Bachelor of Technology (Food Technology)

Anna Smith helps to develop new food products. Picture / Fotopress

The course

Massey University's Bachelor of Technology food technology major aims to produce graduates who are professionals in new food product development, food processing at industrial scale, food safety and quality management.

The four-year NZQA level eight degree also gives graduates an understanding of consumer research, nutrition, packaging and project management.

Graduates can work developing new foods, improving manufacturing processes, developing packaging, helping companies make quality foods, providing support and expertise to management, and doing scientific research.

The degree can be studied at Massey's Albany campus in Auckland and at Palmerston North.

First-year students cover chemistry and living systems, chemistry and the material world, physics, technology fundamentals, food technology in society, calculus, principles of statistics, and biology of cells.

In subsequent years, students cover subjects such as biochemistry, process engineering, food microbiology, food marketing and innovation, food and packaging engineering, food formulation technology, food preservation, food chemistry, industrial research techniques, food assessment techniques, and quality and reliability management.

Fourth-year students pursue project work and case studies and solve real-world industrial problems.

Students take four papers each semester which involves about 25 to 30 hours per week of contact time and another 25 hours of personal study.

They must work during three of their summer vacations for a minimum of 300 hours in a relevant industry job and are required to submit a report on their experience.

Overall assessment is through examination, lab reports, written assignments and term tests.

As well as meeting Massey's entrance criteria, applicants need 16 credits at NCEA level three in maths with calculus and physics and 14 credits at NCEA level three in chemistry.

Enrolments are accepted from October to mid-February and the course begins in late February.

The first year costs $3675 and fees total $4050 for the second year onwards.

The course is the only four-year food technology degree in New Zealand which has an A category accreditation from the New Zealand Institute of Food Science and Food Technology.

Students with good grades can go on to a Masters in Technology or a PhD.

What graduates think

Anna Smith, 22
Graduate development technologist
New Zealand Dairy Foods Ltd, Takanini, Auckland
Completed 2004

"At school I was very much science orientated.

I went to a careers expo in Hamilton and attended a seminar about the degree.

The idea sounded really good and there was a lot of talk about a shortage in the industry and that was one of my major concerns, wanting to get out of university and get a job. The first couple of years was very much theory orientated and the last two years were a lot more practical.

In the final year we do a project for a company which is very practical and that is where my experience has come from and from other projects in my final year.

I enjoyed the degree and found it challenging.

I find it a great area to be in.

Working in developing a product and then hopefully it getting to commercialisation and seeing it on the supermarket shelf is very rewarding, knowing you have had some input into that product.

You can't really be a food technologist or a development technologist in a company like this without doing the food technology degree.

None of the people in my year had any difficulty finding a job."

What employers think

Laurence Eyres
Technical and development director
New Zealand Dairy Foods Ltd, Takanini, Auckland

"The degree certainly gives added weight to a job application because graduates have the mix of skills that we are looking for in terms of food science, food manufacturing, food engineering, nutrition and a bit of an idea of business.

It is certainly a comprehensive degree.

When they start with us, they can go into production or marketing or sales.

We make Anchor milk, Fresh n Fruity yoghurt, Primo flavoured milk, long life milk and Swiss Maid Calci Yum dairy food - all-round dairy products for the local market.

The graduates' skills are relevant but they need training and experience as they do a general approach to the food industry.

They have to learn the specifics of our industry.

Within six months they are well earning their keep."

The qualification

Bachelor of Technology (Food Technology)
Massey University
Phone: 0800 627 739
Starting salary: $35,000-$40,000