Sept 2024 Entry
4 years
At least 122 credits (depending on student’s academic attainment)
- Students are awarded a BSc (Hons) in Food Safety and Technology upon successful completion of all graduation requirements.
- A Secondary Major in Innovation and Entrepreneurship is available. Admission to the Secondary Major is on a competitive basis and subject to a different credit requirement for graduation. Please see the “Secondary Major Details” section for more information.
Programme Aims
We aim to foster graduates who are skilled food technologists, food innovators, and vigilant food-safety officers, thereby enabling them to become leaders in the food industry and the government to improve the quality and safety of food to benefit the community.
Our programme equips students with the scientific and engineering skills needed to understand, characterise, and manipulate food for various applications. It also offers diverse and detailed training that develops students into all-round competitive graduates who lead international programmes with their professional knowledge, communication skills, intellectual curiosity, and social responsibility. The programme cultivates analytical and critical thinking abilities, creativity, problem-solving skills, teamwork, and a global outlook.
Programme Characteristics
The programme has an industry-oriented curriculum design. Students participate in an active learning environment. They receive engaging classroom instruction from a group of caring and supportive staff, supplemented with a wealth of outside classroom activities, such as industrial visits (both local and international), competitive internships, industrial and career seminars, research opportunities, and academic exchanges. Students also receive hands-on training in current techniques through extensive practical sessions.
Upon successful completion of the programme, students are ready to begin careers in the food industry or enter postgraduate programmes. They are also able to use the skills and knowledge that they gain from the programme for personal career development.
Professional Recognition
- This programme is accredited by the Higher Education Review Board of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), the largest food professional association in the USA, and meets the undergraduate standard of the International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST), the largest global food professional association.
- Students may attain a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point Intermediate Certificate and are issued an additional ISO22000 certificate upon completion of the core subject Food Sanitation and Safety Management.
- Every graduate is automatically recognised as a Hygiene Manager by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department.
- Graduates with 3 years of work experience in the food industry or another relevant industry are eligible to apply to receive the “Certified Food Scientist” qualification from the IFT. Please visit the IFT website for more information (https://www.ift.org/career-development/certification/get-your-cfs).
Career Prospects
There is a great need for competent and knowledgeable food scientists in the food industry worldwide and in the government. Graduates can pursue careers in the fields of production management, quality assurance, food product research and development, hygiene management, food analysis, and marketing in local food manufacturers and traders, chain restaurants, supermarkets, and hotels and catering companies. They may also seek employment at government departments (such as the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, and the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department) as Health Inspectors and Scientific Officers. Graduates who wish to further explore food science may choose to pursue postgraduate studies at local or overseas universities.
The curriculum consists of at least 122 credits, including the General University Requirements (GUR) and Discipline Specific Requirements (DSR).
GUR (30 credits)
(For the details of the GUR, please click here.)
DSR - Core Subjects (71 credits)
- Chinese Communication for Science Professionals
- English for Scientific Communication
- Basic Statistics
- Introduction to Calculus
- General Biology
- General Chemistry I
- General Laboratory Techniques & Safety
- Human Physiology
- Biochemistry
- Introduction to Food Science
- Lab Techniques in Biological Science
- Microbiology
- Organic Chemistry I
- Physics for Chemical and Biological Sciences
- Food Analysis
- Food Analysis Laboratory
- Food Chemistry
- Food Engineering and Processing I
- Food Engineering and Processing II
- Food Engineering and Processing I Laboratory
- Food Engineering and Processing II Laboratory
- Food Laws & Regulations
- Food Microbiology
- Food Quality Assurance
- Food Sanitation and Safety Management
- Food Toxicology
- Principle of Nutrition
- Sensory Evaluation of Food
DSR - Project (3 credits)/Research Project (6 credits)
- This Project/Research Project is undertaken by Year Four students. It is a supervised project that involves food product development, a survey, desktop research or an experimental investigation. It requires students to integrate and apply the knowledge and skills that they have acquired to identify and solve food safety or food technology problems in a real-world situation.
DSR - Elective Subjects (15–18 credits, i.e. 5–6 subjects)
- Analytical Chemistry I
- Analytical Chemistry II
- Cell Biology
- Environmental Health and Food Substantiality
- Environmental Science
- Food Biotechnology
- Food Product Development
- General Chemistry II
- Health Foods & Nutraceuticals
- Introduction to Economics
- Introduction to Foodservice Operations
- Introduction to Marketing
- Life Cycle Nutrition
- Management & Organisation
Work-Integrated Education
All students must complete 120 hours (2 training credits) of Work-Integrated Education (WIE) before graduation. WIE can be block placements, internships, cooperative projects, research exchange programmes, community service, summer jobs and part-time employment. These experiences should be relevant to their future professions or to the development of generic skills that will be valuable in those professions.
