Food science program

[kobie]

Hi folks,

I know that food science is not a common discipline people are applying to, but never think that I am among such a rare group in this application cycle. I only found a few results related to the field in the result search page for the past years.

As I am also dying to hear back from those schools I have applied, I wonder if there is anyone in this forum applying to food science program this year. Has anyone received any news yet?

[kobie]

It is kidda dissapointing to be the only one in the forum to apply to food science. I guess this must have been the case for the past few years considering how little feedback related to the field is found in the result search page.

[bvang]

It is kidda dissapointing to be the only one in the forum to apply to food science. I guess this must have been the case for the past few years considering how little feedback related to the field is found in the result search page.

Hi Kobie! Actually I applied to a bunch of Food Science MS programs And yes I agree with you, it's such a specialized major that it's difficult to find other applicants. Btw, i have a really non-traditional background. I have my BS and MS in Computer Science, and after having worked for 5+ years in industry... I've decided to switch careers! Crazy I know. I don't have the background for Food Science... and I would love to specialize in food chemistry, but with my background i have applied for areas of specialization in Food Engineering instead. Here are my school stats so far:

Univ Illinois: Partially in (I got the OK from the admissions committee but now just waiting to see if any faculty will fund me. Not looking too good...)

Purdue: Same as above

Still waiting to hear from:

UC Davis, Cornell, Rutgers

I really hate that most FS programs require faculty to fund you - even for MS degrees. Basically if none of the faculty chooses me ... it's equivalent to be rejected

Where have you applied and what's your background like?

[kobie]

Hi Pjv,

It is exciting to finally get to know other food science applicants. So I guess I am not the lost sould on gradcafe afterall.

I got a BS in food science in 2008 and have some work experience. As to my school stats, I applied for PhD program to Cornell, UC Davis, U of Minnesota, North Carolina, Clemson, Wisconsin-Madison Texas A&M. So far I have only got response from U of Minnesota which considering me to their MS instead of PhD program and I am in the same situation as you as the admission comittee accepted me but I need a faculty member to fund me as well.

I also don't like the way the admission to FS programs works as well. It seems to me that with this admission system, we can only stick to the specific lab accepting us and have no opportunity to rotate.

Actually this is my second round of application and as the time goes by, my hope has really plummeted along the waiting process. I have the biggest disadvantage in the game considering that I am an international student (even though I got my BS in the US). It is such a relief to know that I am not the only one who still haven't heard anything from the FS programs. According to the result search page, FS program seems to have their decisions made towards March and April. So for now, I guess we just have to wait.

I hope that you will be happy with your career change decision as Food Science is a really really cool discipline ( a little biased but it is true though ). Kidda curious as to how you came up with such a decision though.

Edited March 5, 2010 by kobie

[kobie]

I have just checked the result search page and there is a new post by a food science applicant. I guess we just have a new companion on here.

One more thing I notice from the page is that most food science folks are international students. That's interesting to know.

Edited March 11, 2010 by kobie

[racapieri]

Hello! I agree, there isn't much info from other Food Science students on any internet forums.

I am currently a MS student and just applied for the PhD progam from UC Davis and still haven't heard/read anything from them. The waiting is killing me.

[kobie]

Hi racapieri,

Welcome to the Food Scien thread. Nice to know others applying to the same program as I am.

I am also waiting for UC Davis. That is one of my top choices but I am not hoping much considering UC budget problems.

Are you enjoying your MS at UC davis? What other schools have you applied?

[Dolomiti]

Hey everyone, I rember reading through this forum about a year ago. Anyways I'm a first year MS student at the U of Arkansas specializing in food chemistry.

I know a little about admissions because I went through the process a year ago. If you have any questions I'm willing to answer them. I might ask my own, as I'm currently debating on a PhD program attempt.

[Dolomiti]

Oh yeah, here is a link that drove my program decision:

http://chronicle.com/stats/productivity/page.php?year=2007&primary=2&secondary=20&bycat=Go

[kobie]

Hi Dolomiti,

Nice to hear from you. The link you gave is really interesting. I wonder how the data on grants have changed for the past 2 years considering the economic crisis. Not every school publishes these data, but I remember University of Minnesota did. But as the grant condition is kindda unpredictable and varies from one faculty member to the other and considering the ongoing crisis, I doubt if we should based on these data to make our school list. My professor used to tell me to try contacting faculty members at some different times because the funding and grant issues can change along the course of the year you are applying. I doubt if it is applied to all but that seems to make sense. However, I am intimidated by the idea of contacting the professors of interest more than once especially after they say they have no funding.

