Graduate Certificate Summary

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Description

The Food Safety and Defense graduate certificate program serves the needs of industry and agencies that must protect the human food supply from accidental or deliberate contamination with pathogenic microbes and/or toxicants. In an era of terrorism and global food systems, effective control of food borne hazards requires advanced education.

This certificate is aimed at professionals with a bachelor's degree who are working in a food industry related field and interested in furthering their knowledge of food safety and defense. Potential career paths include:
  • Food safety analyst
  • Quality control specialist
  • HACCP consultant
  • Plant manager
  • Food safety engineer


Distance Education Opportunities

All courses are completed online through Great Plains IDEA, a consortium of 11 universities. Students admitted to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Food Safety and Defense certificate program will take courses delivered via distance technologies by Nebraska and the other participating institutions.

Food Safety and Defense

  • This graduate certificate is offered by the Department of Food Science and Technology.
  • On the Web
    Department Website
  • Graduate Chair and Faculty Contact
    Dr. Robert Hutkins
    Food Science and Technology
    402-472-2820
    rhutkins1@unl.edu
  • Staff Contact
    Diane Wasser
    402-472-6251
    dwasser1@unl.edu
  • Department Address
    143 Filley Hall
    Lincoln NE 68583-0919


Application Checklist and Deadlines

Required by the Office of Graduate Studies


See also: steps to admission.

Required by the Department for this Certificate

  • Letter stating background and professional goals in pursuing this certificate
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Minimum TOEFL: Paper-525 Computer-195 Internet-71

Application Deadline

Rolling admission; contact the department for more information.


Courses

The online certificate includes a minimum of 12 credit hours with 9 credit hours in core courses and a minimum of 3 elective credit hours.

Unless otherwise noted, all courses are 2 credit hours.


Core Courses
FDST 871 - A Multidisciplinary Overview of Food Safety and Security (Kansas State University)
FDST 805 - Food Microbiology (3 cr) (University of Nebraska)
FDST 872 - Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point System (Kansas State University)
FDST 873 - Food-borne Toxicants (Iowa State University)


Elective Courses
FDST 855 - Microbiology of Fermented Foods (University of Nebraska)
FDST 874 - Food Laws and the Regulatory Process (Iowa State University)
FDST 875 - Rapid Methods and Automation in Microbiology (Kansas State University)
FDST 876 - Risk Assessment for Food, Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine (3 cr) (Iowa State University)
FDST 877 - Advanced Food Microbiology and Biotechnology (University of Missouri-Columbia)

More Course Information

The Graduate Bulletin provides course descriptions, prerequisites, degree program requirements, and more.

The Schedule of Classes specifies dates, times, locations, and instructors when this course is offered.

Related Pages

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Departments: Have an update for this page? Contact Becky Eby.

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln does not discriminate based on gender, age, disability, race, color, religion, marital status, veteran's status, national or ethnic origin, or sexual orientation.