The Degree Program (CdS) in Food Science (class L-26) has a duration of three years and requires the acquisition of 180 CFU. The program is offered by the Department of Agricultural, Food and Agro-Environmental Sciences of the University of Pisa and is delivered in Italian. Access to the program is open, although verification of initial preparation is required through a test, not mandatory for enrollment, administered by CISIA and carried out through the TOLC-AV platform (Test OnLine CISIA – Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences, AV); the test is delivered by various universities and the test location does not restrict subsequent enrollment.
The Degree Program in Food Science offers a broad educational pathway, designed to develop technical and scientific knowledge and skills related to food science, as well as theoretical and practical competencies connected to the agri-food sector.
The program aims to train a qualified and versatile professional capable of operating across the wide food sector. The curriculum develops across core disciplines, food technologies, food safety, as well as economic-legal areas and nutrition. The study plan, centered on food, ranges from chemical-physical composition to interaction and functionality in humans; from primary production (animal and plant) to processing technologies and commercialization; from food safety to economic and regulatory aspects.
The program also includes an extensive internship period that completes the training and learning process and represents an opportunity for direct experience in the world of work. Part of the internship must be carried out within the University of Pisa facilities and part in companies or institutions operating in the food sector in various fields, provided they allow the development of the specific learning objectives of the curricular internship, related to the following application areas: i) activities related to HO.RE.CA.; ii) production of foods of both animal and plant origin; iii) food processing; iv) food safety and quality control; v) food communication. The internship may also be carried out in EU and non-EU institutions, subject to the activation of specific agreements if not already in place.
Overall, the educational activities enable students to develop knowledge and skills aligned with professional needs, applicable in work contexts such as: quality management of products and processes; development of new products and production processes; trade of agri-food products; human nutrition; development of economic and socio-cultural strategies for the promotion and enhancement of food products and Made in Italy. In addition, graduates in Food Science may continue their studies in Master’s Degree programs and attend first-level Master’s courses.