MSc Food Management
The food industry is an exciting field in which to work, but its diverse nature presents very particular challenges. This programme aims to provide prospective managers with both advanced management and specialist knowledge.
It has a management orientation, and a strong consumer behaviour and marketing focus, whilst also developing the skills needed to ensure the safety, acceptability and nutritional adequacy of the food supply.
You will receive a high-quality, vocational education, which is intellectually rigorous and up-to-date, as well as relevant to the future needs of managers, executives and professionals in the food industry. The currency and relevance of the programme is ensured by including a number of outside speakers from, for instance, the food industry and government departments.
Previous students have gone on to work for major multinational food companies, airlines and consultancies, some reaching very senior positions. Others have taken up research posts, or have gone on to complete PhDs, either at Surrey or elsewhere.
Entry standards
Applicants should usually hold a Bachelors degree (UK Lower Second/2.2 or above) or equivalent qualification from a recognised British/overseas university. Every applicant is, however, assessed individually on their own merit. Higher level professional qualifications may also be accepted. Relevant work experience could be an additional benefit where applicants have not reached the standard entry requirements, although it is not an admissions requirement for this particular degree programme.
As a result of their high popularity, we have successfully secured further places for our postgraduate programmes in this area. We are therefore extending our deadline for submission of applications to 31 May 2012. Applications received after this date will only be considered subject to availability of places.
English language requirements
Non-native speakers of English will normally be required to have IELTS 6.5 or above, with a minimum of 6.0 in each component (or equivalent).
Please note that the University of Surrey offers English language programmes and is also an IELTS Test Centre.
MSc Food Management - structure and modules
Module Titles
Compulsory Modules
- Consumer Behaviour in the Food Industry
- Financial Management
- Food Services Marketing
- Innovation and New Product Development
- Organisational Behaviour
- Policy Issues in the Food Chain
- Research Methods
- Dissertation
Optional Modules
- Food Safety and Nutrition Management
- Strategy
Module Overview
Compulsory Modules
Consumer Behaviour in the Food Industry
This module focuses on the many factors that affect consumer behaviour and food choices made by consumers, including the characteristics of the food, and of the consumer and their environment. Theories from psychology, sociology and anthropology are explored, as well as basic concepts of marketing strategy to enable you to identify consumer applications in the food and food services industry. There is also a strong focus on the methods of investigating consumer behaviour.
Financial Management
This module encourages the ability to think across management disciplines and appreciate the significance of fiscal implications of decisions. It enables you to apply accounting principles and financial theory to decision making in modern business organisations.
Food Services Marketing
This module provides an introduction to food marketing. It develops an understanding of the role of marketing as a business philosophy and as a systematic thought process.
Innovation and New Product Development
This module focuses on issues central to innovation and the development of new products in the food and food services industries. It discusses technical issues to accelerate the development process, and management strategies to reduce cost and failure rates.
Organisational Behaviour
This module integrates the study of forms, structures and processes of organisations with the human aspects of psychology at work. It provides an insight into the fundamentals on which organisations are built, and provides a set of analytical processes for understanding behaviour at work and managerial processes.
Policy Issues in the Food Chain
This module aims to address current policy issues affecting food supply chain management and their impact on strategic planning in the food sector. The impact of food policy and consumer culture will be explored in the context of business, government, health and the environment.
Research Methods
Introducing the process of research project planning and the key elements of research design, this module prepares you to design and execute the research study for your dissertation in a systematic and scientific manner.
Optional Modules
Food Safety and Nutrition Management
This module focuses on the importance of maintaining food safety and nutritional quality throughout the food supply chain and on management systems that can be employed to both minimise the chances of food poisoning and maximise nutritional quality.
Strategy
This module is intended to provide you with a holistic understanding of the most relevant theoretical approaches to strategy formulation, implementation and control, in the context of either a single-business or a multi-business organisation.
Programme Details
To be awarded the MSc in Food Management from the University of Surrey, you need to achieve 180 credits in total, of which 120 credits will come from modules taught in semester time (from September to June) and the other 60 credits from your dissertation.
You can be awarded a Postgraduate Diploma in Food Management by completing 120 taught credits. Similarly, a Postgraduate Certificate can be obtained with 60 credits.
This programme is part of our modular postgraduate structure in which there are six compulsory 15-credit modules. You can choose from a range of optional modules for the other 30 credits, giving you the opportunity to specialise in the areas in which you are most interested.
MSc Food Management - entry standards
Entry standards
Applicants should usually hold a Bachelors degree (UK Lower Second/2.2 or above) or equivalent qualification from a recognised British/overseas university. Every applicant is, however, assessed individually on their own merit. Higher level professional qualifications may also be accepted. Relevant work experience could be an additional benefit where applicants have not reached the standard entry requirements, although it is not an admissions requirement for this particular degree programme.