Would you mind if I ask how many schools you applied last season? Is it normal that I still haven't heard anything from any schools I have applied by this time? Approximately when did you hear back last year?

[kobie]

I have just checked my email and got the rejection letter from Cornell. Oh well, that is predictable but I still feel kind of bitter no matter how I think I am prepared for it. I guess it stings because this is the first official response I got from all the schools I have applied (actually besides University of Minnesota which unofficially accepts me for MS instead of PhD program and the final decision is contingent on if there is anyone in the faculty accepting to fund me).

Anyway, let's keep our fingers crossed for the other results to come soon.

[racapieri]

Hello kobie!

I am actually in the SJSU Food Science program - which is also very impacted by the CA budget problem.

I only applied to UC Davis, their program is the one I really want, so even if I don't get accepted I will keep trying next year. I'm also a career changer, my undergrad is biomedical lab science/molecular biology and I've been working in Biotech for the past 6 years.

I'm sorry about Cornell, but I'm sure you'll make it to your other top choices. I think the response from Davis comes around April 15 (that's what their recruitment brochure said). Keep praying, maybe we'll be classmates ;-)

[bvang]

so exciting that we have other food science applicants on the thread now

Racapieri: Wow I didn't know SJSU had a FoodScience Program! I'm also in the bay area ... I might consider taking summer classes there in preparation. Are you doing an MS there? [i'm surprised because I didn't see them listed on IFT's website when I did my initial search...]

kobie: sorry about cornell

I just got my Cornell email today too - theyre admitting me to their MPS (unfunded) program instead of their MS (funded). I'm not sure if it's a great idea to go unfunded ... but it's not terminal so I could possibly convert later. I'm waiting to hear back from Davis as well -- but like all of you have said, the UCs are pretty questionable at this point.

good luck everyone. glad to have this small group here as support

Edited March 17, 2010 by pjv

[racapieri]

Racapieri: Wow I didn't know SJSU had a FoodScience Program! I'm also in the bay area ... I might consider taking summer classes there in preparation. Are you doing an MS there? [i'm surprised because I didn't see them listed on IFT's website when I did my initial search...]

Hello!

SJSU offers a MS in Nutritional Sciences in which you can choose an emphasis in Food Science and Technology.

It's pretty good for someone changing careers, you can take a lot of the pre-req classes there, but again, the budget has impacted most of those classes, some are only offered once every 2 years, such as Food Microbiology which is one of my main interests. Hence I'm applying to Davis. There are very few classes offered during summer and most of them are focused in Nutrition. (if not all of them)

We are not on the IFT list yet, but the current student club is working on fixing that.

Check it out, let me know if you have any questions.

http://www.nufs.sjsu.edu/

[Dolomiti]

I shopped around to like 10 schools (sending emails to professors and stuff), but I only applied to 2 schools. Wisconsin and Arkansas.

Arkansas: I got an email from the professor I wanted to work with 1 week after I applied. The official notice was like 2 weeks later.

Wisconsin took a little longer...like 3 weeks, but they placed me a lab that I didn't want. So, I came down here to Arkansas

Are you in contact with the professors you want to work with? I pretty much knew what professors were interested in me, so I only applied to those schools. If a lab doesn't have the funding then you won't get accepted. Maybe some of the large programs have a different system but here all the students are on assistantships and I think that is pretty common.

I think every schools timeline is different...So I wouldn't worry about that.

[kobie]

Pjv: Though an unfunded offer is maybe a dealbreaker for you, I think this has proved that your career change is a right move and your potential as a wannabe food scientist is acknowledged. So congrats for that. Don’t be discouraged about the career change.

Racapieri: Thanks for nice words from you and the info on UC Davis. The program offered by UC Davis is really great and actually it fits my interests perfectly. So does your research area kinda lean towards the nutrition field?

Dolomiti: Actually I only contacted them before the application started and have not kept in contact throughout the whole process. So are you still working in the lab originally accepting you? I am aware that when we accept the offer from a specific faculty member, we cannot have rotation. The offer of this kind may backfire if along the course our research interest changes. So is this what you took into account when applying last year?

