People in a loft-style office during a meeting.
Combining agribusiness and food science will provide USask students an abundance of career opportunities to be leaders in the agri-food sector. (Photo: Shutterstock)

USask announces new Food Industry Management degree

A new undergraduate degree program at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) meets the growing industry need for graduates with interdisciplinary training in food science, agribusiness, and marketing.

By Brett Makulowich

Students in the new Bachelor of Science in Food Industry Management degree will learn advanced knowledge of food science, agri-food economics, food management practices, and food industry policy to prepare them for jobs in the booming agri-food sector.

In 2021, Agriculture Canada and Agri-Food Canada reported that the agri-food sector is the cornerstone of the Canadian economy, generating $134.9 billion and accounting for 6.8 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product. It also provided one of every nine jobs in Canada in 2021.

The new USask degree program will be housed in the College of Agriculture and Bioresources, with students taking classes from both the Department of Food and Bioproduct Sciences and the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics. 

“The new BSc in Food Industry Management degree is a natural fit for the College of Agriculture and Bioresources,” said Dr. Angela Bedard-Haughn (PhD), dean of the College of Agriculture and Bioresources. “Our college works hard to ensure that our students will graduate with what they need to grow their future: hands-on scientific training that is industry endorsed and a foundation of professional career skills. With this new degree program, we continue to strengthen and diversify our student community.” 

Students in the BSc in Food Industry Management program will receive experiential learning opportunities in management, entrepreneurship, leadership, and product development for the agri-food sector. These opportunities will allow them to apply their studies to real world experiences such as developing business plans for new products with mentorship from entrepreneurs and business leaders.

“There is strong demand for graduates with a scientific background in food science together with expertise in business and marketing for private sector and government jobs,” said Dr. Darren Korber (PhD), department head of Food and Bioproduct Sciences at USask. “This degree prepares students for a variety of careers in the agri-food sector including food operations manager, food policy and regulatory analyst, food marketing manager, food processor and product development consultant, and food industry entrepreneur.”

Students can enter the BSc in Food Industry Management program directly from high school or transfer in from another post-secondary program. The new program is accepting applications for admission with the first cohort to begin classes in September 2023. Questions about the program can be directed to AgBio Student Services.