Food Science, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Advisor: Please email Rich Hartel at rwhartel@wisc.edu for more information or to make an appointment for preliminary advising. Departmental Office: 103 Babcock Hall (608-262 3046), visit the website at: http://www.wisc.edu/foodsci
Field of Study
A multidisciplinary field in which several traditional disciplines (chemistry, microbiology, engineering, business) are applied to solve problems in food processing, storage and distribution.
Possible Careers
Production supervisor; quality assurance scientist; food microbiologist; food process engineer; product development scientist; research scientist; physician; veterinarian.
Special Opportunities & Additional Information
- Students should have an interest in chemistry, mathematics, physics and biological sciences, and applying these sciences to fun world of food.
- Most majors have an independent research experience or internship before graduating.
- Students can complete either a Business or Natural Sciences track.
- There are numerous extra-curricular opportunities available, including work in a research lab, the Babcock Hall Dairy Plant, and the Center for Dairy Research (CDR). Students are encouraged to find summer internships in food companies.
- The Food Science Club provides numerous opportunities for leadership experiences through both professional and social activities.
Selected Required Courses for the Food Science Major:
- Intro Biology: Biology 151-152; or Botany 130 and Zoology 101-102; or Biocore
- Calculus: Math 211, 217, or 221
- General Chemistry: Chem 103-104; or Chem 109
- Organic Chemistry: Chem 343, 344, and 345
- Physics: Physics 103-104, 201-202, or 207-208
- Statistics: Stats 224, 301, or 371