MSc Food Consumer Marketing and Product Development

1 Year On Campus Masters Program

Sheffield Hallam University

Program Overview

This MSc blends food science with marketing, showing you how the science behind what we eat meets the consumer side of the food industry. It’s perfect if you’re passionate about food, nutrition, or product development and want to create innovative products that people love — from concept right through to launch in global markets.

Curriculum structure

Over the year, you’ll dive into modules like Developing Food Products, Food Marketing and Consumer Behaviour, Global Food Systems, Quality and Sustainability, and Sustainable Business Strategy. These classes help you understand ingredients and processing, how to design and develop exciting new food products, and how to interpret consumer behaviour to make products people want — all while keeping sustainability, nutrition, and quality in mind.

You’ll also complete either a Consultancy project or a Dissertation, giving you the chance to tackle a real-world food industry problem or research a topic you’re passionate about. This experience ties together your scientific knowledge, consumer insights, and marketing skills, giving you hands-on experience that employers value.

Focus areas: Food product development, consumer behaviour & marketing, food science & sustainability, global food systems, quality assurance, business and marketing strategy for the food industry.

Learning outcomes: You’ll graduate ready to design safe, nutritious, and market-ready food products, understand global food systems and consumer behaviour, apply marketing and business strategy tools for the food industry, balance food safety, quality, and sustainability, and manage product-development projects from concept to consumer.

Professional alignment (accreditation): This programme is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), giving you exemptions from certain CIM units — a real advantage if you’re aiming for a marketing-management career in the food sector.

Reputation (employability & rankings): Sheffield Hallam University has a Gold rating in the UK Teaching Excellence Framework, reflecting excellent teaching and strong graduate outcomes, making your degree highly respected.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

On this MSc, you’ll learn by doing, not just by reading or listening. From day one, you’ll get hands-on experience creating and testing food products, analysing their quality and safety, and thinking about how to market them so real people want to buy them. You’ll work in professional-grade kitchens and labs, take part in real consumer testing, and tackle projects that mirror what the food industry expects from graduates.

Here’s what that looks like in practice:

Development kitchens and food-analysis labs: Experiment with recipes, test food quality and safety, and bring your ideas to life under real-world conditions.
Sensory suite and discussion rooms: Conduct taste, texture, smell, and presentation tests to see how real consumers respond to your products.
Specialist software tools: Use dietary-analysis and lab software to create nutritional panels, safety reports, and product evaluations.
Real-world projects and case studies: Work on challenges that food companies actually face, from product concept to market viability.
Consultancy-style project or dissertation: Showcase your skills with a final project that demonstrates you can solve real industry problems.
Supportive resources: Access campus libraries, digital tools, and academic staff guidance to help you succeed and grow as a professional.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Graduating from this MSc opens doors to exciting and practical roles in the food industry. You could work as a food product developer, food quality manager, food regulation officer, or in procurement and supplier management, using both your scientific knowledge and marketing insight to shape products people love. SHU gives you the support and connections to turn your degree into a strong career:

Career services and support: You’ll get tailored advice from academic advisers and career workshops — from CV and interview help to guidance on landing industry-relevant roles.
Strong graduate outcomes: Around 95% of SHU graduates are in work or further study 15 months after finishing, showing how valued this degree is by employers.
Industry connections: Graduates have gone on to work with big retailers, food manufacturers, public health organisations, and local councils — giving you real-world pathways into the industry.
Professional credibility: The course supports alignment with professional bodies relevant to food, quality, and marketing, which adds long-term value to your career.
Flexible career paths: Whether your passion is product development, regulatory compliance, quality assurance, marketing, or supply chain management, the MSc equips you with the skills to succeed in a range of roles.

Further Academic Progression:
If you want to keep learning, this MSc also prepares you for advanced research degrees (like a PhD) in food science, nutrition, consumer science, or food policy. You could also pursue specialized postgraduate diplomas or combine with business and management studies for leadership roles in global food companies.