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Courses

The program consists of four courses totaling 12 credit hours.

Required Courses

Three courses, totaling 9 credits, are required, including:

Units: 3

This course examines the programs that maintain food safety and quality in food processing environments. It is based on international standards for food safety prerequisite programs in food manufacturing. Students will learn how to evaluate and manage pre-requisite programs for food safety. Examples include Good Manufacturing Practices [GMPs], Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures [SSOPs], Sanitation Control Procedures, and Preventive Controls.

Offered in Fall and Summer

Units: 3

This course teaches students how to develop and implement food safety management systems. It begins with the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points [HACCP] system and then teaches the Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls [HARPC] system. Students will learn the step-by-step process for developing and implementing food safety plans to ensure food products are safe and wholesome. Students will apply theoretical knowledge as they engage with case studies through interactive videos and virtual reality tours as they practice developing and auditing food safety plans.

Offered in Spring Only

*please note: FS250 is a prerequisite for FS435

Units: 3

This course provides an overview of the principles of quality management, assurance and control in the food and bioprocessing industries. The objectives are for students to be able to identify government regulations, private industry standards, and customer expectations that are relevant to food and bioprocessing, apply root cause analysis methodologies, apply and evaluate control charts for monitoring process control for variables and attributes, conduct process capability analyses, apply statistical hypothesis testing, and design producer and/or customer-centered sampling plans. Lab activities alternate between guest speakers from industry and exercises in which students develop their abilities to apply computer programs to solve quality problems. Note: students may not earn credit for taking both FS 416 and FS 516.

Offered in Fall Only

Course Availability

Required courses are generally available to Food Safety & Quality Management certificate students as follows (course availability subject to change):

  • Summer 10-Week Session: FS 250
  • Fall Semester: FS 250, FS 416
  • Spring Semester: FS 435 (FS 250 is still a prerequisite for FS 435)
Elective Course

For their fourth course, students choose one of the following electives:

Units: 3

Concepts in planning, controlling, and managing the operations function of manufacturing and service firms. Topics include operations strategy, process choice decisions, forecasting, production planning and control, and trends in operations management. Common tools for informed decision-making in these areas.

Offered in Fall Spring Summer

Units: 3

This course is an introduction to the many interactions between insects, other arthropods and humans that result in disease, ranging from simple anxiety, phobias, discomfort and pain, to transmission of pathogenic organisms causing sickness and even death. Included will be an understanding of the special physical and chemical adaptations of insects that enable them to cause us harm. The major groups of insects, mites, ticks and related arthropods associated with human suffering and disease as well as an introduction to the diseases transmitted by them will be presented. Finally, the course will present information on how major outbreaks of disease transmitted by the insects have influenced human populations, demographics, warfare, religion, and societal structure throughout recorded history.

GEP: Global Knowledge

GEP: Interdisciplinary Perspectives

GEP: Natural Sciences

Offered in Spring Only

Units: 3

Introduction to the principles of ingredient and feed quality assurance and how to develop a comprehensive quality assurance program. The course will include the development of approved suppliers, ingredient specifications, feed manufacturing procedures, and formulation based on dynamic ingredient matrices.

Offered in Fall Only

Units: 3

Food preservation methods. Emphasis on thermal, freezing, drying and fermentation processes and corresponding physical, chemical and organoleptic changes to products. Application of preservation schemes to the development of an overall processing operation.

Offered in Fall Only

Units: 3

Preharvest and postharvest factors that affect market quality of horticultural commodities with an emphasis on technologies to preserve postharvest quality and extend storage life of fruits, vegetables and ornamentals.

Offered in Spring Only

Units: 3

Introduction to work methods and ergonomics. Coverage of methods to improve operator performance and production process efficiency. Techniques include project evaluation and review, operator-machine ratios, line balancing, work sampling, time study, wage payment, and pre-determined time systems. Ergonomics component includes workstation and hand-tool design, and methods for designing cognitive work and work environment.

Offered in Fall and Spring

Units: 3

Feed mill management, feed ingredient purchasing, inventory, storage, and quality evaluation, computerized feed formulation, feeding programs for poultry and swine, feed mill design, equipment, maintenance, operation, safety, state and federal regulations pertaining to feed manufacture.

Offered in Fall and Spring

Units: 3

Surveys the application of psychological theories and methods to problems involving people in working settings. Topics include: organizational and management theory; work motivation and job satisfaction; job and organizational analysis; performance evaluation; personnel recruitment, selection, and placement; and personnel training and development.

Offered in Fall and Spring

ELECTIVE COURSE AVAILABILITY: Some elective courses have prerequisites. Not all elective courses are offered online; BUS 370 is available online for certificate students in summer terms. Students should check course availability and discuss elective course selection with the program coordinator.