Secondary Major in Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Studying a Secondary Major is not mandatory but benefits for students who are keen to develop new products or technology start-ups or improve their business acumen. There is a limited number of places for this Secondary Major, and selection is made on a competitive basis.
Selection Criteria
Applications for the Secondary Major will be opened to students with a cumulative GPA of 2.70 or above (i.e. an average of B- or higher for all of their subjects) after Semester Two of Year One. Applicants will be interviewed, and successful applicants will be enrolled into the Secondary Major, starting from Year Two. Students who successfully complete the curriculum will be awarded a BSc (Hons) in Food Safety and Technology with a Secondary Major in Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
Credit Requirement
Students enrolled in the Secondary Major are required to complete 140-143 credits for graduation. The 36 credits required for the Secondary Major must include credits for subjects from other departments, such as Management and Marketing, and students must complete credit-bearing placements.
| Credit Requirements | FST | FST+IE | |
| General University Requirements (GUR) | 30 | 30 | |
| Major | Core | 74-77 | 74-77 |
| Elective | 15-18 | - | |
| Secondary Major | Core | - | 21 |
| Elective | - | 15 | |
| Total | 122 | 140-143* | |
* Three credits of the core subjects of the Major [i.e. Food Sanitation and Safety Management (FSN4422)] can be double-counted as one of the elective subjects for the Secondary Major.
At least 122 credits (depending on student’s academic attainment)
Dr. Marcus Wong
BSc, MSc, PhD
Award(s) available in this scheme:
- BSc (Hons) in Food Safety and Technology
Please click here to view the entrance requirements for international applicants.
Other Information
- Applicants attaining good results in science subjects (Biology / Chemistry) are preferred.
For further programme information, please contact us via email: fsn.programme@polyu.edu.hk
Due to my interest in chemistry and the current trend of increasing concern about food safety, I decided to study Food Safety and Technology at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University in 2020. I have enjoyed an amazing and memorable learning experience at the university, and I have gained a wide range of knowledge and skills in nutrition, microbiology, analytical chemistry and biochemistry. This has given me a professional perspective on food-related issues. In addition, thanks to the numerous internship opportunities offered by the university, I was hired as a Student Assistant, which allowed me to access laboratory equipment and conduct experiments on my own to increase my practical skills. With the help of my supervisors and senior fellows, I have continued to explore my personal interest in analytical chemistry, thus establishing a sound basis for my future endeavours.
Apart from acquiring specialised knowledge, I have enjoyed friendship and support during the 3 years in the department. Whenever I have encountered difficulties, the lecturers and tutors have invariably been understanding and helpful, which has been touching. My classmates are also really friendly and their company gives me a great sense of comfort and happiness.
The BSc (Hons) in Food Safety and Technology is an excellent and practical programme that covers a broad range of knowledge in both pure and food science in its core subjects. The practical lab sessions enhanced my understanding of theoretical knowledge and its applications through hands-on experiments. In addition, there are also many opportunities to work as an Undergraduate Research Assistant with professors in different research foci, which allows students to acquire additional skills and experiences. I worked in a laboratory for more than a year, where I learned various techniques, acquired critical-thinking skills and gained new perspectives in a specific research area. Although my research area is now Chinese Medicine, my study of core subjects has given me a strong foundation in various disciplines and means that I can explore other research areas.
In addition, the teachers and staff in this programme are very accommodating. During the early period of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was challenging for me and my fellow classmates to transition from conventional classroom learning to online learning. However, the Department was very supportive in catering for our different needs, and offered help whenever necessary. Overall, my 4-year study journey was very meaningful, and I gained a lot.
To assess the suitability of candidates for the Scheme
About 30 minutes
Only selected applicants will be invited for interview, and when necessary.
Required
To assess the suitability of candidates for the Scheme
About 30 minutes
Only selected applicants will be invited for interview, and when necessary.
Required
To assess the suitability of candidates for the Scheme
About 30 minutes
Only selected applicants will be invited for interview, and when necessary.
Online interviews will be arranged for selected overseas applicants.