As a result of their high popularity, we have successfully secured further places for our postgraduate programmes in this area. We are therefore extending our deadline for submission of applications to 31 May 2012. Applications received after this date will only be considered subject to availability of places.
English language requirements
Non-native speakers of English will normally be required to have IELTS 6.5 or above, with a minimum of 6.0 in each component (or equivalent).
Please note that the University of Surrey offers English language programmes and is also an IELTS Test Centre.
Planned intake
Up to 40
Start date
September
Programme Leaders
MSc Food Management - fees and funding
Fees
Food Management (full time):
UK/EU - £9,190
Overseas - £14,830
MSc Food Management - professional context
Industry Links Keep Students on Track
A significant proportion of students have come to study MSc Food Management from jobs in the food industry; some from major food companies, including airline caterers, others from small or medium–sized businesses. These businesses have covered a range of product types, including bakery, meat and fast food.
This provides an excellent opportunity for shared learning between you and other students. You will benefit from visiting speakers from major food companies and policy enforcement agencies, and have the opportunity to spend time with environmental health officers as they go about their inspections.
Many of our students have an international background and are able to make excellent networks whilst studying, as well as gaining a global perspective on food management issues.
Professional recognition
The School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at the University of Surrey is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). The School is recognised as a key Education and Training Centre by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and has TedQual Certification from the UNWTO.
Careers
The University of Surrey has achieved high ratings in The Times employment league table for several years.
Surrey graduates are among the most employable of any UK university. No other university can match our consistently high performance in the jobs league tables. Almost all our postgraduates find work or are undertaking further study within six months of finishing their degrees.
Our MSc Food Management graduates have gone on to careers in a number of sectors including retail, airline catering, food-related consultancy, academic research posts and product development in the food industry, and some have achieved very senior positions. In addition a number of students have gone on to complete PhDs both at Surrey and elsewhere.
MSc Food Management - teaching
Teaching
Dr Margaret Lumbers and Dr Anita Eves are active researchers in the area of consumer behaviour as applied to food. They have conducted studies for the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and the EU as well as industry. Their topics have included the nutrition education of catering students, ways to improve hygiene education in schools, food in later life (an EU-funded study involving eight countries), and EUROFIR (an EU-funded project aiming to develop a unified food composition database).
Dr Lumbers and Dr Eves are founder members of the University’s Food, Consumer Behaviour and Health Research Centre. The Centre brings together complementary research skills from the Surrey Business School, the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences and the Faculty of Arts and Human Sciences. It provides an integrated approach to questions of key importance to research funders, industry, the public and government.
Staff perspective s
I am a Reader in Food Management, registered Public Health Nutritionist and founding member of the University’s Food, Consumer Behaviour and Health Research Centre.
Prior to my academic career I worked in the food industry on the development of new products, the extension of product shelf-life and ‘trouble-shooting’ problems in production, such as contamination in the supply
chain. All this provided first-hand experience of product development and the impact of process hygiene on production and product acceptability.
I have led a number of major research projects for the EU, national, governmental and charitable organisations. I was the principal investigator researching food choice and procurement in older consumers for a £2.1m EU project on ‘Food in Later Life’ involving a multidisciplinary team across eight countries.
Currently I am undertaking an evaluation of a health promotion initiative for restaurants, funded by the Government Office for South East and Surrey Trading Standards.
Other research projects have included investigating the food preferences of older consumers for the International Longevity Centre, the ‘needs and wants’ of older shoppers for the British Council of Shopping Centres and various studies for the Food Standards Agency regarding food hygiene and safety in schools, and training for catering.
I was a principal designer of the MSc in Food Management which provides a unique opportunity to study this international industry that has such an influence on our lives, health and culture.
I am a reader in Food Management and a founding member of the University’s Food, Consumer Behaviour and Health Research Centre. I previously worked at the Leatherhead Food Research Association (now Leatherhead Food International) where I assessed consumer responses to new food products developed by major food companies. I have also worked at the Natural Resources Institute, where I was involved in overseas development work.
My research interests include factors affecting food choice, consumer behaviour and food hygiene. I have led a number of funded research projects for government bodies including studies into factors influencing food choices in catering outlets, the effectiveness of hygiene education and the need for nutrition education in catering-related courses.
I am also involved in a major study that is investigating the effect of diet on the behaviour of prisoners. My research interests feed directly into aspects of the MSc Food Management programme, ensuring that the content is at the forefront of current thinking in these topic areas.
This programme is unique in having a management orientation, whilst also providing specialist subject knowledge. It addresses an identified need for management education in the food industry.
