Master of Science (MSc) in Integrated Food Studies

About the programme

The MSc programme in Integrated Food Studies enables you to tackle problems related to the production and consumption of food, such as climate change, sustainability, or obesity. Your area of study will be the production, processing, distribution, and consumption of food products from the perspectives of the natural, health and social sciences. The programme is only offered in English.

Admission and application

To apply for admission to this master's degree programme, you must have completed a qualifying bachelor’s degree or a similar Danish or international degree programme which is assessed to be relevant. Apply for admission via the application portal.

Below, you can read more about admission requirements and which documents to upload in the application portal.

Click here to submit your application

The application portal is open: 16 January – 1 March (EU applicants) and 15 November – 15 January (non EU applicants)

Academic admission requirements

Here you'll find the different academic requirements depending on which qualifying degree you hold.

You meet all academic requirements if you hold one of the degrees listed below. Learn about when and how to apply. Note, however, that you still need to document that you meet the programme's language requirements.

Food Science (fødevarer og ernæring), Natural Resources (naturressourcer), Sociology (sociologi), Anthropology (antropologi) or Public Health (folkesundhedsvidenskab) from University of Copenhagen
Sociology or Sustainable Design or Techno Anthropology from Aalborg University
Public Health or Agrobiology with a specialisation in Food Science from Aarhus University
Sociology and Cultural Analysis; Public Health or Market and Management Anthropology from University of Southern Denmark
Global Nutrition and Health from University College Copenhagen or VIA University College
Nutrition and Health from University College Copenhagen, VIA University College, University College South Denmark or University College Absalon
Food Technology and Application from Business Academy Aarhus

Check which master’s programmes at UCPH your bachelor programme is pre-approved for admission - only available in Danish

If you have a Bachelor’s degree other than those listed above, you must submit additional documentation along with your application so we can evaluate whether or not you meet the admission requirements. Learn about when and how to apply.

If you have a Bachelor’s degree, Professional Bachelor's degree or equivalent from Danish or international universities you are qualified for admission if your programme includes the following:

30 ECTS credits within the field of food science or
30 ECTS credits within the field of natural science or
30 ECTS credits within the field of sociology and/or anthropology

We may also admit applicants who, after an individual academic assessment, are deemed to possess educational qualifications equivalent to those required above.

Qualifying degree and other courses/projects

When we assess whether you meet the admission requirements for the Master's degree program, Danish legislation only allows us to assess your Bachelor's degree. Consequently, you cannot study supplementary courses between Bachelor's and Master's degree programs in order to meet the admission requirements.

If you have passed courses/projects before you complete the qualifying Bachelor's degree, these can be included in the assessment, even though they are not part of the Bachelor's degree program.

It applies to courses/projects you have taken as single subjects and courses/projects you have taken as part of another study program.
A maximum of 30 ECTS credits of these courses/projects may be included.

International Bachelor’s degree

You can only get an answer to whether or not your degree meets the admission requirement by applying for admission to the MSc Programme. Only the admission committee can evaluate whether you are qualified or not and they only do this once they have received your application.

Bachelor’s degree from Denmark

You are entitled to 1 pre-assessment for 1 study programme, where, based on an assessment of the documentation you have submitted, we will inform you whether you meet the admission requirements.

This is a service offered by SCIENCE, but it is not a service you have to make use of in order for you to apply for admission.

Read about pre-assessment

Language requirements

Unless you have a legal right of admission to the programme you are applying for, you are required to document proficiency in English.

See language requirements

Application deadlines

Study start in September

1 March at 23:59

Application deadline for Danish applicants and applicants from within the EU, EEA and Switzerland.
Open for applications from 16 January. You will receive a reply by 10 June.

15 January at 23:59

Application deadline for applicants from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland.
Open for applications from 15 November. You will receive a reply by 1 May.

How to apply

Choose the category below that fits you and read more about how to apply for admission. You will also find information about application deadlines and documentation on the websites.

