Course overview:
The PG Diploma in Sustainable Food Quality for Health offers industry professionals the opportunity to develop their professional roles within the agrifood industry.
A flexible pathway of academic credit bearing modules delivers training that crosses traditional skill disciplines within the fields of food and agricultural science. Graduates of the programme will acquire cognitive, practical, professional and transferable skills to enable them to assume leadership roles within the industry.
Taught Component – 120 credits
The programme has been designed as flexible, modular training to allow for part-time and online study to enable participants to balance study with work. Developed with leading academics from the Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences and School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, in conjunction with the AgriFood EPTH’s academic and industrial partners and collaborators typically, holders of the PG Dip qualification can expect to gain the following knowledge, understanding and skills:
Learning outcomes:
Knowledge and understanding:
- Advanced concepts and techniques in scientific disciplines relevant to the food and agricultural industries.
- Global food security issues and their impact on the food and agricultural industries.
- Background scientific, technical, commercial and policy literature.
Intellectual Skills:
- Think logically and evaluate critical research and advanced scholarship in their discipline.
- Plan and implement tasks at a professional level to solve problems related to their discipline.
- Relate systematic evidence to issues arising in professional practice.
Practical Skills:
- Apply, or adapt, experimental methodology safely and accurately.
- Interpret quantitatively the results of experiments undertaken by themselves or others.
- Access a wide range of literature and data using bibliographic and IT skills.
- Communicate scientific ideas and conclusions to different audiences across disciplines.
Transferable skills:
- Communicate orally and in writing with scientific rigour.
- Critically evaluate information from a variety of sources to develop understanding and make decisions.
- Data analysis
- Report writing
This programme has been designed with maximum flexibility in mind: you study part-time and follow a modular structure which allows you to progress at a rate to suit your own personal and professional situation. Generally, participants complete two or three modules a year progress to the PG Dip qualification, however, the flexibility of the programme allows for completion within one to five years.
Taught Element – Modules:
There are no compulsory modules to complete for the PG Dip in Sustainable Food Quality for Health. Participants select courses with 120 combined academic credits from modules offered by the EPTH.
Participants completing the PG Dip can obtain up to 60 of the academic credits required for the qualification from a range of modules offered by partner universities the EPTH have teamed up with delivering professional education for the AgriFood sector. Contact us for further information on our currently available partner modules.
Optional Modules are grouped into the following thematic pathways:
- Sustainable Practices in Food Production
- Nutrition, Food and the Consumer
- Managing Risk and Food Safety
- Food Structure for Health and Quality
Course structure and dates:
The PG Dip in Sustainable Food Quality for Health has Flexible start dates. Taught modules are scheduled once per year, you choose the modules you wish to complete, and in which order you want to achieve them.
Taught element:
The programme consists of 120 credits obtained from optional modules which you choose to suit your area of interest and personal commitments. You may choose to gain the academic credit solely by completing online modules, or by completing a mixture of modules delivered online, by blended learning and through campus workshops.
Below are some examples of possible configurations of the course:
- Keeping the Customer Informed – 10 credits
- Sustainable Livestock Production Systems – 10 credits
- What is Sustainability? – 10 credits
- Contemporary Issues in Animal Science – 10 credits
- Food Business Operations Management – 15 credits (Partner – Harper Adams University)
- Diet, Food & the Nation’s Health – 15 credits
- Understanding & Implementing EU Food Law – 10 credits
- Genetics & Genomics in Agriculture – 20 credits (Partner – Aberystwyth University)
- Farm Business Management – 20 credits (Partner – Aberystwyth University)
Flexible PG Dip:
- Keeping the Customer Informed – 10 credits online
- What is Sustainability? – 10 credits online
- Research Methods – 10 credits online
- International Food Law – 5 credits online
- Diet, Food & the Nation’s Health – 15 credits online
- Understanding & Implementing EU Food Law – 10 credits online
- Keeping the Customer Informed – 10 credits
- Understanding & Influencing Consumer Behaviour – 10 credits 3 days of campus workshops preceded by online learning
- Flavour – Farm to Fork & Beyond – 10 credits 3 days of campus workshops preceded by online learning
- Agri-Value Food Chains – 10 credits online
- Fresh Produce Post Harvest Quality Management – 20 credits 4 days of campus workshops
Support and guidance:
Following acceptance on to the course, each participant will have the opportunity to discuss their individual needs with members of the course team resulting in an agreed plan of study. All participants will be allocated a Personal Tutor who will provide academic and pastoral support throughout the course. Information on University provisions for student support will be given to each participant.
Key facts:
| Course Dates | Flexible |
| Type/Duration | Part time – minimum registration of 1 year, maximum of 5 years |
| Entry Requirements | The applicant has obtained an undergraduate honours degree in the 1st or 2nd class range, or international equivalent, in a relevant pure or applied science, technology or engineering subject. A minimum of one year of relevant full-time work experience. Applicants who do not meet the academic requirement, but can demonstrate commensurate professional experience will be considered for admission for this programme. |
| Credits | 120 |
| Fee info | Total programme fee varies with module options selected.
Online PG Dips from £6600. Payable on a flexible module-by-module basis – no upfront fees. |
| Course Provider | University of Reading |
| Provider Reference Number | PPTZFQHGENFC |
| Course Location | Online, University of Reading |
| Cohort | EPTH Cohort |
| Tutors
|
Professor Carol Wagstaff – University of Reading, AFTP Director
Dr Jane Parker – University of Reading, Flavour Centre Dr Lisa Methven – University of Reading, Sensory Science Centre Dr Caroline Rymer – University of Reading, Agriculture Policy & Development Dr David Jukes – University of Reading – Food & Nutritional Sciences Dr Emma Bennett – University of Reading, Food & Nutritional Sciences Dr Andrew Ainslee – University of Reading, Agriculture Policy & Development |
Contact details:
Contact Name for Enquiries: Fiona Lee or Cathy Crips
Email address: epth@reading.ac.uk
Telephone Number: 0118 378 3312 or 0118 378 8722