Overview

The Food Science program at California Polytechnic State University teaches you to integrate and apply principles of food chemistry, analysis, microbiology, processing and engineering to assure food quality and safety.

The department’s on-campus food plant and laboratories provide real-world learning opportunities and promote safe, sustainable and nutritious foods through partnerships with the food industry in California and around the world.

The program is designed to prepare you for employment in the food industry, government departments or for graduate study. You will choose between an advanced food science or Culinology® concentration and opportunities are available for advanced work in both areas through projects, internships and employment. Both concentrations culminate in a senior project that act as a final demonstration of your critical thinking and food and nutrition knowledge.

Learn By Doing

The Food Science Department is equipped with a food processing pilot plant, as well as laboratories for food safety, food chemistry, nutritional science, metabolism and culinary science. You will learn how to test and monitor bacterial and viral activity in food products, perform tests to evaluate flavor of food and more.

As part of the program, you will also receive training with pilot scale commercial processing equipment and participate in projects designed to simulate industry and business practices.

Career

Food science graduates enjoy rewarding careers in food processing and product development, sales, research, quality assurance and government regulation.

Many of the program's alumni have gone on to established careers with employers including Odwalla, Inc., Sunset Magazine, Naturebox, Oracle, Foster Farms, Frito-Lay and McKee Foods Corporation.

Programme Structure

Courses include:

Human Nutrition

Food Processing Operations

Food and Nutrition: Customs and Culture

Sensory Evaluation of Food

Principles of Food Engineering

Food Packaging

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 48 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2027-09-18 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-12-02 00:00:00

Language

English

Duolingo English Test

115

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IELTS

6.5

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Credits

180 SCH

Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

San Luis Obispo, United States

Disciplines

Food Science View 307 other Bachelors in Food Science in United States

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Academic requirements

We are not aware of any specific GRE, GMAT or GPA grading score requirements for this programme.

English requirements

Duolingo English Test

115

Take A Free Practice Test!

TOEFL^® IBT

Schedule TOEFL®

IELTS

6.5

Prepare for Your English Test

Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

Learn your IELTS Score

AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

Trusted by 300k learners
98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

Other requirements

General requirements

Coursework: They look at the college-prep coursework you have taken during high school, including the courses you have in progress or planned during 12th grade

GPA: For the purposes of your application, they'll consider your 9th-11th grade weighted GPA
Extracurricular Activities and Work Experience: Cal Poly takes activities such as work experience, internships, volunteer programs and extracurricular activities into consideration

Make sure you have a copy of your transcripts, current and planned class schedules, household annual income and social security number (if available).

There is a $70 application fee per campus at the time you apply, unless you qualify for an application fee waiver

English proficiency exam results

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

28359 USD / year

≈ 28359 USD / year
Out-of-State

28359 USD / year

≈ 28359 USD / year
Domestic

Applies to you

In-State

15039 USD / year

≈ 15039 USD / year

Living costs

San Luis Obispo

United States

1100 - 1800 USD / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Funding

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Scholarships Information

Below you will find Bachelor's scholarship opportunities for Food Science.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

About

Overview

Learn By Doing

Career

Programme Structure

Key information

Duration

Start dates & application deadlines

Language

Prepare for Your English Test

Credits

Delivered

Campus Location

Disciplines

What students do after studying

Academic requirements

English requirements

Prepare for Your English Test

Other requirements

General requirements

Tuition Fees

International Applies to you

Domestic

Living costs

San Luis Obispo

Funding

Scholarships Information

Available Scholarships

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