BS in Food Technology.

3 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

Ghent University

Program Overview

The Bachelor of Science in Food Technology is a four-year, 240-ECTS programme for students who want to understand how safe, nutritious and high-quality food is developed, processed, preserved and marketed. Taught entirely in English, it combines food chemistry, microbiology, nutrition, engineering and business, preparing students to solve problems across the food supply chain.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: Students develop the scientific and quantitative foundation needed for advanced food technology through modules such as General Biology, Inorganic Chemistry: Structure of Matter and Introduction to Engineering Mathematics. They also study Informatics, physics, biochemistry and academic English, helping them build laboratory, programming and scientific communication skills.

Year 2: The programme moves into life-science and analytical subjects through Organic Chemistry, Chemical Analytical Methods and Microbiology. Modules such as Biochemistry: Metabolism, Molecular Biology: Concepts and Methods and Modern Aspects of Food help students understand food ingredients, microorganisms, biological processes and modern developments in food production.

Year 3: Students begin their specialist food-technology training through Food Chemistry, Food Technology and Food Microbiology and Preservation. They also study Process Engineering, Process Modelling and Control, Technology of Plant-Based Products and statistical modelling, enabling them to analyse food-processing systems and evaluate product safety, stability and quality.

Year 4: Students explore advanced professional areas through Human Nutrition and Health, Food Safety and Risk Analysis and Food Marketing and Consumer Behaviour, with the first semester completed at Ghent University’s home campus in Belgium. The final year also includes Food Legislation, Quality Management Systems in the Agro-food Chain, Company Visits and Seminars and a 12-credit Bachelor’s Project, bringing scientific knowledge together with commercial and regulatory practice.

Focus areas: Food chemistry, food microbiology, food processing, plant-based foods, human nutrition, food preservation, food safety, quality management, consumer behaviour, food legislation, process engineering and product development.

Learning outcomes: Graduates can evaluate the composition, functionality and safety of food products; apply chemical, microbiological, statistical and engineering methods; design and interpret food experiments; analyse food-processing systems; communicate scientific findings in English; work independently and collaboratively; and approach food-industry challenges with an innovative, ethical and entrepreneurial mindset.

Professional alignment (accreditation): The programme is accredited in both Flanders and South Korea and leads to a full Ghent University bachelor’s degree awarded by Ghent University in Belgium. It is recognised by the Flemish Community and accredited through the Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders, with the current accreditation period running from 1 October 2020 to 30 September 2028; the university does not publish a separate professional food-technologist licence or professional-body accreditation for this bachelor’s.

Reputation: Ghent University is ranked 91st in the 2025 Academic Ranking of World Universities, 115th in the 2026 Times Higher Education World University Rankings and 162nd in the 2026 QS World University Rankings. Students therefore earn a degree from an internationally recognised public research university with a strong academic profile in bioscience engineering and life-science research.

Official programme link: Bachelor of Science in Food Technology – Ghent University

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

Practical and research-based learning is a major feature of the Food Technology programme. Ghent University Global Campus states that approximately 50% of its curriculum consists of experimental and practical education, allowing students to connect scientific concepts with laboratory methods from the early stages of the degree. Students work with chemical, microbiological, molecular and food-analysis techniques before applying their knowledge through advanced food modules, research training, company visits and the final Bachelor’s Project.

The practical experience is built around:

