If you enrolled before the 2025/2026 academic year, consult the list of Programmes and Regulations available on your School website.
The information provided about the programme refers to the academic year 2025/26 and may be subject to change in the academic year 2026/27.
MSc in Food Engineering
The Master’s Degree programme in Food Engineering trains professionals capable of understanding and managing the entire food and beverage industry supply chain. Food engineers combine expertise in chemistry, physics and engineering to tackle the challenges of modern production, adopting a strongly interdisciplinary approach. The programme is distinguished by its cross-disciplinary nature, encompassing both food processing technologies and the management of operations, procurement processes, logistics, and the social, economic and environmental impacts associated with production and consumption. From a practical perspective, the course prepares students to undertake activities such as the design and management of production and distribution processes for packaged food and drink, ranging from the analysis of food matrices to packaging designed to extend shelf life. Key applications also include supporting the development of machinery and technologies for food processing and preservation, food quality and safety management (including from a microbiological perspective), as well as the design of sustainable processes, with a focus on the product life cycle and the reduction of energy consumption throughout the supply chain.
Food engineering focuses on both processes and products, dealing not only with production technologies but also with the definition and control of food properties. The programme integrates skills typical of chemical and management engineering, enriched by knowledge in the mechanical and energy fields, thus completing the training in the field of industrial engineering.
Admission to the Master’s Degree Programme in Food Engineering requires a bachelor’s degree in the L-9 category (Industrial Engineering).
Alternatively, admission is possible with a degree lasting at least three years, comprising at least 180 ECTS credits, of which at least 30 must be in basic sciences and 20 in industrial engineering subjects, as detailed in paragraph 6.2 of the Academic Regulations.
Admission is subject to assessment by a Committee, which verifies that candidates meet the curricular requirements and that their academic background is suitable.
Alternatively, admission is possible with a degree lasting at least three years, comprising at least 180 ECTS credits, of which at least 30 must be in basic sciences and 20 in industrial engineering subjects, as detailed in paragraph 6.2 of the Academic Regulations.
For applicants holding a qualification obtained abroad, admission to the Master’s degree programme requires a valid Bachelor's degree recognised in the country where it was awarded, an academic background that is appropriate and consistent with the chosen course, and compliance with the specified language requirements.
Admission is subject to an assessment of the applicant’s academic record by the Admissions Committee, which verifies the curricular requirements, the quality of the course of study and the completeness of the required documentation.
For the purposes of a comprehensive assessment, the syllabuses of the modules taken by students are of particular relevance.
The course aims to provide Master’s graduates with knowledge of:
- The chemical, physical and nutritional characteristics of food and drink, as well as their components
- The main production technologies and unit operations used in food and drink production
- The main approaches to production planning and the food supply chain
- The economic actors, developments and trends in the food supply chain
- The context and the social, economic and environmental impacts of production methods, corporate policies and regulations
- The chemical, physical and nutritional characteristics of food and drink, as well as their components
Thanks to a solid, multidisciplinary education, food engineers can find employment primarily in the food industry, in the areas of production, packaging, distribution and marketing of food and drink.
In these fields, they are able to perform a variety of roles, ranging from product and process development to equipment design, and food quality analysis and control.
Graduates in Food Engineering can also take on roles in logistics, operations management and procurement.
In the modern food industry, graduates in Food Engineering are also able to combine technical and managerial skills with an in-depth understanding of the sector’s main trends and their impact on the environment and society.
Know more about the programme through a current student’s experience. Book your online one-to-one meeting through #Askastudent – Our voice for your choice project.
Programme Coordinator: federica.ciccullo@polimi.it
Deputy Coordinator: andrea.fiorati@polimi.it