Master's Degree in Food Quality, Safety and Technology 2024–2025

Access

Access to official University Master's courses at the University of Zaragoza is achieved by meeting certain of the following requirements:

a) Having an official Spanish university degree or another Spanish Master's Degree.

b) Having an official Spanish university degree obtained under curricula previous to the current organization of university education: Bachelor, Architect, Engineer, Diploma, Technical Architect or Technical Engineer.

c) Having a foreign tertiary education qualification analogous to an official Spanish university degree or declared equivalent to a Bachelor's or Master's Degree by the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training.

d) Having a Bachelor's or Master's degree from universities or higher education institutions from a country in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), which allows access to Master's studies in that country.

e) Having a foreign higher education qualification obtained from an education system outside the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) that is equivalent to the Bachelor's degree, without the need for approval or declaration of equivalence, and having obtained the corresponding resolution of "authorised access" to official University of Zaragoza Master's courses - following a check to ensure the level of training implied by this qualification - provided that the qualification allows access to postgraduate university studies in the country where it is issued.

Admission

In addition to meeting the general access requirements, applicants must meet the specific requirements detailed in the verification report for each Master's Degree.

This information can be found on the website for each Master's Degree: https://estudios.unizar.es/estudio/lista-ramas?tipo_id=6

Calidad => Documentos => Memoria de verificación 

Language requirements

If applying for admission to a Master's Degree taught in Spanish at the University of Zaragoza and your mother tongue is not Spanish, you must present documents attesting to sufficient knowledge of the Spanish language to follow the classes. An interview may be held to verify your Spanish language ability. When a check of specific Spanish language ability is required for the Master's degree requested, this level is assessed in accordance with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

Application for admission to University Master's studies will be made through the Internet, filling out the online form and following the instructions in:

At each admission stage, people who meet the general access and specific admission requirements may be admitted to a Master's Degree in accordance with the assessment criteria established in the verification report for that Master's degree.

The Master's advisory committee or, where applicable, the organisation mentioned in the verification report will review the applications received based on the relevant assessment criteria, considering the documents provided by the applicants, and shall submit an admission proposal to the head of the corresponding centre.

Preference of applications

Application for registration to University Master's studies will be made through the Internet, filling out the online form and following the instructions in:

http://www.unizar.es → Secretaría virtual

More information about access and admission: https://academico.unizar.es/grado-y-master-master/acceso-y-admision/acceso-master-universitario

More information about registration:  https://academico.unizar.es/grado-y-master/matricula/matricula-home

Students who get the Master's Degree in Food Quality, Safety and Technology will be able to continue their academic training in the corresponding PhD Program of the University of Zaragoza or in other similar doctoral programs.

In addition, graduates who have completed this master's degree will have the appropriate training work in the research, development and innovation departments of the food industries. Likewise, graduates of this master's degree will also be able to work in laboratories or organizations dedicated to control and to analyze the physicochemical, nutritional, microbiological, toxicological, structural and organoleptic properties of foodstuffs.

Food Science can be defined as the discipline in which engineering, biological and physical sciences are applied to the study of food, the reasons for its deterioration, the principles of food processing and its improvement. On the other hand, Food Technology uses the information generated by Food Science in the selection, preservation, processing, packaging and distribution of food, with the aim of produce safe, nutritious and healthy food. In short, the first common objective of all technological processes is to achieve a product that is safe from a chemical and biological point of view in the short and long term. If this objective is not achieved with the application of these processes, the food can cause illnesses after consumption, which in some cases can be serious. The second objective of technological processes is to obtain stable foods that retain their sensory and nutritional properties throughout their shelf life.

In recent years, the economic, social and political importance of the agri-food and nutrition sector has become evident. All at once, society has a growing concern for safety and healthy, quality food. The University of Zaragoza is located in the Ebro Valley, where the agri-food and nutrition sector is configured as a strategic value both for its economic dimension and its social perspective. In addition, the autonomous community of Aragon is surrounded by other communities in which the agri-food sector is also remarkable, such as La Rioja, Navarra and Catalonia. Altogether they forms the Iberus Campus of International Excellence, in which one of the areas of specialization is precisely Agri-Food and Nutrition.

