Earn a Master's degree online while you balance work and family life.
Course description Current students

The Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition (FSHN) offers an online non-thesis Master of Science degree. Many of the students in this program are working professionals. The online delivery option makes the program accessible to students in various locations, who may also be balancing important personal and professional commitments.

Online student poster presentation

Finding Success



The FSHN online non-thesis Master of Science degree features dedicated faculty who have a vision to help you become a leader in your professional career. Studies in food science prepare students to apply the principles of science and engineering to ensure the quantity, quality, variety, attractiveness, and safety of foods. Graduates pursue careers in industry, academia, and governmental agencies.

Areas of Employment

Prepare for an ever-changing mix of career options, including some
of tomorrow’s biggest opportunities in careers that don’t even exist
today. Food science and human nutrition graduates have joined
career positions as:

• Food safety specialist
• Ingredient applications scientist
• Product commercialization scientist or engineer
• Product innovation scientist
• Production plant resource or leadership team
• Quality assurance specialist or quality enabler
• Regulatory specialist
• Sensory scientist
• Supply chain resource
• Technical salesperson

Student in food lab

Online Student Highlights

Online Curriculum

The off-campus master’s degree program was created in 1973, and hundreds of students have obtained their degrees through the program. The online delivery system, initiated in 2010, maintains the high-quality, non-thesis M.S. program for which the University of Illinois is known. The online M.S. food science program offers one to three courses each semester, including summer semester.

Online MS Program Requirements

  1. Thirty-two (32) hours of course work at the 400- and 500-levels.

    a.  At least 12 hours of coursework must be at the 500 level.
  2. A GPA of at least 3.0 (4.0=A) for all graded courses taken during the student's enrollment in the M.S. degree program.
  3. Pass a final examination per the requirements set forth in the FSHN 595 FPP course.
  4. Food Chemistry theory, Food Processing theory and Food and Industrial Microbiology theory are all required courses. If these courses were previously taken at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, or similar courses were taken at an accredited institution, the student is eligible to forego taking those courses again. In addition, if these courses were taken more than 5 years ago, consideration should be given to taking them again; however, credit will not be given for taking the courses again.
  5. Completion of all requirements within five (5) years of initial registration in the Graduate College.

To earn the online non-thesis Master of Science in Food Science degree, students must complete 32 hours of coursework and successfully pass a final examination. Students are encouraged to complete some non-degree coursework before officially applying to the program to determine if the program is right for them. Students may petition up to 12 hours of non-degree coursework towards their program. Students may also complete up to 12 hours of approved graduate credit from other accredited institutions and petition that coursework to their program if they earn a B or better. The ability to complete non-degree coursework as well as approved coursework from other accredited institutions provides students with enhanced flexibility when designing their curriculum.

For a broad outline of these requirements you can view the University Campus Catalog.

Director of Off-campus Programs

Dr. Dawn Bohn

217-555-0000 
dbrehart@illinois.edu

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Dr. Dawn Bohn

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