiology (microbiological, biochemical, immunological, genetics methods).
Offered by: Food Science&Agr.Chemistry
- Winter
- 3 lectures
- Prerequisite: MICR 230 or LSCI 230, or permission of instructor
- Offered in alternate years only
FDSC 697
M.Sc. Project Part 1
6 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Food Science: A critical review of the current state of knowledge of some aspect of Food Science or Technology.
Offered by: Food Science&Agr.Chemistry
- Restriction: Must be registered in the M.Sc. in Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry; Non-Thesis Food Science.
- Terms
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2021 academic year
FDSC 698
M.Sc. Project Part 2
6 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Food Science: A critical review of the current state of knowledge of some aspects of Food Science or Technology.
Offered by: Food Science&Agr.Chemistry
- Prerequisite: FDSC 697.
- Restriction: Must be registered in the M.Sc. in Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry; Non-Thesis-Food Science.
- Terms
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2021 academic year
Complementary Courses (15 credits)
3 credits from the following:
FDSC 695
M.Sc. Graduate Seminar 1
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Food Science: Presentation on a selected topic, research proposal or research results based on progress in degree work (M.Sc.1).
Offered by: Food Science&Agr.Chemistry
- Terms
- Instructors
- Varoujan Yaylayan
- Varoujan Yaylayan
FDSC 696
M.Sc. Graduate Seminar 2
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Food Science: Presentation on a selected topic, research proposal or research results based on progress in degree work (M.Sc.2).
Offered by: Food Science&Agr.Chemistry
- Terms
- Instructors
- Varoujan Yaylayan
- Varoujan Yaylayan
12 credits from the following:
AGRI 510
Professional Practice
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Agriculture: The ethical issues that face a professional in the workplace; professional ethics and deontology, professional responsibilities as related to the laws of labour, health, safety and risks to the environment, risk management and communication.
Offered by: Food Science&Agr.Chemistry
- Restriction: Course restricted to senior undergraduate and graduate students.
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2021 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2021 academic year
FDSC 536
Food Traceability
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Food Science: Concepts and processes associated with the identification, tracking and tracing food forward and backward through the food continuum.
Offered by: Food Science&Agr.Chemistry
- Winter
- 3 lectures
- Prerequisite: FDSC 425 or permission of instructor.
- Course offered in odd years.
FDSC 555
Comparative Food Law
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Food Science: An introduction to food law. The transformations that food law is undergoing as a consequence of social, economic and technological changes, the regulation of food risks and consumers' rights to be informed (labeling, health claims, nutritional information).
Offered by: Food Science&Agr.Chemistry
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2021 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2021 academic year
FDSC 525
Food Quality Assurance
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Food Science: The principles and practices required for the development, maintenance and monitoring of systems for food quality and food safety. The concepts and practices of Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point; ISO 9000; Total Quality Management; Statistical Sampling Plans, Statistical Process Control; Tools of Quality; Government Regulations.
Offered by: Food Science&Agr.Chemistry
- Winter
- 3 lectures
- Prerequisite: AEMA 310 or permission of instructor
- Restriction: Not open to students who have taken FDSC 425
NUTR 512
Herbs, Foods&Phytochemicals
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Nutrition and Dietetics: An overview of the use of herbal medicines and food phytochemicals and the benefits and risks of their consumption. The physiological basis for activity and the assessment of toxicity will be presented. Current practices relating to the regulation, commercialization and promotion of herbs and phytochemicals will be considered.
Offered by: Human Nutrition
PARA 515
Water, Health and Sanitation
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Parasitology: The origin and types of water contaminants including live organisms, infectious agents and chemicals of agricultural and industrial origins. Conventional and new technological developments to eliminate water pollutants. Comparisons of water, health and sanitation between industrialized and developing countries.
Offered by: Parasitology
BREE 535
Food Safety Engineering
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Bioresource Engineering: The application of engineering principles to address microbial and chemical safety challenges in food processing, including intervention technologies (traditional and novel non-thermal intervention technologies, chemical interventions, and hurdle approach); control, monitoring and identification techniques (biosensors); packaging applications in food safety (active packaging, intelligent or smart packaging); and tracking and traceability systems.
Offered by: Bioresource Engineering
OCCH 612
Principles of Toxicology
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Occupational Health & Hygiene: General principles of toxicology, routes of toxicant entry, human organs as targets of toxic action, adverse effects, time-course of reactions to toxicants. Risk assessment techniques, in vivo-in vitro toxicity models, links between human population observations and animal, cellular and biochemical models.
Offered by: Occupational Health
Electives (6 credits)
At the 500 level or higher, in consultation with the Academic advisor