- Degree
- Master of Engineering (M. Eng.)
- Admission restriction
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Final grade 2,5 or better
- Contact
- Application period
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28 April 2026 – 15 August 2026
Food Quality & Safety: This is what awaits you in your studies at the HSWT
The food industry is booming: the food trade recorded a turnover of 224.56 billion euros in 2020. No wonder, because everyone has to eat and Germans are becoming more and more quality-conscious. With the Food Quality degree programme, you will acquire skills and knowledge that will help you in both product development and quality management. Like the other degree programmes in the field of nutrition, the Master's programme is particularly practice-oriented.
You can find more videos about the study programme in our YouTube channel
Food Quality in the Master's Programme: Study Content in Product Development & Process Safety
The degree programme provides in-depth expertise in developing and producing high-quality food and can be studied with two different specialisations. As a student of the Master's degree programme Food Quality, you choose one of two fields of study:
- Product development: You develop new foods and implement them technologically.
- Applied process safety in the area of food: You evaluate and optimise manufacturing processes and finished food with a view to risks.
Food safety methods and skills are applied in both specialisations. These four departments at the University of Applied Sciences Weihenstephan-Triesdorf teach the contents of the interdisciplinary Master's degree:
- Bioengineering (Sciences)
- Horticulture & Food Technology
- Agriculture, Food, & Nutrition
- Sustainable Agriculture & Energy Systems
In addition, the Bavarian State Office for Health and Food Safety (LGL) provides essential teaching services.
You benefit from a variety of possible elective modules. In the product development field of study, our students also develop a concrete product. In supervised group work, you will learn to find product ideas, to check their technological feasibility, to assess the market opportunities and to prepare the market launch.
Structure of the Master's Programme in Food Quality
The Master's programme in Food Quality has a standard period of study of three semesters and runs across campuses in both Weihenstephan (Upper Bavarian district of Freising) and Triesdorf (Middle Franconian district of Ansbach). The courses take place in the winter semester at the Weihenstephan campus and in the summer semester in Triesdorf or Weihenstephan, depending on the field of study.
Field of study applied process safety:... takes place entirely at the Weihenstephan campus.
Product development field of study: The compulsory modules of the summer semester are offered in Triesdorf (partly in block teaching). The subsequent development project, in which students apply their knowledge in practice, takes place in Triesdorf. A very limited number of places are also available in Weihenstephan.
The Master's thesis can be written in Triesdorf or Weihenstephan or in a company or research institute in Germany or abroad.
Field of study Product Development
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Semester 1
Joint semester of both fields of study at the Weihenstephan campus.
Compulsory modules of both fields of study
ECTS
Special aspects of food law 5 Project Management 5 Empirical Research Methods & Applied Data Analysis 5 Elective modules
ECTS
Food Biotechnology 5 Research or industrial project 5 Genetic Engineering 5 Innovation management 5 Institutions of food law 5 Molecular biological methods in food analysis 5 Quality of agricultural products 5 Quality maintenance in post-harvest 5 Compulsory elective module English 5 Language module 5 -
Semester 2
Compulsory modules | Campus Triesdorf
ECTS
Innovation & Product Development (block course) 5 Consumer & Market Research (block course) 5 Development Project (Triesdorf or Weihenstephan - no entitlement to a place in Weihenstephan) 15 Elective modules | Campus Triesdorf
ECTS
Research or industrial projects 5 Functional Ingredients 5 Quality control, analytics & hazardous substances and pesticides law 5 Language module 5 Elective modules | Weihenstephan Campus
ECTS
Counselling, Communication & Negotiation 5 Corporate Finance 5
Research or Industry Project 5 Hygienic Design 5 Communication in crisis management 5 Stir-Mix-Crush 5 Corporate management, personnel, tax, law 5 World trade in the agri-food sector 5 Aesthetics, Symbolism, and Ethics of Nutrition 5 Integrative nutritional physiology and epigenetic health modulation 5 Language module 5 -
Semester 3
Module
ECTS
Master thesis 30
Field of study applied process safety
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Winter semester
Joint semester of both fields of study at the Weihenstephan campus.
Compulsory modules of both fields of study
ECTS
Special aspects of food law 5 Project Management 5 Empirical Research Methods & Applied Data Analysis 5 Elective modules
ECTS
Food Biotechnology 5 Research or industrial project 5 Genetic Engineering 5 Innovation management 5 Institutions of food law 5 Molecular Biological Methods in Food Analysis 5 Quality of agricultural products 5 Quality maintenance in post-harvest 5 Compulsory elective module English 5 Language module 5 -
Summer semester
Mandatory module
ECTS
Process Management and Product Safety 5 Compulsory elective modules
ECTS
Counselling, Communication & Negotiation 5 Consumer Studies 5 Corporate Finance 5 Research or Industry Project 5 Hygienic Design 5 Communication in crisis management 5 Stir-Mix-Crush 5 Company management, personnel, tax, law 5 World trade in the agricultural and food sector 5 Aesthetics, Symbolism, and Ethics of Nutrition 5 Integrative nutritional physiology and epigenetic health modulation 5 Language module 5 -
3rd semester
Module
ECTS
Master thesis 30
These career prospects await graduates of the Food Quality Master's programme
The food sector offers a wide range of career opportunities: HSWT students already set the course for their future during their studies. Elective modules such as Molecular Biological Methods in Food Analysis, Genetic Engineering, Functional Ingredients, Hygienic Design, World Trade in the Agricultural and Food Industry, Consulting, Communication and Negotiation, Innovation Management, Animal Welfare along the Value Chain or Communication in Crisis Management, for example, qualify you for these fields of activity:
- national & international food industry
- research in the food sector
- higher civil service
Study food quality: Why the HSWT is the right place for you!
Broad professional field
After graduating, you can choose between different fields of work: production or industry, science or the public sector. Your chances are also good internationally.
Personal study profile
During the Master's, you decide on one of the two focus areas - production or quality management - and specialise further in various elective modules.
Up-to-date & practical
Our teaching staff provide comprehensive, practical and cutting-edge content in the areas of product development and quality management.
Want insider knowledge and tips? Then ask our degree programme ambassadors!
Application for the Master Food Quality
Admission requirements:
- Proof of completion of a Bachelor's degree in Brewing & Beverage Technology, Nutrition & Supply Management, Food Management & Food Technology or a comparable (equivalent) engineering degree programme.
- Completion of the first degree programme with a grade of at least „good“ and a final grade of 2.5 or better.
- The degree can be from a German college/university or a comparable degree from a foreign university.
Language requirements:
Courses at Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences are predominantly held in German. Foreign students whose native language is not German must therefore provide proof of German language skills (language level B2).
