Sept 2024 Entry
4 years
At least 122 credits (depending on student’s academic attainment)
Dr Marcus Wong
BSc, MSc, PhD
Students will be awarded a BSc (Hons) in Food Safety and Technology upon successful completion of all graduation requirements.
An additional option of Secondary Major in Innovation and Entrepreneurship is available. Admission to the Secondary Major is on a competitive basis and subject to a different credit requirement for graduation. Please see the “Secondary Major Details” section for more information.
Entry Scholarship
A departmental entry scholarship will be granted to students with high HKDSE achievements admitted via JUPAS. The award criteria for the scholarship are listed on the Departmental webpage. Please contact the department for the most updated information.
What's New
Programme Aims
We aim to foster graduates who are skilled food technologists, food innovators and vigilant food safety officers, enabling them to become leaders in the food industry and the government to promote better and safer food to benefit the community.
Our programme equips students with the scientific and engineering skills needed to understand, characterise and manipulate food for various applications. The diverse and intricate training develops students into all-round competitive graduates who lead international programmes in professional knowledge, communication skills, intellectual curiosity and social responsibility. The programme emphasises analytical and critical thinking abilities, creativity, problem-solving skills, teamwork and global outlook.
Programme Characteristics
The programme has an industry-oriented curriculum design. Students will be challenged with an active learning environment with engaging classes by a group of caring and supportive staff, supplemented with a wealth of outside classroom activities such as industrial visits (local and international), competitive internships, industrial and career seminars, research opportunities and academic exchanges. Students will also receive hands-on training on current techniques through extensive practical sessions.
Upon successful completion of the programme, students will be ready to take up careers in the food industry or enter postgraduate programmes. They will also be able to use the skills and knowledge that they gain from the programme for personal career development.
Professional Recognition
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This programme is accredited to the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) by its Higher Education Review Board, the largest food professional association in the USA, and the undergraduate standard of the International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST), the largest global food professional association.
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Students may earn the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) Intermediate Certificate and will be issued an additional ISO22000 certificate upon completion of the core subject Food Sanitation and Safety Management.
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Graduates are automatically recognised as Hygiene Managers by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department.
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Graduates with 3 years of work experience in the food industry or a relevant industry are eligible to apply for the qualification “Certified Food Scientist” from the IFT. Please visit the IFT website for more information (https://www.ift.org/career-development/certification/get-your-cfs).
Career Prospects
There is a great need for competent and knowledgeable food scientists in the food industry worldwide and in our government. Graduates can pursue careers in the fields of production management, quality assurance, food product research and development, hygiene management, food analysis and marketing in local food manufacturers and traders, chain restaurants, supermarkets, hotels and catering companies. They may also seek employment in government departments (including the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, and the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department) as Health Inspectors and Scientific Officers. Graduates who wish to explore food science further may choose to pursue postgraduate studies at local or overseas universities.
The curriculum consists of at least 122 credits including the General University Requirements (GUR) and Discipline Specific Requirements (DSR).
General University Requirements (30 credits)
(For the details of GUR, please click here.)
DSR - Core Subjects (71 credits)
- Chinese Communication for Science Professionals
- English for Scientific Communication
- Basic Statistics
- Introduction to Calculus
- General Biology
- General Chemistry I
- General Laboratory Techniques & Safety
- Human Physiology
- Biochemistry
- Introduction to Food Science
- Lab Techniques in Biological Science
- Microbiology
- Organic Chemistry I
- Physics for Chemical and Biological Sciences
- Food Analysis
- Food Analysis Laboratory
- Food Chemistry
- Food Engineering and Processing I
- Food Engineering and Processing II
- Food Engineering and Processing I Laboratory
- Food Engineering and Processing II Laboratory
- Food Laws & Regulations
- Food Microbiology
- Food Quality Assurance
- Food Sanitation and Safety Management
- Food Toxicology
- Principle of Nutrition
- Sensory Evaluation of Food
DSR - Project (3 credits) / Research Project (6 credits)
The Project / Research Project is for Year Four students. This is a supervised project that can include food product development, survey, desktop research or an experimental investigation. It requires students to integrate and apply the knowledge and skills that they have acquired to identify and solve problems related to food safety or technology in a real-world situation.
