The PhD (Food Sciences) is a full-time inter-institutional thematic structured PhD programme running over 48 months from the date of first registration for the programme.

Applicants for the programme will be selected on the same criteria as those used for normal PhD registration in UCC in the College of Science, Engineering and Food Science, or other Colleges where appropriate. Suitably qualified candidates (at least a Second Class Honours, Grade I primary degree in Food or a related area) or those who present such other evidence as will satisfy the College/Faculty of his/her suitability may apply.

Students registered for the PhD (Food Sciences) must undertake and successfully complete a minimum of 30 ECTS credits of non-research elements by the end of Year 2 from a wide range of available modules listed below. The maximum number of ECTS credits which may be completed within 4 years of PhD study in UCC is 90 credits, but a recommended maximum which would apply for this programme, where students and supervisors agree a programme of education and professional development which exceeds the minimum requirement, is 50 ECTS credits. Exemptions for modules taken previously are not allowed.

Students registered in UCC on this programme will be governed by UCC's regulations on monitoring and progression (available here). This process may involve the inter-institutional programme team.

Modules available on the thematic structured PhD in Food Sciences:

Food Graduate Development Programme modules
FE6600 An Introduction to the National and Global Food Sector (5 credits)
FS6622 Food Regulatory Affairs (5 credits) [UCD - FDSC40140]
FS6623 Food and Nutrition Communication (5 credits) [UCD - FDSC40260]
FS6624 Industrial Scale Research and Development for the Food Sector (5 credits)
FS6625 Current Topics in Food and Nutrition Research (5 credits)
FS6626 Career Management Skills for the Food Sector (5 credits)
FS6627 Science Writing for the Agri-Food Researcher (5 credits) [UCD - FDSC40470]
FS6628 Next-Generation Food Formulation (5 credits)
FS6629 Entrepreneurship and Innovation in the Agri-Food area (5 credits) [UCD - FDSC40370]
FS6630 Innovation in the BioEconomy (5 credits)
FS6633 Innovation: From New Idea to New Product (5 credits) [UCD - FDSC40160]
NT6121 Public Health Nutrition (5 credits) [UCD - FDSC40460]
PE6001 Analysis and Interpretation of Experimental Data with Mathematical and Statistical Tools (5 credits)

Taught academic modules
FE6101 Food Business: Markets and Policy (5 credits)
FE6905 Food Choice and Innovation (5 credits)
FS6105 Material Science for Food Systems (5 credits)
FS6106 Advanced Topics in Dairy Biochemistry (5 credits)
FS6107 Advances in the Science of Muscle Foods (5 credits)
FS6108 Advances in Food Formulation Science and Technology (5 credits)
MB6114 Hygienic Production of Food (5 credits)
NT6102 Human Nutrition and Health (5 credits)
NT6103 Functional Foods: New Frontiers for Food and Health (5 credits)
NT6106 Current Topics in Public Health Nutrition (10 credits)
NT6107 Integration and Regulation of Nutrient Metabolism (5 credits)
NT6108 Sensory Analysis in Nutrition Research (5 credits)
NT6109 Minerals in Health and Disease (5 credits)
NT6110 Food Security and Implications for Human Nutrition (5 credits)
NT6111 Advances in Vitamins and Other Dietary Bioactives (5 credits)

Generic and transferable skills modules
PG6001 STEPS - Scientific Training for Enhanced Postgraduate Studies (5 credits)
PG6005 Biotechniques (5 credits)
PG6009 Graduate Information Literacy Skills (5 credits)
PG7017 Project Management for Research Students (5 credits)

In discussion with their supervisor(s), and depending on their background, students may also include academic modules at Masters level (e.g., from the MSc in Food Science, Nutrition or Food Microbiology, or the MSc in Food Business).

Year 1

Students must complete and pass a minimum of 30 credits of taught modules by the end of Year 2 from the programme outlined above as agreed with their supervisor(s) on the basis of development of a training and education plan which reflects their background, the nature of their thesis project, and their future professional and career plans, as appropriate. This will include a minimum of 20 credits in Year 1, and in no semester can a student take more than 40 credits of taught modules.

Their workload for Year 1 (a total of 90 ECTS credits student workload equivalent, inclusive of research work and taught modules, for 12 months of full-time study) will be spent on the initial stages of their research, in which they must demonstrate adequate progress at the end of Year 1 in line with the UCC policy on reviews of progress of research students.

Year 2

By the end of Year 2, students must have completed and passed (between Years 1 and 2) a total of 30 ECTS credits of the above modules to be allowed to complete the PhD in Food Sciences. Additional modules undertaken may be recorded on the student’s transcript, but are not required for progression to graduation. The remainder of their 90 ECTS credits workload for that year will be spent on their research, in which they must demonstrate adequate progress at the end of Year 2 in line with the UCC policy on reviews of progress of research students.

Years 3 and 4

Unless agreed with their supervisor(s), student workload in Years 3 and 4 will be spent primarily on their research, in which they must demonstrate adequate on-going progress. The thesis may be submitted at the end of Year 4, and the degree will be awarded solely on the basis of the examination of the thesis in line with standard practice for the PhD examination in UCC.

Students who do not complete the PhD will have the option to change registration to, and be examined for, a MSc (by research) in the appropriate food discipline, during or after Year 2 of the programme (minimum requirement of 90 ECTS credits of workload for research in this degree meaning that completion of a MSc in one year is not possible). In addition, students may transfer to a PhD (not thematic structured) based on research alone in the relevant discipline at any time.

Module Semester Information may be found here. Module Descriptions may be found here.

Examinations

Full details of regulations governing Examinations for each programme are contained in the Marks and Standards 2012 Book, and for each module in the Book of Modules 2017/2018

Programme Learning Outcomes for PhD (Food Sciences) (NFQ Level 10, Major Award)
The primary learning outcome of this thematic structured PhD is that of all PhD degrees, i.e., the generation of new knowledge in the field which is publishable in whole or in part as a work of serious scholarship. The degree will accordingly be awarded solely on the basis of the thesis.

In addition, consistent with the national understanding of the goals and objectives of thematic structured PhD education, the inclusion of a formalised programme of structured training and education undertaken in parallel with the thesis research adds several learning outcomes which ultimately enhance the breadth of education and in particular the career opportunities of the doctoral graduates.

In this case, on successful completion of this programme, students should be able to:

• Relate their own thesis research to a wider external context for the food area;
• Show a greatly enhanced awareness of their own skills and related career prospects;
• Work successfully in a range of industrial and commercial settings within the food sector, due to a greatly enhanced understanding of the national and global food sector and the nature of working in such an environment.