Have you been or are you currently enrolled on a master's degree programme?

Citizen in Denmark, EU EEA or Switzerland

Bachelor’s degree from Denmark

International bachelor’s degree

Citizen in a country outside EU, EEA or Switzerland

Bachelor’s degree from Denmark

International bachelor’s degree

Prioritisation of applicants

If the number of qualified applicants to the programme exceeds the number of places available, applicants will be prioritised according to the following criteria:

Relevance of their study program (including elective courses and project work) defined as ECTS credits within the subject areas of food science and social science studies of food
Grade-point average of the qualifying degree

Limitation on second degrees

If you have already completed a Master's degree, please check out the rules concerning a second degree.

Admission rules

Important dates

Application help

Have you submitted your application?

Admission statistics Integrated Food Studies 2024
Admitted	32
Admission distribution (legal right/other)	0% / 100%
Applicants	112
Age average	27
Legal gender distribution (cpr. - m/f)	28% / 72%
Nationality (dk/international)	22% / 78%
Available spots	No

Programme structure

The teaching takes the form of a varied combination of lectures, workshops, and practical and theoretical exercises. The compulsory courses include practical work in food labs.

During the first year, you follow a number of compulsory courses. In the second year, you have the option of taking elective courses from the wide range on offer at the University of Copenhagen.

Collaboration with companies and institutions in the food sector is a high priority for the study programme. The courses therefore include presentations by people who work with issues related to the programme’s subject areas. Some courses include visits to companies and institutions.

Do a Project in Practice or Study Abroad

You can use some of your elective courses to do a Project in Practice in collaboration with a company or an organisation. You can also choose to study abroad as part of your programme. Read more here:

Master's Thesis

The programme concludes with a master’s thesis of your choice worth 30 or 45 ECTS (corresponding to six or nine months of study). The thesis is written either individually or in groups, usually on a specific research problem related to a company or institution in the food sector.

Examples of thesis subjects:

Local Food Supply: What is the potential for establishing local food supplies for public-sector institutions in the City of Copenhagen?
Food Waste in Restaurants: Working with companies to develop tools to minimise food waste.
The Food Legislation From the Perspective of Small Producers: How do small producers view co-operation with the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration, and how does this affect the implementation of new legislation concerning small producers?
Meat Consumption Among Single Men: Which attitudes and practices does this population group have when it comes to meat consumption?
Food Strategies and Networks in Local Municipalities: What actions and efforts promote local authorities’ food initiatives and support sustainable development?
Food Experiences at Festivals: What are the food practices of festival-goers? What influences people’s food choices at a temporary event?
Consumption of Organic Fish: Questionnaire survey of attitudes and taste test.

Programme Overview

The programme can be structured in two ways, depending on the size of your thesis:

Course table, Thesis 30 ECTS

Compulsory courses: 60 ECTS
Elective courses: 30 ECTS
Thesis: 30 ECTS

One block each year equals nine weeks of study and 15 ECTS. The table is primarily for guidance and may be subject to revision.

Year 1

Block 1	Block 2	Block 3	Block 4
Food Systems and Transition	Innovation in Food Systems	Food Concept Design	Sustainable Food Systems and Diets
Introduction to Social Science Methods	The Sociology of Food and Eating	Meal Systems and Technology	Food and Meal Consumer Research

Year 2

Block 1	Block 2	Block 3	Block 4
Elective course	Elective course	Thesis
Elective course	Elective course	Thesis

Course table, Thesis 45 ECTS

Compulsory courses: 60 ECTS
Elective courses: 15 ECTS
Thesis: 45 ECTS

One block each year equals nine weeks of study and 15 ECTS. The table is primarily for guidance and may be subject to revision.

