Bachelor's program in Food Science and Nutrition
Program objectives ـــــــ Acceptance ــــــ Study plan ــــــ Course guide:
- Program objectives
- Conducting purposeful scientific research capable of solving the problems of food science and nutrition and finding scientific solutions to them.
- Building strong relationships with sectors concerned with food and nutrition sciences, and contributing to developing their activities and productivity through research.
- Effective participation in achieving sustainable development and building a knowledge economy in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
- Providing national cadres with knowledge and research and academic skills in the field of food science and nutrition.
- Providing educational opportunities for those wishing to complete the bachelor’s degree in food science and nutrition.
Acceptance:
Students wishing to study at the College of Food and Agricultural Sciences - Department of Food and Nutrition Sciences are accepted through the Deanship of Admission and Registration at the university in the scientific colleges track from the preparatory year.
Acceptance is competitive according to the following criteria:
- 30% of the general aptitude test.
- 30% of the cumulative average in secondary school.
- 40% of the aptitude test result.
After completing the preparatory year, the student is accepted into the College of Food and Agricultural Sciences and is allocated to departments according to three criteria: the student’s desire, his cumulative average in the preparatory year, and the capacity to accommodate each department.
Regarding the desire to transfer from one university or college to another, or to transfer between departments, please click here.
Program study plan:
** Mandatory group:
* First level:
| Course number and code | Course title | Number of study units | Prerequisite |
1 | 140 rid | Introduction to mathematics |
| |
2 | 140 najm | English (1) |
| |
3 | 140 nahj | Teaching, thinking and research skills |
| |
4 | 150 siha | Health & Fitness (2) |
| |
Total | (14) academic units |
* Second level:
| Course number and code | Course title | Number of study units | Prerequisite |
1 | 101 rid | Entrepreneurship |
| |
2 | 140 taqin | Computer skills |
| |
3 | 140 ealm | Communication skills |
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4 | 150 rid | Differential calculus |
| |
5 | 150 najm | English (2) |
| |
Total | (17) academic units |
* Third level:
| Course number and code | Course title | Number of study units | Prerequisite |
1 | Phys 101 | General Physics (1) |
| |
2 | 101 kih | General biochemistry |
| |
3 | 102 nabat | botany |
| |
4 | 106 count | Vital statistics |
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5 | 202 fsn | Foundations of food science | 2(2+0) | |
6 | 205 qasr | Principles of agricultural economics |
|
|
Total | (18) academic units |
* Fourth level:
| Course number and code | Course title | Number of study units | Prerequisite |
1 | 101 Kim | General Chemistry (1) |
| |
2 | 103 hin | Principles in zoology |
| |
3 | 106 najah | Introduction to animal production systems |
| |
4 | 206 fsn | Foundations of human nutrition | 2(2+0) | 101 kih |
5 | 211 wqn | Agricultural microbiology |
|
|
6 | 316 fed | Food chemistry | 3(3+0) | 101 kih |
Total | (17) academic units |
* Fifth level:
| Course number and code | Course title | Number of study units | Prerequisite |
1 | 108 kim | Introduction to organic chemistry |
| |
2 | 315 fsn | Nutritional biochemistry | 3(3+0) | 206 fsn |
3 | 317 fsn | Food analysis | 3(2+1) | 316 fsn |
4 | 323 fsn | Food microbiology | 4(1+3) | 211 wqn |
5 | 332 hin | General physiology |
| |
Total | (17) academic units |
* Sixth level:
| Course number and code | Course title | Number of study units | Prerequisite |
1 | 201 nataj | Foundations of plant production |
| |
2 | 325 fsn | Health affairs and food safety | 2(0+2) | 323 fsn |
3 | 352 fsn | Food preservation and processing | 3(1+2) | 323 fsn |
4 | 372 fsn | Evaluation of nutritional status | 2(1+1) | 206 fsn |
5 | 376 fsn | Planning meals | 2(1+1) | 206 fsn |
6 | 456 fsn | Quality control and sensory evaluation of foods | 2(1+1) | 106 ehs Co-requisite fsn352 |
7 | 470 seh | Nutrition and diseases |
| |
Total | (17) academic units |
* Seventh level:
| Course number and code | Course title | Number of study units | Prerequisite |
1 | 400 fsn | Cooperative education | 12(12+0) | Finish 102 hours |
Total | (12) academic units |
** Optional set:
| Course number and code | Course title | Number of study units | Prerequisite |
1 | 100 slm | Studies in the Prophet’s biography |
| |
2 | 101 slm | Origins of Islamic culture |
| |
3 | 102 slm | Family in Islam |
| |
4 | 103 slm | The economic system in Islam |
| |
5 | 104 slm | Islamic political system |
| |
6 | 105 slm | Rights of Islam |
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7 | slm 106 | Medical jurisprudence | ||
8 | slm 107 | Professional ethics | ||
9 | slm 108 | Contemporary issues | ||
10 | 109 slm | Women and their developmental role |
| |
Total | (20) academic units |
** Specialization requirements:
* Food science track:
| Course number and code | Course title | Number of study units | Prerequisite |
1 | 302 hzr | Foundations of food processing engineering |
|
|
2 | 420 fsn | Food biotechnology | 2(0+2) | fsn 202 + fsn 323 + fsn 400 |
3 | 422 fsn | Food services | 2(0+2) | fsn 325 + fsn 400 |
