The Fermentation Science and Technology concentration blends a strong science base with courses in organic chemistry, microbiology, physics, biochemistry, food chemistry, and food safety with applied courses in brewing science. The curriculum prepares students for employment in the fermented food and beverage industry. The concentration provides a strong background for pursuing a graduate program.
Learning Objectives
Upon successful completion, students will be able to:
- Integrate and apply information from basic nutrition, food sciences, and biological and chemical concepts/processes to understand the production and quality of foods; and comprehend approaches used to analyze the relationships among production of foods, nutrition, and food safety.
- Demonstrate discipline-specific knowledge of the skills and competencies needed in food science and fermentation science and technology, including food microbiology, sensory evaluation, food chemistry, quality assessment, food production management, and the role of food in the promotion of health.
- Analyze the production, service, and consumption of foods and beverages, including financial aspects, functional skills, and efficient management of resources with emphasis on safe service training and management.
- Assess and apply the science, history, culture, safety, health, and nutrition dimensions of foods and beverages to the food industry.
Effective Fall 2026
| Freshman | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| AUCC | Credits | ||
| CO 150 | College Composition (GT-CO2) | 1A | 3 |
| FTEC 115 | Cultural Aspects of Fermented Foods | 1C | 3 |
| FTEC 155 | Introduction to Food Science | 3A | 3 |
| MATH 117 | College Algebra in Context I (GT-MA1) | 1B | 1 |
| MATH 118 | College Algebra in Context II (GT-MA1) | 1B | 1 |
| MATH 124 | Logarithmic and Exponential Functions (GT-MA1) | 1B | 1 |
| SOC 100 | Introduction to Sociology (GT-SS3) | 3C | 3 |
| Select one group from the following: | 4 | ||
Group A: | |||
| Principles of Animal Biology (GT-SC2) | 3A | ||
| Animal Biology Laboratory (GT-SC1) | 3A | ||
Group B: | |||
| Attributes of Living Systems (GT-SC1) | 3A | ||
| Select one group from the following: | 5-8 | ||
Group A: | |||
| Fundamentals of Chemistry (GT-SC2) | 3A | ||
| Fundamentals of Chemistry Laboratory (GT-SC1) | 3A | ||
Group B: | |||
| General Chemistry I (GT-SC2) | 3A | ||
| General Chemistry Lab I (GT-SC1) | 3A | ||
| General Chemistry II | |||
| Arts and Humanities | 3B | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 27-30 | ||
| Sophomore | |||
| CHEM 245 | Fundamentals of Organic Chemistry | 4 | |
| CHEM 246 | Fundamentals of Organic Chemistry Laboratory | 1 | |
| FTEC 210 | Science of Food Fermentation | 3 | |
| FTEC 292 | Careers in Fermentation and Food Science | 1 | |
| SPCM 200 | Public Speaking | 3 | |
| Select one group from the following: | 5 | ||
Group A: | |||
| Microbial Biology | |||
| Microbial Biology Laboratory | |||
Group B: | |||
| General Microbiology | |||
| General Microbiology Laboratory | |||
| Arts and Humanities | 3B | 3 | |
| Historical Perspectives | 3D | 3 | |
| Electives (see list below)1 | 6 | ||
| Total Credits | 29 | ||
| Junior | |||
| BC 351 | Principles of Biochemistry | 4 | |
| FTEC 350 | Fermentation Microbiology | 4B | 3 |
| FTEC 360 | Brewing Processes | 4A | 4 |
| FTEC 447 | Food Chemistry | 3 | |
| HEM 330 | Alcohol Beverage Control and Management | 2 | |
| MIP 334 | Food Microbiology | 3 | |
| Select one course from the following: | 3 | ||
| Writing Arguments (GT-CO3) | 2 | ||
| Writing in the Disciplines: Sciences (GT-CO3) | 2 | ||
| Writing in the Disciplines: Social Sciences (GT-CO3) | 2 | ||
| Strategic Writing and Communication (GT-CO3) | 2 | ||
| Select one course from the following: | 3 | ||
| General Statistics (GT-MA1) | 1B | ||
| Statistics With Business Applications (GT-MA1) | 1B | ||
| Elective (See list below)1 | 3 | ||
| Total Credits | 28 | ||
| Senior | |||
| FTEC 400 | Food Safety | 3 | |
| FTEC 422 | Brewing Science I | 5 | |
| FTEC 430 | Sensory Evaluation of Food Products | 2 | |
| FTEC 460 | Brewing Science II | 5 | |
| FTEC 465 | Food Production Operations | 3 | |
| FTEC 4922 | Senior Seminar Fermentation and Food Science | 4C | 4 |
| Electives (See list below)1 | 11-14 | ||
| Total Credits | 33-36 | ||
| Program Total Credits: | 120 | ||
Department Electives
| Code | Title | AUCC | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| ANEQ 360 | Principles of Meat Science | 3 | |
| CBE 205/BIOM 205 | Biological and Cellular Engineering | 3 | |
| FTEC 110 | Food-From Farm to Table | 3 | |
| FTEC 205 | Beer Styles and Tasting | 2 | |
| FTEC 351 | Fermentation Microbiology Laboratory | 2 | |
| FTEC 375 | Introduction to Fermentation Unit Operations | 4 | |
| FTEC 487 | Internship | 3 | |
| FTEC 495 | Independent Study | 1-6 | |
| FTEC 570 | Food Product Development | 2 | |
| FTEC 572 | Food Biotechnology | 2 | |
| FTEC 574 | Current Issues in Food Safety | 2 | |
| HEM 335/FSHN 335 | Food, Society and Social Media | 3 | |
| MATH 126 | Analytic Trigonometry (GT-MA1) | 1B | 1 |
| MATH 141 | Calculus in Management Sciences (GT-MA1) | 1B | 3-4 |
| or MATH 155 | Calculus for Biological Scientists I (GT-MA1) | ||
| MGT 305 | Fundamentals of Management | 3 | |
| MGT 430 | Leadership and Social Responsibility | 3 | |
| MIP 335 | Food Microbiology Laboratory | 2 | |
| PH 121 | General Physics I (GT-SC1) | 3A | 5 |
| PH 141 | Physics for Scientists and Engineers I (GT-SC1) | 3A | 5 |
- 1
Students may select from the Department Electives course list, or they may select any course as a free elective. Select enough elective credits to bring the program total to 120 credits, of which at least 42 must be upper-division (300- to 400-level).
