Study location	Italy, Legnaro (Padova)
Type	Master's degree, full-time
Nominal duration	2 years (120 ECTS)
Study language	English
Awards	(Master of Science in Biotechnology for Food Science)

Tuition fee	€2,600.00 per year In order to accept your Offer at the University of Padova, you must pay the first instalment of tuition fees for a.y. 2019/20 (see below). The total amount of tuition fees due per each academic year can be significantly waived based on your “Equivalent Economic Status Index – ISEE”. For further information on how to obtain your ISEE and other income-based reductions, see: www.unipd.it/en/tutition-fees
Application fee	€30.00 one-time This fee is non-refundable.
Deposit	€187.00 one-time In order to accept your place at the University of Padova, the payment of the first instalment is required. This fee is non-refundable.

Entry qualification

Bachelor diploma (or higher) Specific skills and abilities in: • biological systems, from a molecular and cellular point of view; • biotechnology for the production of goods and services through the analysis and use of biological systems; • scientific method and its application to concrete situations and adequate knowledge of ethical and bioethical regulations and issues. Admission to the Second-cycle/Master’s degree course depends on preliminary assessment by the Teaching Commission of the candidate’s motivation, knowledge and competences by means of an interview which may be conducted over the internet. In its assessment the Commission will take into account competences developed in the aforementioned disciplinary areas. Should it not be possible to assess degree equivalence, foreign final grade compared with the Italian standard and determine whether the requirements are met, the Commission will assess the candidate’s overall curriculum. At the end of the assessment process, the Commission will decide whether or not the candidate meets curricular requirements and has an adequate educational background. The entry qualification documents are accepted in the following languages: English / Italian. Often you can get a suitable transcript from your school. If this is not the case, you will need official translations along with verified copies of the original. You must take the original entry qualification documents along with you when you finally go to the university. If you are admitted to the degree course, you will have to submit other documents including original and translated/legalised copies of your previous qualifications, etc. No legalised documents are required at application stage.

Language requirements	English English language at a B2 level as per the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) – o corresponding level (e.g. Academic IELTS or TOEFL/IBT) is required. If the candidate is an English mother tongue speaker or has attended their upper secondary school or a degree course taught in English, no language certification is necessary.

Other requirements	A motivation letter must be added to your application. Specific requirements for Non-EU applicants: Places for non-European candidates residing outside Italy: 30 (1 for the Marco Polo Project)

More information	unipd.it/en/biotechnologies-food-science  agrariamedicinaveterinaria.unipd.it/..ence

Overview

The MSc in Biotechnologies for Food Science explores how to produce healthier and safer food following a cross-cutting, farm/field-to-fork approach. Focused on the application of advanced biotechnological methodologies in food production and safety, it is the ideal trait-d’union between the requests of consumers and producers in the agro-food sector and the research applied to production and food-safety. Thus, the course has a strong component on cutting-edge disciplines like genomics, bioinformatics, proteomics, metabolomics and nanotechnologies, all in the context of animal and crop production as well as of food quality and safety. Theoretical lessons are mixed with a relatively high number of practical training, including the ECTS (23) dedicated to the thesis work, covering the whole second semester of the second year.

The MSc is open to Italian and foreign students from EU and abroad, interested in learning and implementing effective value-added biotechnological practices for the production of high-quality food products both in the EU and in international markets. Applying students might possibly have a three-year Bachelor’s degree in a field connected with the MSc curriculum, such as Biotechnology, Food Technology or Food Safety. A good background in molecular biology, biochemistry, and microbiology is usually requested.

Programme structure

• Applied Genomics for Animal and Crop Improvement (8 ECTS)
• Molecular Basis of Disease, Immunology, and Transmissible Diseases (6 ECTS)
• Applied Bioinformatics (10 ECTS)
• Food Microbiology and Food Microbial Biotechnology (8 ECTS)
• Epidemiology and Risk Analysis (6 ECTS)
• Laboratory of Advanced DNA; RNA and Protein Analysis (9 ECTS)
• Traceability Tools for Species Authentication (8 ECTS)
• Biotechnology for Crop Protection (8 ECTS)
• Advanced Technologies for the Agrifood Sector (Nanotechnologies, Proteomics, Metabolismics) (7 ECTS)
• Biotechnology in Plant Protection (7 ECTS)
• Food Toxicology and Food Regulation (8 ECTS)
• Final Dissertation (23 ECTS)
• Advanced Language Competencies (3 ECTS)
• Practical training (1 ECTS)

Career opportunities

As advanced biotechnologies increasingly move from research to production, the job market demands professional profiles with a strong interdisciplinary biotechnological background, interacting with all the different actors of the agro-food sector. The broad cross-disciplinary expertise offered by our MSc open job opportunities in private and public research centers, in public institutions dealing with animal health and food safety as well as in the private agro-food sector, from animal and crop production, food processing, and large food retail chains.