4 | 433 fsn | Milk science and technology | 4(2+2) | fsn 202 + fsn 400 |
5 | 435 fsn | Science and technology of dates | 2(0+2) | fsn 202 + fsn 400 |
6 | 437 fsn | Grain science and technology | 4(2+2) | fsn 202 + fsn 400 |
7 | fsn 439 | Meat science and technology | 2(2+2) | fsn 202 + fsn 400 |
8 | fsn 471 | Development of food products | 2(1+1) | fsn 352 + fsn 400 |
Total | (23) academic units |
* Human nutritional pathway:
| Course number and code | Course title | Number of study units | Prerequisite |
1 | 104 eda | Principles of public administration |
| |
2 | 361 fsn | Nutrition during life stages | 2(0+2) | fsn 206 +fsn 400 |
3 | 422 fsn | Food services |
|
|
4 | 463 fsn | Medical social service |
|
|
5 | 464 fsn | Community nutrition | 3(1+2) | fsn 206 + fsn 400 |
6 | 465 fsn | Applied nutrition | 3(0+3) | fsn 206 + fsn 400 |
7 | fsn 472 | Nutrition in developing countries | 2(0+2) | fsn 206 + fsn 400 |
8 | fsn 477 | Micronutrients | 2(0+2) | 315 fed+ 400 fed |
9 | fsn 481 | Selected topics in food and nutrition | 2(0+2) | fsn 202 + fsn 206 + fsn 400 |
Total | (21) academic units |
Course guide:
202 fed | Foundations of food science | 2(0+2) |
Introduction to food, the nutritional situation in the Kingdom and the world, food groups (milk, meat, legumes, eggs, vegetables and fruits, grains and bread products), natural, chemical and microbial spoilage of food, introduction to food products (milk and its products, vegetables and fruits, grains, meat, fats and sugar) | ||
206 fed | Foundations of human nutrition | 2(0+2) |
Introduction to the science of nutrition, nutritional elements (carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, vitamins, minerals, water), functions, sources and body needs of them, a balanced meal, digestion, absorption and metabolism of macronutrients, energy generated from food and measuring it in food and estimating the body’s energy needs, diseases malnutrition | ||
315 fed | Nutritional biochemistry | 3(0+3) |
Carbohydrate metabolism, lipid metabolism, protein metabolism, interference and regulation of metabolism, the role of vitamins in metabolism (vitamin B1, B2, niacin, B6, and pantothonic acid), vitamin and mineral metabolism | ||
316 fed | Food chemistry | 3(0+3) |
The natural, chemical and functional properties of water, carbohydrates, lipids and proteins in foods, the role of enzymes and additives in foods, the chemical changes and interactions that occur between the basic components of foods during production and handling processes, the natural and chemical properties and the degree of stability of vitamins and pigments, the chemistry of some reactions in foods such as browning reactions. Various oxidation reactions | ||
317 fed | Food analysis | 3(2+1) |
Basics of chemical and physical analysis methods for food components, methods for taking and handling samples for analysis, preparing standard solutions, analysis of buffer solutions, titration methods, estimation of moisture, ash, fat, protein, sugars and fibres, spectrophotometry and chromatography and their applications in food analysis. |
323 fed | Food microbiology | 4(1+3) |
Important microbial groups (bacteria, molds, yeasts) in foods, factors that affect the activity of microorganisms in foods, microbial spoilage in foods and means of controlling microbes in foods, microbiology of various food products, pathogenic microbes and food-borne diseases (food poisoning and infection), Milk microbiology (contamination, precursors) | ||
325 fed | Health affairs and food safety | 2(0+2) |
Health risks associated with food, elements of the food safety system (regulations and laws, control, monitoring and investigation of food diseases, traceability and recall), food safety control (good manufacturing practices, standard operating methods, risk analysis and critical control points), water safety in food establishments, Treatment of liquid and solid waste, foundations of inspection plans, cleaning and disinfection, pest control in food establishments, inspection of food establishments, and technical report writing skills. | ||
352 fed | Food preservation and processing | 3(1+2) |
Food preservation and manufacturing technology, preparation for preservation, preservation methods (cooling, freezing, thermal treatments of foods, preservatives, concentration and drying, irradiation, pickling, smoking, salting, modern methods of food treatment), food packaging, the effect of preservation and manufacturing on the natural, chemical and nutritional properties | ||
361 fed | Nutrition during life stages | 2(0+2) |
Nutrition during pregnancy, Nutrition during breastfeeding, Nutrition for infants, Nutrition for preschool children, Nutrition for school-age children, Nutrition for adolescents, Nutrition for adults | ||
372 fed | Evaluation of nutritional status | 2(1+1) |
Introduction to nutritional assessment, anthropometric methods, biochemical methods, clinical methods, nutritional methods, assessment of human body composition, assessment of vitamin status, assessment of mineral status, assessment of macronutrient status. |
376 fed | Planning meals | 2(1+1) |
Nutritional requirements, tables of food ingredients and how to use them, the integrated nutritional meal, using the system of food alternatives and food groups to plan meals, calculating an individual’s energy needs, methods for evaluating meals and nutritional status, applications for meal planning | ||