- 2
FTEC 492 should be taken in both semesters of Senior year.
| Freshman | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
| FTEC 155 | Introduction to Food Science | X | 3A | 3 | |
| MATH 117 | College Algebra in Context I (GT-MA1) | X | 1B | 1 | |
| MATH 118 | College Algebra in Context II (GT-MA1) | X | 1B | 1 | |
| MATH 124 | Logarithmic and Exponential Functions (GT-MA1) | X | 1B | 1 | |
| Select one group from the following: | X | 4 | |||
Group A: | |||||
| Principles of Animal Biology (GT-SC2) | X | 3A | |||
| Animal Biology Laboratory (GT-SC1) | X | 3A | |||
Group B: | |||||
| Attributes of Living Systems (GT-SC1) | X | 3A | |||
| Select one group from the following: | X | 5 | |||
| Group A: | |||||
| Fundamentals of Chemistry (GT-SC2) | X | 3A | |||
| Fundamentals of Chemistry Laboratory (GT-SC1) | X | 3A | |||
| Group B: | |||||
| General Chemistry I (GT-SC2) | X | 3A | |||
| General Chemistry Lab I (GT-SC1) | X | 3A | |||
| Total Credits | 15 | ||||
| Semester 2 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
| CO 150 | College Composition (GT-CO2) | X | 1A | 3 | |
| FTEC 115 | Cultural Aspects of Fermented Foods | X | 1C | 3 | |
| SOC 100 | Introduction to Sociology (GT-SS3) | X | 3C | 3 | |
| Select Group B if Group B was selected in the first semester. | X | 0-3 | |||
Group B: | |||||
| General Chemistry II | X | ||||
| Arts and Humanities | X | 3B | 3 | ||
| Total Credits | 12-15 | ||||
| Sophomore | |||||
| Semester 3 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
| CHEM 245 | Fundamentals of Organic Chemistry | X | 4 | ||
| CHEM 246 | Fundamentals of Organic Chemistry Laboratory | X | 1 | ||
| FTEC 210 | Science of Food Fermentation | X | 3 | ||
| Arts and Humanities | X | 3B | 3 | ||
| Historical Perspectives | X | 3D | 3 | ||
| Total Credits | 14 | ||||
| Semester 4 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
| FTEC 292 | Careers in Fermentation and Food Science | X | 1 | ||
| SPCM 200 | Public Speaking | X | 3 | ||
| Select one group from the following: | X | 5 | |||
Group A: | |||||
| Microbial Biology | |||||
| Microbial Biology Laboratory | |||||
Group B: | |||||
| General Microbiology | |||||
| General Microbiology Laboratory | |||||
| Electives (see list on Program Requirements tab) | X | 6 | |||
| Total Credits | 15 | ||||
| Junior | |||||
| Semester 5 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
| BC 351 | Principles of Biochemistry | X | 4 | ||
| FTEC 350 | Fermentation Microbiology | X | 4B | 3 | |
| FTEC 447 | Food Chemistry | X | 3 | ||
| HEM 330 | Alcohol Beverage Control and Management | X | 2 | ||
| Select one course from the following: | X | 3 | |||
| Writing Arguments (GT-CO3) | 2 | ||||
| Writing in the Disciplines: Sciences (GT-CO3) | 2 | ||||
| Writing in the Disciplines: Social Sciences (GT-CO3) | 2 | ||||
| Strategic Writing and Communication (GT-CO3) | 2 | ||||
| Total Credits | 15 | ||||
| Semester 6 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
| FTEC 360 | Brewing Processes | X | 4A | 4 | |
| MIP 334 | Food Microbiology | X | 3 | ||
| Select one course from the following: | X | 3 | |||
| General Statistics (GT-MA1) | 1B | ||||
| Statistics With Business Applications (GT-MA1) | 1B | ||||
| Elective (See list on Program Requirements tab) | X | 3 | |||
| Total Credits | 13 | ||||
| Senior | |||||
| Semester 7 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
| FTEC 422 | Brewing Science I | X | 5 | ||
| FTEC 465 | Food Production Operations | X | 3 | ||
| FTEC 492 | Senior Seminar Fermentation and Food Science | X | 4C | 2 | |
| Elective (See list on Program Requirements tab) | X | 6 | |||
| Total Credits | 16 | ||||
| Semester 8 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
| FTEC 400 | Food Safety | X | 3 | ||
| FTEC 430 | Sensory Evaluation of Food Products | X | 2 | ||
| FTEC 460 | Brewing Science II | X | 5 | ||
| FTEC 492 | Senior Seminar Fermentation and Food Science | X | 4C | 2 | |
| Electives (See list on Program Requirements tab) | X | 5-8 | |||
| The benchmark courses for the 8th semester are the remaining courses in the entire program of study | X | ||||
| Total Credits | 17-20 | ||||
| Program Total Credits: | 120 | ||||