Year 1

Block 1	Block 2	Block 3	Block 4
Food Systems and Transition	Innovation in Food Systems	Food Concept Design	Sustainable Food Systems and Diets
Introduction to Social Science Methods	The Sociology of Food and Eating	Meal Systems and Technology	Food and Meal Consumer Research

Year 2

Block 1	Block 2	Block 3	Block 4
Elective course	Thesis
Elective course	Thesis

Are you already a student? Find the programme structure that fits your year of admission on Study Information (KUnet).

Curriculum

Learn more about the programme in the:

Curriculum for MSc in Integrated Food StudiesShared section of the curriculum

Video: Dorottya and Astrid talk about their studies in Integrated Food Studies.

Career opportunities

How do social structures and actors such as politicians, consumers and industry form our food systems? How can we understand and improve the transition of food systems and the complex problems associated with food production, processing, and consumption in a modern globalised world?

These are the overarching questions addressed by the Master of Science (MSc) in Integrated Food Studies.

During the study programme, you will gain an understanding of the sociological aspects of the role of food in society and learn to work with different methods of studying food systems and consumption. Thus, you become an expert in innovative solutions aimed at food waste, combating climate change, ensuring sustainability, and addressing environmental problems associated with food production and consumption.

The compulsory courses provide an in-depth introduction to food systems and transition, social-science theory and methods, and food science approaches. You acquire skills in qualitative and quantitative methods of working with consumption and food systems.

Other courses focus on food science methods and approaches, including practical work in food labs. You take part in a cross-disciplinary course on sustainable meals, involving input from four different disciplines (social science, food science, plant science, nutrition). You also attend classes in innovation, where you acquire skills for concrete development work in the field of food.

Graduates of the MSc in Integrated Food Studies are able to:

Handle complex issues within the food sector that require an interdisciplinary approach.
Apply relevant theories and research methods to analyse current problems in the food sector.
Propose innovative ways to change food systems, including the production, distribution, and organisation of private or public meal services.

Employment

Graduates have a range of career opportunities in the food sector:

In the private part of the food sector – e.g., the food industry and retail trade – you can work with management, strategic planning, and innovative design, or manage change projects in food-related organisations and companies.
In the public sector, you can work with strategic development and consultancy, as well as preparing and implementing policies in the food area.
You will be able to work with the strategic development and implementation of public and private meal services. This could involve, for example, developing local authority meal services for elderly people, designed to reduce food waste and improve health.
Graduates can work with food systems at international level e.g., in the EU, the UN, or international NGOs.
You can also set up your own business, drawing on the study programme’s broad knowledge base in nutrition, design, consumption, and policy development.

Student life

High quality education in English, a flexible study structure, excellent facilities, an international study environment, attractive and green campus areas, and the opportunity to experience life in Copenhagen, the cool capital of Denmark. These are some of the qualities about studying at Faculty of Science (SCIENCE) at University of Copenhagen that you can expect.

Throughout the year, various social activities are arranged for all SCIENCE students and for international students specifically. These activities include:

Introduction Days for new students
A welcome programme for international students
International dinners, courses, and lectures
Sports activities such as fun runs or bicycle races
Career workshops

Students live in residence halls outside campus or share a flat in the Copenhagen area. You will find that the relatively small size of Copenhagen makes it easy to get around, even by bike.

Where Will I be Studying?

The Integrated Food Studies programme is primarily based at Frederiksberg Campus.

The Frederiksberg Campus hosts part of the Faculty of Science and the veterinary area of Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences. It is located a few kilometres west of the city centre in beautiful green surroundings, and Frederiksberg is a popular residential area. The Gardens, which are part of the Frederiksberg Campus, are popular with both students and locals. In the summer months, you can drop by Café Væksthuset, which is located in an old greenhouse, for a cup of freshly brewed coffee and a delicious sandwich.

At campus, you can join student clubs and societies of a more or less academic nature. Regardless of whether you are interested in choral singing, sports, the theatre or a special academic subject, there is a club for you.

Campus Life at University of Copenhagen

Here you will find some useful links and videos about student life and housing in Copenhagen, and the welcome programme for international students at Faculty of Science.