400 fed | Cooperative education | 12(12+0) |
The student works continuously for the purpose of training in one of the entities chosen by the student, with the approval of the department, for a period of 27 continuous weeks. The student is evaluated by the training supervisor at the facility and the academic supervisor based on the extent of commitment to the system and work program for training, the reports he submits during the training, and the submission, presentation, and discussion of the final training report. | ||
420 fed | Food biotechnology | 2(0+2) |
A review of biotechnology and its historical development, the foundations and methods of biotechnology and its applications in the field of food manufacturing, industrial fermentations, types of bioreactors, the use of food industry waste in the production of materials of high economic value, enzymes and food manufacturing, what is new in the fields of food biotechnology. | ||
422 fed | Food services | 2(0+2) |
Types and management of food service systems, design of food service systems and preparation of menus and factors affecting them, economic and nutritional foundations for food selection, scientific and technical considerations used in preparing and serving meals. | ||
433 fed | Milk science and technology | 4(2+2) |
Composition and properties of milk and factors affecting it, healthy methods of producing milk, changes that occur to milk during storage and manufacturing, production of pasteurized milk and long-shelf life milk, starter culture and methods of preparing it, manufacturing of fermented milk products, manufacturing of reconstituted milk products, manufacturing of fatty, dried and concentrated milk products and cream ice cream. |
435 fed | Science and technology of dates | 2(0+2) |
The Kingdom’s production of dates, stages of date ripening, nutritional components of dates, natural and chemical properties, complementary processes (sorting, grading, washing, sterilization, packing, storage, freezing and drying), date products, dates in various other food products, secondary date products | ||
437 fed | Grain science and technology | 4(2+2) |
Classification of grains according to type and food use, grain storage and pre-manufacturing processes, dry milling processes for grains, rice and manufacturing processes, durum wheat doughs (pasta and spaghetti), wet milling processes for grains (starch, gluten and sweeteners), grain flour and manufacturing processes, cake and biscuit production, production Bread, breakfast food production | ||
439 fed | Meat science and technology | 4(2+2) |
The economic and nutritional importance of meat and its products, slaughterhouses and their importance, the carcass (its chemical composition and main cuts),Structure and function of meat muscles, changes in meat muscles after slaughter, factors affecting meat palatability,Identifying types of meat, slaughtering and processing of poultry, physical and chemical properties of fish, preservation and storage of meat, poultry and fish, processed meat and fish products (sausage products, smoked meat, dried meat, canned meat, canned, smoked and dried fish), by-products of meat, poultry and fish. | ||
456 fed | Quality control and sensory evaluation of foods | 2(1+1) |
Definition of quality control, quality elements and methods for measuring them, food systems and laws in the Kingdom, quality systems and ISO 9000 specifications, statistical methods for quality control, sensory qualities of foods. Purposes and methods for sensory evaluation of foods, methods for sensory evaluation of quantity for general differences and differences in characteristics, methods for sensory evaluation for consumers. Descriptive sensory evaluation methods | ||
464 fed | Community nutrition | 3(1+2) |
General concepts in community nutrition, planning, implementing and evaluating community nutrition programmes, nutritional intervention, nutritional information, group nutrition and nutrition programmes, the role of local and international bodies in community nutrition. |
465 fed | Applied nutrition | 3(0+3) |
Study and evaluation of eating habits, nutritional education, malnutrition diseases, field nutritional studies, nutrition of athletes and field personnel. | ||
471 fed | Development of food products | 2(1+1) |
Functions of food ingredients and methods of selecting them, the initial stages of product development from generating ideas to presenting an integrated concept for the product, the application stage from product description and prototype development to product testing including sensory evaluation | ||
472 fed | Nutrition in developing countries | 2(0+2) |
Defining and estimating the extent of the problem of malnutrition in developing countries, the economic, geographical and social factors that predict the occurrence of malnutrition problems and their repercussions on health, protein and energy malnutrition, deficiency of micronutrients, joint efforts by organizations and programs to confront the problem. | ||
477 fed | Micronutrients | 2(0+2) |
Vitamins and minerals: food sources, bioavailability, functions, diseases resulting from vitamin and mineral deficiency, toxicity. | ||
481 fed | Selected topics in food and nutrition | 2(0+2) |
Selected topics on new knowledge in the various fields of food and human nutrition from scientific journals in the English language |