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Graduate Studies
M.Sc. in New Food Product & Business Development

The Master of Science in New Food Product and Business Development is an academic program focused on developing impactful Food Scientists specialized in the development of novel food products. Graduates can be employed in large food related industries in Greece andInternationally or act as entrepreneurs.

The program aims to instill the knowledge, skills and mindset needed to thrive in the agro-food sector, as well as the critical skills and perspectives for doing it, through a combination of multi-disciplinary classroom and distance learning teaching (blended model), laboratory sessions, visits, cases studies and research projects. 

Classes take place either online (synchronous and asynchronous distance learning) or in the classroom in the evening on week days and on weekends, offering students who are currently employed the flexibility needed to pursue graduate work.

The impactful results of the program are achieved through the use of four complimentary components:

Academic teaching
Academic rigor creates clarity of thought and the ability to make fast, actionable decisions. The academic part of the program is not just about learning theory; instead, it is aimed at providing clarity of thought in a confusing world and looking for solutions to real realistic cases. The Faculty at Perrotis College Graduate School offers the latest academic thinking frameworks to help students chart their own path. The blended learning environment combines face-to-face interactive teaching with distance learning that incorporates video, text and small group work to provide the most useful and rigorous experience that still allows the flexibility and real-time application enabled by a part-time program, where needed.

Learning-by-doing
The program follows a holistic approach that will enable our students to understand the problems and the opportunities within the food supply chain (from field to fork). The program is designed to be client-specific. In that respect, students will be able to focus and acquire in depth knowledge and become specialists on the specific food product of their choice. Moreover, students meet industry practitioners and learn about emerging challenges and the solutions they found to overcome them. These interactions help students expand not just their industry-specific knowledge but also shape the way they approach their own challenges.

Research project
In the final semester of their studies, students engage in primary research in a thematic area of their interest.Past examples include:

  • Effect of harvesting time on the quality characteristics of olive oil produced from Chondroelia Chalkidikis cultivar
  • Effect of storage on the quality characteristics of olive oil produced from Chondroelia Chalkidikis cultivar
  • Encapsulation of probiotics in biopolymer based matrices; physicochemical properties, viability along the gastrointestinal track
  • Use of ultrasound processing as an alternative pasteurization means for non thermal treatment of liquid products 
  • Physicochemical properties of plant protein based gels and their potential use as meat replacers
  • Species specific genomics and functional characterization of Lactobacilli in naturally fermented Halkidiki table olives
  • In vivo evolution and identification of predominant bacterial communities in naturally fermented Greek Chalkidiki table olives: Expression of bacterial genes involved in metabolic pathways
  • Natural variation in the secondary metabolism of edible Greek ecotypes of  the rock samphire (Crithmum maritimum)
  • Analysis of the risk management information for the hazards in meat and meat products
  • The combined effect of pomegranate juice and packaging on the shelf life of pork meat
  • Enhancing the nutritional profile of meat products by the use of inulin and β-glucan as functional ingredients

Collaborative network
It is essential for students to build a vibrant network to allow them to discover new opportunities,learn, andraise their visibility. Perrotis College Graduate School has very good and extensive ties with the food industry, other Academic Institutions, Research Centers, farmer and  cooperatives in terms of collaboration in research projects and dissemination of knowledge. Students will be brought into contact with alumni, researchers, industry experts and mentors during the many events offered and will be able to visit various industries and thematic fairs. All these interactions allow the students to to broaden theirnetwork and in collaboration with the career office to explore employment opportunities.

STUDY

SEMESTER 1

The following courses are common for all first year students:

Entrepreneurship- A multidisciplinary module that leads to the development of entrepreneurial mind-sets amongst its students through a series of methodologies such as ideation, experimentation, and actionable business planning for a new venture that includes business model creation, marketing strategy, operations strategy, financial strategy and pitching development.

Consumer Needs and Trends- A multidisciplinary module that applies psychology, sociology, and others marketing-related social sciences, as well as data-driven research to develop learners understanding and discovery the fundamental individual and social variables that determine behaviour in the marketplace.

Innovative Technologies for Sustainable Agricultural Systems- A leading-edge module that provides learners with advanced knowledge of innovative technologies the field of agricultural systems, as well as skills to develop and manage sustainable production systems.

Bioinformatics/Genomics- A leading-edge module that covers a wide range of topics: from computational biology of RNA processing, comparative bioinformatics and comparative genomics to gene function and evolution and genomic and epigenomic variation. Learners apply these methodologies to the development of new products and services in the agro-food business.

Research Methods and Data Management- A module that develops learners’ skills in executing scientific research and includes methodologies for research study design, data collection methods, data analysis, presentation and interpretation of findings, with the objective of supporting business decisions and enhancing results’ uptake and use by target audiences.


SEMESTER 2

Food Quality Assurance- A course that provides students with in depth knowledge on quality issues for identifying and overcoming quality related problems. To achieve the highest of industry standards of quality, certain Quality Certifications, Govt. Regulations, HACCP, ISO 9000, ISO22.000, IFS and BRC systems are examined and applied in case studies.