Food research laboratories: Students learn alongside the Center for Food Biotechnology and Microbiology, whose research includes food allergens, food proteins, insect-based foods, food fraud and authenticity, antimicrobial treatments, microplastics in food, food digestion and life-cycle analysis of food-production processes. The centre contributes directly to practical and theoretical modules including Food Chemistry, Food Technology and Technology of Plant-Based Products.
Wet-laboratory training: Microbiology combines lectures with wet-lab practicals, while Molecular Biology introduces laboratory methods such as DNA and RNA purification, polymerase chain reaction, cloning and genome sequencing. Biochemistry is divided equally between theory and laboratory practical work and applies biological concepts to food technology, human health and commercial biotechnology.
Experimental food modules: Courses such as Experimental Food Biochemistry, Food Microbiology and Preservation, Chemical Analytical Methods and Food Safety and Risk Analysis help students evaluate food composition, microbial risk, preservation methods and product performance.
Research training: The on-campus Intensive Research Training Programme runs during summer and winter recesses. Under academic supervision, students can participate in experiments and research projects within GUGC’s research centres.
Bachelor’s Project: In the final year, students complete a substantial 12-credit research project that develops their ability to design research, analyse evidence, report results and defend scientific work.
Group work and scientific communication: Scientific seminars and company-visit activities use group discussion, reflective writing and researched group writing. Students also develop presentation, technical note-taking and thesis-defence skills through the Centre for Language and Learning.
Company visits and professional exposure: The curriculum includes Company Visits and Seminars, giving students structured exposure to companies, professional scientists and the commercial application of food technology. External internships are also available through the university’s career-development system, although the official curriculum does not list a compulsory internship for every Food Technology student.
International study experience: Students complete the first semester of Year 4 at Ghent University’s home campus in Belgium, where they study advanced topics including food safety, human nutrition, food marketing, dairy technology, meat science and fishery-product technology.
Field-based learning: The common Animal Biology curriculum includes practical teaching and a visit to a South Korean ecology park, while food-specific company visits are included later in the programme.
Digital and analytical training: The curriculum contains Informatics, Probability and Statistics, Introduction to Statistical Modelling and optional Bioinformatics study. GUGC also provides access to digital university tools including Athena, Ufora, Oasis, Centauro and the Ghent University Library, although the programme does not publish a named specialist commercial food-engineering software package.
Research-centre access: Students study within a campus containing five research centres: the Plant Biotechnology Research Centre, Center for Food Biotechnology and Microbiology, Center for Green Chemistry and Environmental Biotechnology, Center for Biosystems and Biotech Data Science and Biomedical Research Centre.
Library and campus facilities: The Incheon Global Campus Library includes study lounges, discussion spaces and extended opening hours, while the wider campus provides an IT centre, seminar rooms, health centre, exhibition hall and sports facilities.

Official facilities links: GUGC On-Campus Facilities | GUGC Research Centres and Laboratories

Progression & Future Opportunities

Graduates are prepared to examine food from scientific, technological, nutritional, commercial and regulatory perspectives and to solve problems across production, preservation, safety and quality management. Typical career designations include Food Research and Development Scientist, Food Safety and Inspection Specialist, Quality Assurance Manager and Food Sales or Marketing Specialist, with additional opportunities in procurement, government, research institutions, pharmaceuticals and biomedical organisations.

Students can build their professional pathway through the following opportunities:

Career-development services: GUGC provides career exploration and networking, job-readiness workshops, practitioner sessions, AI-assisted preparation, individual career advising, application-document support, interview preparation and placement guidance.
Internships and research experience: Students may undertake external internships or join the summer and winter Intensive Research Training Programme, gaining workplace or laboratory experience under professional and academic supervision.
Career fairs and recruitment support: The university holds an annual career fair where students can meet recruiters, attend company recruitment sessions, receive career counselling and obtain CV-writing support.
University–industry engagement: Professional engagement is incorporated through company visits, seminars, external internships, recruiter events and industry networking. The current official programme pages do not identify a guaranteed placement company or a fixed group of permanent food-industry partners specifically for every Food Technology student.
Employment and salary figures: Ghent University Global Campus does not currently publish a programme-specific graduate employment rate or average salary for the BSc Food Technology. The official career information instead identifies employment fields including research and development, food safety and inspection, sales and marketing, quality assurance, procurement and graduate study.
Long-term accreditation value: Graduates receive a full Belgian Ghent University degree rather than a separate local-campus award. Its recognition in Flanders and South Korea, together with NVAO accreditation, supports applications for employment and postgraduate education internationally, although professional recognition remains subject to the regulations of the destination country or employer.
Graduation outcomes: Graduates can analyse raw materials and food-production processes, evaluate preservation methods, control food quality and safety, interpret laboratory data and contribute to food-product development or food-chain management.

Further Academic Progression: Graduates may continue to postgraduate study in areas such as Food Technology, Food Science, Nutrition, Food Safety, Bioscience Engineering or Biotechnology, subject to the relevant master’s entry requirements. Official Ghent University options include the Master of Science in Food Technology, the Master of Science in Nutrition and Food Systems and research-based doctoral pathways offered through the Faculty of Bioscience Engineering.