The food industry makes up one of the largest segments of our nation’s economy and continues to enjoy steady growth due to the ever-changing needs of consumers and increased awareness of nutritional and environmental issues. Food and bioprocess engineers play a vital role in meeting this need. From potato chips to microwavable entrees, food and bioprocess engineers continue to develop processes to convert raw materials from the farm to food products for the dining room table.
Food and bioprocess engineers develop and manage equipment and systems that process and distribute food and other biologically based materials. They are required by the food industry to help develop processes that add value to food products. These processing technologies are designed to improve the storage life and marketability of food products, reduce their transportation costs, handle processing wastes, and develop alternative uses for biological materials. (For example, newspaper and soy flour are used to make the construction material, Environ™, and corn stalks can be used to make chemical absorbent pads.)
Where might I work?
Examples of positions that recent Food and Bioprocess Engineering graduates have taken include:
- Associate Engineer – Kraft Foods
- Associate Production Supervisor – Hormel Foods
- Automotive Process Engineer – Novaspect
- Manufacturing Engineer – Oscar Mayer
- Operation Management Trainee – Nestlé
- Process Development Engineer – M&M/Mars
- Process Scientist Engineer – Pillsbury Technology Center
- Quality Assurance Associate – Ardent Mills
- Research Assistant – UW-Madison
- Senior Process Engineer – Unilever
What is a typical starting salary?
- Typical starting salaries vary from $55,000 to $70,000.
For more salary information, visit the CALS Graduate Salary Survey results.
Checklist and Roadmap
For more specific degree requirements, visit the Food Engineering and Bioprocess Engineering Checklists and Roadmaps.
Degree Requirements
Total Credits
The minimum requirement for a Bachelor of Science degree is 125 Credits
General Studies: 20-23 Credits
Social Sciences
Humanities
Ethnic Studies
Economics
International Studies
Oral and Written Communication
Basic Sciences: 45-48 Credits
Biological Science
Mathematics
Chemistry
Physics
Biochemistry
Bacteriology
Food Science
Engineering Sciences: 18 Credits
Transport Phenomena
Momentum and Heat Transport Operation
Thermodynamics
Engineering Economics
Material Properties
Instrumentation
Food and Bioprocess Engineering: 36-42 Credits
Food Engineering Operations
Process Synthesis
Design Capstone
Technical Electives