Applied Food Legislation and Packaging- A course that provides significant information about the essential areas that legislation covers and enables enable students to understand the legislation and apply it effectively in trouble shooting.

Food Structure and Sensory Analysis– A lab based course that enables students to develop understanding of the high complexity of the food structure due to the multiple interactions among the food components. Moreover, an overview of the discipline of sensory science will be provided by analyzing the physiology of the senses involved during consumption as well as the principles underlying sensory analysis.

Food Risk Analysis and Crisis Management- A course that provides essential knowledge leading to the identification of the risk factors that might have the potential to cause harm. In the case a risk leads to crisis, the course provides the strategic operations, starting from Readiness of the crisis, going through the Responsiveness of the crisis to the Recovery.

Specialized Nutrition– A course that enables students to develop knowledge and scientific critical thinking in contemporary nutrition topics. The course critically reviews the scientific knowledge in nutraceuticals and functional foods, the nutritional outcomes of food processing, nutritional genomics, and nutritional epigenetic marks; the role of probiotics and prebiotics in health, the concept of energy balance and its association with eating disorders.


SEMESTER 3

Advanced Topics in New Product Development in Plant/Animal Origin Products– A lab based course that enables students to complete the whole process from idea generation to designing and developing innovative animal origin/ plant origin food products. The course requires students to integrate a number of food related aspects such as market analysis, product formulation, production line design, food hygiene and safety, sensory evaluation, packaging, labelling, legislation and cost analysis.

Academic Research- An advanced module where students learn how to use research in order to solve managerial challenges in advanced topics of agro-food business and management. It provides a strong grounding in understanding the research process enabling students to design, action and complete a research project themselves as either the sole researcher or as part of a research team. In addition to the technical quantitative and qualitative skills and knowledge required to be successful in these endeavours, the module also provides students with a clear understanding of the ethical considerations involved in undertaking research.


SEMESTER 4

Dissertation: Through their project the students will learn how to plan, execute and interpret the findings of an original research topic. The state of the art facilities of Perrotis College allow students to perform sophisticated protocols and get acquainted with the use of high tech equipment. Upon completion of the project the students will gain confidence, project management skills as well as the ability to present their work written and verbally.Students will discuss the specific topic with their supervisors prior to the module to align it to their preferences.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

On successful completion of the program, students should be able to demonstrate knowledge and critical understanding of:

  • Identify the commercial, scientific and technical trends in the production of food and evaluate the technological and environmental impact of these trends.
  • Critically appraise, develop and evaluate interventions intended to improve food safety and legal compliance.
  • Evaluate the implementation of new working methods in order to improve productivity, legal compliance and technical efficiency.
  • Appraise the importance of the industry and to develop and evaluate the relevant technical processes.
  • Analyze consumer demand or/and develop new products to satisfy the market and improve profitability and develop a business model applicable to the food industry or a novel food product.
  • Demonstrate the ability to design, plan, and undertake a major piece of research in a relevant study area, and present the findings.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Students holding a BSc degree or equivalent in one of the following fields are eligible for admission to the MSc in New Food Product & Business Development:

  • Food Science or related
  • Food Technology or related
  • General Agriculture with specialization Food Science and/or Technology

Applicants with other relevant BSc degrees (such as Agricultural studies, Animal Husbandry, Chemistry, Nutrition, Chemical Engineering, Biology, Biotechnology, Public Health, Veterinary etc.) may be considered for admission on the basis of their undergraduate programme curriculum. The admissions committee will review every application on an individual basis and may request that additional courses be completed.

To be considered for admission, candidates are also required to either hold a recent minimum TOEFL score of 80(IBT), or minimum of IELTS score of 6.5, unless their Bachelor degree has been awarded from an English speaking institution or the candidate is a native English speaker. All students with no formal or evidence of English language skills are offered the option to sit the Cardiff Met GETS-HE Test (the test is computer based and is organised at the Perrotis College premises). Successful completion of the GETS Higher (81-89% in any individual component) meets the English Language Requirements for direct entry into the program.

Professional experience is desirable but not required.

CAREERS

In this highly innovative, client-specific environment, and in-depth research projects, students will acquire the skills and underpinning knowledge needed to follow a range of career paths both in Greece and abroad in food industries: in Safety Management and Quality Assurance, Marketing Management, in the R&D Department, Laboratory of Food Quality and Safety, and as Staff member advising on Legislation & Communication, Purchasing Manager of Raw Materials and Operational Manager. Graduates will also be able to work as entrepreneurs, independent consultants and trainers in the agro-food sector.

Although this is a specialized program, graduates will acquire transferable skills through common coursework, allowing them to seek employment in other sectors as well.

Moreover, students who are interested in an international academic career will have the competencies and knowledge required to pursue Ph.D. studies.

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