The objectives of this master's degree are aimed at training people in research and specialization in the field of Food Science and Technology. These objectives can be framed within the Agroindustry Policy Strategy in Aragon (EPAA, 2014-2025), which pretends to promote research in the food field encouraging investment by industries in research and development, as well as strengthening the collaboration between research centers and the agro-industrial environment.

In this Master's Degree, students acquire skills in the most commonly used techniques in Food Science and Technology research. Graduates also learn about tools for searching scientific information and get the ability to autonomously develop a research work that must be publicly presented.

Graduate students will be able to carry out in their professional career research-related activities, to perform the analysis of food in the public sector or in the agri-food industry and to achieve tasks related to the R&D&I in the food industry.

The Master is designed as follows:

- Compulsory subjects: 24 ECTS

- Elective subjects: 24 ECTS

- External internships: 12 ECTS

- Master's Final Project: 30 ECTS
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Total: 90 ECTS

The basic module of the Master's Degree aims to provide the essential tools for the student's training, whether they are going to do research by carrying out the Doctoral Thesis or to get a high level of qualification to work in the food industry. The basic module is formed by the four compulsory subjects whose contents will provide the basic tools necessary for studying the subjects of the optional modules.

The elective modules proposed, called itineraries, are:

- Research Itinerary (offer of 10 optional subjects of 3 ECTS each).

- Specialization Itinerary (8 optional subjects of 3 ECTS each).

Students must take a minimum of 18 ECTS of each optional module to complete the corresponding itinerary, being able to take the rest of the optional credits of the same itinerary or not.

The “Research Itinerary” module aims to provide students specific tools that can be applied in the different fields of research in Food Science and Technology. Therefore, it is particularly suitable for those students who later decide to continue with doctoral studies. However, many of the subjects in this module also provide knowledge and skills of interest to those professionals who intend to perform their activity in a R+D+i department of a food industry or in a food analysis laboratory.

The “Specialization Itinerary” module provides a broad vision of the latest advances in the specific technologies of the main food groups, as well as in advanced aspects of Food Quality, Safety, and Nutrition. The aim is to contribute to the development of the agri-food industry by the trainee of professionals in this field. This module allows graduates with different grades (Veterinary, Human Nutrition and Dietetics, etc.) to acquire knowledge about innovation and development in the food industry. Likewise, graduates of this master's degree will have acquired the tools and methodologies necessary to manage food safety systems, as well as to identify and evaluate emerging hazards in the food industry.

Students will be able to do an External Intership (12 ECTS) in companies of the agri-food sector, as well as in public and private institutions at national and international level with which there are already collaboration agreements. This course will allow students to develop transversal competencies and integrate the knowledge and technical skills acquired throughout the Master's program. In recent years, there has been a demand for curricular external internships, especially from students coming from degrees other than Food Science and Technology to initiate contact with the food industry.

The Master's Thesis consists of 30 ECTS; it integrates the knowledge and skills acquired throughout the degree, thus developing a large number of competences through the realization of a work of initiation to research, although bibliographic work or those based on the External Practices carried out in companies or public or private institutions may also be done.

In order to follow the Master's program, students may choose the option of part-time enrollment, in accordance with Unizar's criteria established in the rules of permanence: https://academico.unizar.es/sites/academico/files/archivos/gradoymaster/permanencia/folleto_master_2024.v1.pdf

Table of distribution of subjects by credits

The course coordinator is the key figure for any query, clarification or problem that may arise during the academic year. The coordinator is in regular contact with the students and their representatives and provides support and set up the necessary actions to support the student’s learning process. In all degree courses, per the directives of the Academic Guidance Programmes at the University of Zaragoza, each student is assigned an individual lecturer-tutor, who will be responsible for offering the student academic advice on aspects related to the student’s integration and adaptation to the work expected to be completed in each degree. The academic tutor will also provide advice on the most suitable academic options as well as guidance on the student’s personal or professional academic interests, the resources and services available to them at the University and on the general workings of the University in its administrative and academic facets and for participation in its governing structures.

The University of Zaragoza has a University Centre for Modern Languages where international languages classes are offered. The language instruction offer includes German, Arabic, French, Modern Greek, English, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Chinese and Japanese. The courses offered include: year-long General & Specific Courses, Intensive Summer Courses in July & September, and single-term Self-Study & Conversation Courses (English, French & German).