I thoroughly enjoy teaching on this programme, as our students are highly motivated and engage enthusiastically with it. Having students from a variety of backgrounds and cultures leads to some lively discussion, which is in itself an education!
MSc Food Management - learning
Dissertation and Projects
Dissertation
At the heart of the MSc programme is the dissertation. Largely completed after the taught module programme has ended, this part of the programme gives you the chance to look in detail at a topic that interests you. You will conduct a small piece of research under the supervision of our experienced academics, which will provide an intellectual challenge. The skills needed for successful research will be of benefit to any career.
MSc Food Management - graduate profile
Graduate Profile: Kosin Hanharutaivan
MSc Food Management
Within Unilever, I am responsible for local and international food chains in Thailand. Overall, I have to manage and control all activities within my client-base – caterers, restaurateurs and major hotel and fast-food chains – to ensure the effectiveness of execution to meet profitable sales targets. Currently, I am developing new products for my key customers, Knorr, Best Food, and Lipton. This is my own project and is really challenging.
The MSc Food Management I studied at the University of Surrey supports me in many ways, as it provides knowledge that is directly applicable to my current career. It is the MSc at Surrey that improved my profile and got me noticed by Unilever in the first place.
However, it is not only about having a degree, but also about the attitude and way of thinking that Surrey helps you to develop. With the learning attitude I acquired at Surrey, I can now continually develop my knowledge, which is important to progress in my current job.
The modules were not easy and had many assignments and presentations, but they all provided important knowledge on the food industry. There was also a good interaction with lecturers, and great professional guests from the food industry visited to share ideas with students.
As the programme was so intensive, it really helped that the environment at Surrey was so easy going and fun. I met lots of friends who were always with me.
My short-term plan is to be at management level or higher within three to four years in the organisation, as I plan to become an expert in the food sector and Unilever is a really good place to learn. My long-term goal is to be at top management level in a professional food organisation or to manage my own food company.
MSc Food Management - more
Food Management – A Global Industry
The food industry is a major income generator all over the world. It is not surprising therefore that many people find themselves responsible for roles in food management. Some of these managers have a food-related background but do not possess general management skills, whilst others have a management background but lack the specific skills that are required to be an effective manager in the food industry.
Our programme offers you both advanced management and discipline-specific skills, aiming to strengthen your ability to analyse the short-, medium- and long-term impacts of management decisions on aspects of food businesses. You will develop your understanding of the complex interactions that can occur involving different technical, social and financial challenges. It provides you with a sound management education whilst developing the skills to ensure the safety, acceptability and nutritional adequacy of the food supply.
Guest speakers from industry and other organisations, along with site visits, form an important part of your studies. For instance, you could spend a day shadowing environmental health officers as they carry out hygiene inspections of premises. You could also visit an inflight catering unit at Heathrow Airport.
The Knowledge You Need to Succeed
The programme aims to provide a high-quality, vocational education which is intellectually rigorous and up-to-date, as well as relevant to the needs of existing and future managers, executives and other professionals in the food industry.
Specifically, the programme aims to offer you the following benefits:
- In-depth understanding and knowledge of food management, recognising the interdisciplinary nature of the subject
- Management and decision-making skills founded on an understanding of the interacting factors involved in the food industry
- Skills to understand and critically evaluate a wide range of management and problem-solving techniques applicable in all sectors and industries
- The ability to conduct research and produce a high-quality dissertation
- Transferable skills in communication, presentation, computing, planning, organisation, problem solving, critical reasoning and teamworking, all vital to success in any organisation
After Your Degree
The Surrey experience does not end with your degree. You will have developed friends and contacts in many different countries and industries. Many Surrey graduates are now captains of industry and can be found in every part of the world and in all sectors of the economy. This network is likely to last a lifetime and support your career development over a sustained period.
You will also be eligible to become a member of the alumni organisation SIGNET (the Surrey International Graduate Network). SIGNET members remain actively in touch with each other via the quarterly newsletter, the membership list and social events organised by the committee.
MSc Food Management - apply
You can apply for this programme online using the link(s) below. We recommend making an application as soon as you can, even if you do not have all the necessary supporting information ready at that time.
As part of the application process, you will be asked to enter a username and password. If you've used our application system before, please enter your details or click the forgotten password link.
If you are a new user, you will need to create a username and password by clicking the New User button.
Start date
September
Programme length
12 months full-time
Programme Leaders
For general enquiries
T: 0800 980 3200 or
+44 (0)1483 681681
E: pg-enquiries@surrey.ac.uk
For admissions enquiries
T: +44 (0) 1483 686300
E: somadmissions@surrey.ac.uk