Program structure

The master's degree program in Food Chemistry at KIT builds on your bachelor's degree and expands the knowledge you have already acquired. The focus is on independent and scientific work. In addition to lectures and seminars, laboratory courses are an essential part of the curriculum.

Compulsory elective modules allow you to set individual priorities in the areas of food chemistry and analytics or biochemistry and toxicology. The program content covers the chemistry and analysis of food, cosmetics, consumer goods and animal feed. In addition, you will deepen your knowledge in the fields of biochemistry of nutrition, food toxicology, food law and process engineering.

In the research practicum and during the master's thesis, you will work on current scientific issues in the working groups. In addition, the degree program offers interdisciplinary seminars and modules on interdisciplinary qualifications to further expand your skills.

There are numerous exciting job opportunities after studying food chemistry.

In the food industry, for example, you will be responsible for developing new food products or for quality assurance. Here you will work closely with other food technology specialists to develop and improve products.

In public authorities or private laboratories, you will be responsible for monitoring and inspecting food. Here you will check whether food meets the legal requirements and is safe for consumption. To work in official food monitoring in particular, you will need to complete a 1-year training course to become a "state-certified food chemist" following your master's degree.

Further job opportunities are available in research and development. Here you will work on new technologies and methods for the production of food or on research into food additives and ingredients.

Companies in the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries are also possible places to work, for example in the development and production of medicines or cosmetics.

In addition to industry, there are also career opportunities in science, teaching and research. For example, you can work at universities, colleges or research institutes and conduct research into new findings and technologies in the field of food chemistry.

Characteristic features of Food Chemistry M.Sc. at KIT

• specialization in food chemistry and analytics or biochemistry and toxicology
  
• involvement in applied research
  
• integration into the EUCOR university network enables participation in courses at the universities of Freiburg, Basel, Strasbourg, Colmar and Mulhouse
  
• wide range of university groups
  
• possibility of part-time jobs at scientific institutes/laboratories
  
• wide range of doctoral opportunities
  

What KIT has to offer

• central campus close to the city forest and right next to the city center
  
• 24-hour library offering single and group working places
  
• wide range of inexpensive catering options (dining hall, cafeteria, Koeri and Pizzawerk)
  
• numerous interdisciplinary offers for personal and professional development, e.g. Lernlabor, Schreiblabor and Perspektivenlabor
  
• study abroad, e.g. via Erasmus
  
• excellent university sports facilities with a large selection of sports
  
• comprehensive cultural offerings with university orchestras, choirs and theater groups
  
• extensive support for career entry and self-employment
  
• internationally oriented degree programs and diverse exchange programs
  
• modern laboratories and practical teaching methods
  
• Lernraum app
  
• diverse student initiatives, clubs and opportunities to actively participate in campus life
  
• stay in touch after graduation via the alumni network
  

Admission requirements

The requirements for admission to the master's degree program in Food Chemistry are based on the current admission regulations:

• bachelor's degree
  a bachelor's degree (or at least an equivalent degree) in Food Chemistry (or a degree course with essentially the same content) from a university, university of applied sciences, university of cooperative education or a foreign university. The course must have been completed within a standard period of study of at least three years and with a minimum number of 180 ECTS credits.
  
• minimum knowledge and minimum achievements in the following areas
  • laboratory courses in the subjects of general and inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, physical chemistry and botany 35 ECTS credits (CP)
    
  • laboratory courses in the subject of food analysis 25 CP
    

Important: The application form must be submitted with the application to demonstrate the minimum achievements required for admission. If the lab achievements in the field of botany amounting to a maximum of 5 CP are missing, admission can be granted on the condition that these achievements are made up within the first two semesters of the master's degree program.

Language requirements and certificates

For the master's degree program in Food Chemistry, you need sufficient knowledge of the German language. Your German language skills must correspond to at least level C1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

Proof of sufficient German language skills

Your school-leaving certificate is sufficient proof of your German language skills if

• you obtainted it at a German-speaking school in Germany or abroad
• you are a graduate of a bilingual secondary school in Germany or abroad and have passed a bilingual German examination, such as the AbiBac or the Gemischtsprachiges International Baccalaureat (GIB)
• you obtained your degree at a foreign school, but there is another official agreement with the respective country on the recoginition of your school-leaving certificate or language certificate as proof of language proficiency for university studies in Germany

A complete list of foreign school-leaving and language certificates that are recognizes as proof of sufficient German language skills can be found on the webste of the Kultusministerkonferenz (Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder in the Federal Republic of Germany).

If you have not obtained your higher education entrance qualification (HZB) at one of the above-mentioned institutions, you must provide a separate language certificate - regardless of your nationality. Only the following are accepted

• the passed „Prüfungsteil Deutsch“ of the Feststellungsprüfung,
• the passed DSH with an overall result DSH-2,
• the passed TestDaF level 4 in all four parts of the examination (reading comprehension, listening comprehension, written expression, oral expression)
• a comparable, recognized certificate of sufficient German language skills

To find our which other recognized certificates can be accepted by KIT as comparable, please contact

• as a German or German-equivalent applicant: Studierendenservice
• as an applicant with non- EU citizenship: International Students Office

Please note:
Language certificates are extremely important application documents that can prevent your enrollment if you do not submit them on time. Therefore, check early on in the application process whether you have the necessary language certificates for your degree program and, if necessary, plan to take one of the language tests mentioned above. The deadline by which you must submit language certificates corresponds to the enrollment deadline stated in your admission offer. In justified cases, you can apply for an extension of this deadline. The extension can be granted until the start of the lecture period at the latest.

Weitere Ansprechpersonen:

• KIT-Fakultät für Chemie und Biowissenschaften
• Studiengangswebseiten Lebensmittelchemie
• Fachstudienberatung
• Vorsitzender des Prüfungsausschusses
• Fachschaft ChemBio

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