Summer courses. Students may also wish to participate in any of the summer course programmes on offer every year in July, August and September in various locations in Aragon, albeit most of them take place in the following locations: Teruel & Jaca.

The University of Zaragoza has its own Guidance and Employment Office: UNIVERSA. The main goal of this University Employment Observatory is to provide specific information, guidance and training to facilitate professional integration among university students, in addition to overseeing voluntary work placement for final year students. Courses are offered to both students and recent graduates to improve their training in professional skills, job seeking strategies, etc.

Furthermore, there is a Job Fair (EMPZAR) every year, which provides students with the possibility to contact directly with companies, as well as gain first-hand knowledge of the labour market demand, get advice on how to prepare a CV, and so on.

Library staff supports first-year students. Staff offers an online course on Information and ICT skills. This course is offered as a practical activity within one of the subjects imparted in year one.  The students are also offered other training courses on information skills, at various levels, chief among which are the Guide to Tools and Guidelines for preparing the undergraduate/master’s dissertation.

Halls of Residence. The University of Zaragoza has two main Halls of Residence located in the San Francisco Campus: The Pedro Cerbuna University Hall of Residence (CMU) (250 rooms) and the Santa Isabel CMU (192 rooms), plus another one located in the Río Ebro Campus (102 places) and two other halls in the cities of Huesca (Ramón Acin CMU – 125 rooms) and Teruel (Pablo Serrano CMU – 96 single rooms). There are also other university halls of residence in the city of Zaragoza run by private companies. Furthermore, there is a University web service that helps students to find a room or rent a flat. 

Accommodation can also be found using the Zaragoza Council programmes for young people and students.

Counselling. The University of Zaragoza has four free and anonymous counselling services for youngsters, which are run by a team of professionals who provide advice on academic, legal, sexual and psychological areas.

The University of Zaragoza international relations Office will provide international students with all the necessary support in the registration process. It also provides students with practical information about the city, transport, flats on offer, rooms, halls of residence, medical assistance, courses for international students, etc.

Student diversity. The main role of the University of Zaragoza Student Diversity Office (OUAD) (pertaining to the Vice-Chancellor for Students & Employment) is to ensure equal opportunities through inclusion of all university students in university academic life. In addition, it encourages awareness of student diversity within the university community. This office is particularly committed to providing attention to any university student with special educational needs or disabilities.

University information centre. The University Information & Appeals Centre offers general information about the University of Zaragoza: access, offer of undergraduate/master’s study programmes, doctoral programmes, as well as information on non-official degrees, registration process, grants, summer courses, administrative information, and so on. Equally, they manage appeals of any situations that are not subject to the established regulated procedures.

Information and Communications Service. All computers on campus are connected to the Internet. WiFi is available in all the buildings. Any student may use the University of Zaragoza IT services.

Vehicle management service. A permit is required so that a member of the university community can park their vehicles in the car parks available in the different campuses.

Cultural activities. The 'Cultural Agenda' provides a monthly programme of the events in the areas of Cinema & Animation, Music, Theatre, Exhibitions, Cycles, Conferences, Literary Activities and Courses. It also offers cultural association activities and those of the Cultural Committees in Zaragoza, Huesca and Teruel.

Sports activities. The University of Zaragoza sports complex is located in the San Francisco Campus and features a leisure centre, gym, outdoor basketball, handball and 5-a-side football facilities, a certified athletics track and a football pitch. Every academic year, over a hundred activities are organised.

The University of Zaragoza Student House ('Casa del Estudiante') (inaugurated in 2005) is home to the University Student Council, the student groups represented on the Cloisters and Governing Board, and the multinational student associations. The Student House supervises activities pertaining to student representation and, additionally, work meetings, presentations, conferences and other events of interest to the students at our University. These activities are promoted and run by the student groups and coordinated by the Vice-Chancellor of Students: vrestu@unizar.es

Information Feelers. Voluntary student members of the University of Zaragoza faculties and centres act as 'information feelers' to counsel, inform and help their own peers. 

University Ombudsman. This person defends the rights and freedoms of the university community and attends to complaints and requests from students.