DSR - Elective Subjects (15-18 credits, i.e. 5-6 subjects)
- Analytical Chemistry I
- Analytical Chemistry II
- Cell Biology
- Environmental Health and Food Substantiality
- Environmental Science
- Food Biotechnology
- Food Product Development
- General Chemistry II
- Health Foods & Nutraceuticals
- Introduction to Economics
- Introduction to Foodservice Operations
- Introduction to Marketing
- Life Cycle Nutrition
- Management & Organization
Work-Integrated Education
All students must complete 120 hours (2 training credits) of Work-Integrated Education (WIE) before graduation. WIE can be block placements, internships, cooperative projects, research exchange programmes, community service, summer jobs and part-time employment. These experiences should be relevant to their future professions or to the development of generic skills that will be valuable in those professions.
Secondary Major in Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Studying a Secondary Major is not mandatory, but it will be beneficial for students who are keen to develop new products or technology start-ups or improve their business acumen. There are limited quotas for this Secondary Major, and selection will be made on a competitive basis.
Selection Criteria
Applications for the Secondary Major will be opened to students with a cumulative GPA of 2.70 or above (i.e. average of B- or higher for all subjects taken) after Semester Two of Year One. Applicants will be interviewed. Successful applicants will be enrolled into the Secondary Major starting from Year Two. Students who successfully complete the curriculum will be awarded the BSc (Hons) in Food Safety and Technology with a Secondary Major in Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
Credit Requirement
Students in the Secondary Major are required to complete 140-143 credits for graduation. Among the 36 credits required for the Secondary Major, students are required to take subjects from other departments, such as Management and Marketing, and to complete credit-bearing placements.
| Credit Requirement | FST | FST+IE | |
| General University Requirement (GUR) | 30 | 30 | |
| Major | Core | 74-77 | 74-77 |
| Elective | 15-18 | - | |
| Secondary Major | Core | - | 21 |
| Elective | - | 15 | |
| Total | 122 | 140-143* | |
* Three credits of the core subjects of the Major [i.e. Food Sanitation and Safety Management (FSN4422)] can be double counted as one of the elective subjects for the Secondary Major.
Satisfy the University's General Entrance Requirements.
Please click here for the subject weightings for 2024/25.
There is no compulsory subject requirement. Preferred subject(s) with the highest weighting for admission score calculation include(s):
Relevant Applied Learning subject(s) that can be considered for meeting the University entrance requirement and admission score calculation is/are:
New / Restructured Programme. No scores of admittees in previous cohorts can be provided for reference.
For further programme information, please contact us via email: fsn.programme@polyu.edu.hk
The Food Safety and Technology (FST) programme meets the global priority of education in food safety, health and sustainable food development. Specifically, the programme sparked my interest in food innovation through the opportunity to participate in the Lee Kum Kee Cup Student Innovation Competition. With this experience, I plan to devote myself to developing food that benefits the health of the global community.
Through this programme, I acquired numerous soft skills, from logical and critical thinking to team building and time management, to prepare myself for employment. Studying and networking online due to the pandemic enabled me to develop effective communication and connections with my peers and industry professionals, and to be flexible. These skills are valuable in any workplace.
I have had a fruitful four years of study on this programme, and I am glad to graduate from PolyU.
As the only institute in Hong Kong that offers a degree in Food Safety and Technology, PolyU stands out in the crowd. The programme includes modules in Food Processing, Food Microbiology, Sensory Evaluation and Food Biotechnology, which are specifically tailored to serving up a career in the food industry.
The programme provides many internship opportunities in settings ranging from start-ups to large corporates. During the course, I had the chance to work at both ends of the spectrum, experiencing the flexible and dynamic environment of a start-up as well as the systematic and structured conditions of a large-scale company. This gave me a clearer understanding of the nature and content of working in the field, thus facilitating my post-graduation planning.
The student population at PolyU is diverse, and I relished the opportunity to meet people from different cultural backgrounds, for example, by joining the Food Safety and Technology Students’ Society and spending one year living in student halls.
To assess the suitability of candidates for the Scheme
About 30 minutes
Only selected applicants will be invited for interview, and when necessary.
Required
To assess the suitability of candidates for the Scheme
About 30 minutes
Only selected applicants will be invited for interview, and when necessary.
Required
To assess the suitability of candidates for the Scheme
About 30 minutes
Only selected applicants will be invited for interview, and when necessary.
Online interviews will be arranged for selected overseas applicants.