Edited March 18, 2010 by kobie

[Dolomiti]

I am working in the same lab I came in at. We have 40+ students and I don't know anyone that has switched labs during a degree program (a few that have between their master's and PhD). The good thing is in our 6000 level classes there is usually a lab project of some kind that allows you to research another aspect of the field. You can also do special projects with a professor of your choice, for credit. Our school also has an agreement with the University of Ghent, Karl Franzenzs Univ, and another school in France that allows a semester or summer research programs.

Personally, I don't have the desire to switch labs. I would like to do something different if I go on for a PhD, but for my MS I'm fine with only one lab. I was looking for 2 things: a productive faculty and one of those faculty that were doing research I find interesting. Two years isn't a lot of time....

[racapieri]

Racapieri: Thanks for nice words from you and the info on UC Davis. The program offered by UC Davis is really great and actually it fits my interests perfectly. So does your research area kinda lean towards the nutrition field?

Nope, I haven't started any research project yet. So far I've been taking lots of pre-req classes, food chem, food processing, etc. The SJSU program is definetely more focused in Nutrition Sciences.

[kobie]

Dolomiti: Yeah, I get what you mean. But I think my case is different since I am applying to PhD, not MS. Therefore the idea of having to stick to only one lab with no rotation opportunity throughout the whole degree program intimidates me. The offer of this kind needs a lot of consideration though. Actually last year my only offer was from a professor whose research area I did not feel cliked with. Financially speaking, that was a great one but the fit was not, so I had to turn it down. Don't know how this year is gonna turn out.

Racapieri: Nutritional Sciences may require a lot of molecular cell/biochem technique. So I guess you won't have any problems with your biotech background.

Edited March 19, 2010 by kobie

[kobie]

Oh yeah, can I ask if any one you are international student like me? It sucks being an international student in this game.

One interesting thing I noticed from the result search page is that most of food science applicants in the past 3 years on gradcafe are international students. I guess our field is not that popular among US students after all.

When searching through all the schools offering food science programs in the US, I am surprised that I can only find 1 private university offering and that is Cornell. It is kinda ironic, isn't it? Especially when food industry is one of the largest industries in the US and I think its demand is not that severly impacted by the crisis like the others.

Edited March 19, 2010 by kobie

[racapieri]

Oh yeah, can I ask if any one you are international student like me? It sucks being an international student in this game.

One interesting thing I noticed from the result search page is that most of food science applicants in the past 3 years on gradcafe are international students. I guess our field is not that popular among US students after all.

When searching through all the schools offering food science programs in the US, I am surprised that I can only find 1 private university offering and that is Cornell. It is kinda ironic, isn't it? Especially when food industry is one of the largest industries in the US and I think its demand is not that severly impacted by the crisis like the others.

Hey kobie,

I am not an international student, but I did my undergrad abroad. (I consider English as a second language)

I think that most of the schools that offer food science are Land-grant Universities - probably that's why most of them are public. (?)

I agree, if there is one thing that everyone has to do to live is to eat - no exception. Food will always be on demand.

[racapieri]

I think you will find this info interesting:

It's the 2009 enrollment stats for Food Science at UC Davis, more international students were accepted.

Residency# of StudentsPercent Dist.California Resident1841.86%Non-Resident, Domestic613.95%Non-Resident, International1944.19%

From: http://gradstudies.ucdavis.edu/publications/basic.cfm

[kobie]

Thanks Racapieri for the link.

That is interesting information and it makes me feel better regarding the fate of application to UC Davis.

I hope this will also be the trend this year. Keep my fingers crossed for you and me. Hope to hear something soon.

[Lantern]

I am not a food science major, but randomly came across this thread. It reminded me of a Marine Bio-resources program I came across while looking at the University of Maine last fall when I was in the process of applying to schools. I thought it sounded fascinating (but it isn't what I wanted to do, so I never did apply).

Just in case it would interest any of you, here a brief description of the program from the site, and also a link:

"The program leading to the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Marine Bio-Resources is a cooperative offering of Bio-Systems Science and Engineering, School of Marine Sciences, and Food Science and Human Nutrition."

http://gradcatalog.umaine.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=23&poid=2852&returnto=313

[bvang]

i just got a notification email from Davis today!!

As Chair of the UC Davis Food Science Graduate Group Admissions Committee, I am pleased to notify you of your acceptance into our MS program beginning in Fall 2010. You will soon receive official notification of your admittance along with more information about our program and a support offer. In the meantime, if you have any questions about the program, please don't hesitate to contact me.

I'm guessing this means I'm getting some kind of support package... wow I am really just blown away right now. I hope you guys have good news to report too