Online Graduate Program Admissions

If you are interested in the online M.S. in Food Science degree, you must apply for admission. Simply enrolling in an online course does not indicate progress towards an M.S. degree.

Food Science and Human Nutrition Graduate Applicant Requirements

• Minimum undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 (A=4.0)
• Pre-requisite expectations: These courses must be completed prior to applying to the program. If you are deficient in any of these courses, you can complete these courses at a community college or other accredited institutions (residential or online). UIUC course descriptions are included in parentheses so that you can find an equivalent course at the institution that is right for you.
  • Calculus (First course in calculus and analytic geometry; basic techniques of differentiation and integration with applications including curve sketching; antidifferentation, the Riemann integral, fundamental theorem, exponential and trigonometric functions)
  • General Chemistry I (Principles governing atomic structure, bonding, states of matter, stoichiometry, and chemical equilibrium)
  • General Chemistry II (Chemistry of materials, including organic and biological substances, chemical energetics and equilibrium, chemical kinetics, and electrochemistry)
  • Elementary Organic Chemistry (Presents structural and mechanistic chemistry with emphasis on applications of this material to closely related areas)
  • Introductory Microbiology (Introduction to the principal activities and properties of microorganisms, including bacteria, yeasts, molds, and viruses; consideration of the role of natural processes, such as photosynthesis; and man's use and control of microorganisms in the production of antibodies and vaccines in industrial fermentations, in sanitation and public health, and in agriculture)
  • College Physics: Mechanics and Heat (Newton's Laws, work and energy, rotational motion, fluids, thermodynamics, and waves. A noncalculus-based approach for majors in the life sciences, preprofessional health programs, agriculture, and veterinary medicine)

  Please focus on your motivation for pursuing a Master of Science in Food Science degree, and how this degree will support your current and future professional and personal goals.

  For Admission to the Graduate College

  • A baccalaureate degree is required. It is desirable, but not required, that this degree be related to physical, biological, agricultural, or engineering sciences.
  • Required background courses include general chemistry, organic chemistry, microbiology, physics, and calculus. If you are deficient in these areas of study then you may take correspondence courses, other distance education courses, or traditional classroom courses (at a community college or four-year institution) to satisfy the necessary prerequisite requirements.
  • The TOEFL is required of all students who have studied in a non-English speaking institution prior to attending the University of Illinois AND have not had 2 of the last 5 years of full time study at an English speaking institution, or are receiving an advanced degree (MS equivalent or better) from an English speaking institution.

  Application Information

  • When applying online, please select 10KS0037MSU [Food Science and Human Nutrition (Online)-MS].
  • All supporting materials (transcripts from all universities attended, three letters of reference, and personal statement) must be received by the posted application deadline to be fully considered for acceptance in that term. Supporting materials submitted after the deadline may result in the application delayed to a future semester.

  Application deadlines

  The Master of Science in Food Science program that is offered online follows a tradition semester schedule. Students can apply to start their degree program in either the fall or spring semesters. Please complete the online application and the application requirements by the following deadlines to be fully considered:

  • Spring Admission - Nov. 1
  • Fall Admission - April 1