Food Health and Environment

Food Health and Environment requires an integrated action among several departments of UPO, i.e. DiSIT (Department of Science and Technological Innovation), DiSS (Department of Health Sciences), DiMET (Department of Translational Medicine) and DiSEI (Department of Economics and Business Studies). Other departments, i.e. DiGSPES (Department of Law and Political, Economic and Social Sciences) and DSF (Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences) are involved in terms of lectures. This master degree course is characterized by a high level of interdisciplinarity. In order to be admitted to this course, students need to have a degree in L-13 Class (Biological Sciences) as well as L-2 Class Biotechnology obtained from UPO or any other Italian university; students with degrees in similar subjects obtained in Italy or abroad are admitted only after the faculty has ascertained that the curricula requirements were achieved. The access at the course is free and the course lasts 2 years. To obtain the degree you must have 120 university credits

The teaching courses of the FHE Master Course are held in English. The goal is to train expert graduates with advanced and operational preparation in the nutritional sciences, chemical and biomedical sectors related to them, combined with adequate scientific preparation in the disciplines that concern the environment, seen as a physical matrix in which the food production processes take place and can influence their quality, and therefore the well-being of the person, in a decisive way. Specific goals of the course are to provide knowledge of the role of main plant species used in feeding and their interaction with the environment, as well as the technologies currently available to selectively modify their resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses; thorough knowledge of the properties of nutrients and non-nutrients present in food as well as any changes that may be generated by the technological processes; the biochemical mechanism of digestion, absorption and metabolic processes affecting nutrients; the main diseases deriving from diets qualitatively or quantitatively inadequate or from food intolerances and allergies; knowledge of the influence of food on well-being and on disease prevention; the characterization of “novel foods”; the knowledge of their safety levels during technological and / or biotechnological transformation; the toxicological levels that are daily acceptable; the risk connected with the intake of substances contained or conveyed by the diet; knowledge of the pharmacology of nutrients, food supplements, various substances of natural origin, minerals and vitamins; the effects of drugs on nutritional status and absorption of nutrients and the relationship between nutrition and drug effects; knowledge of European law and food law; knowledge of the main classes of chemical contaminants (such as pesticides, heavy metals) or biological (such as bacterial toxins, fungal toxins), their eco-toxicology and their behaviour in the environment; knowledge in the field of fermentation and biotechnological transformation of food and its production waste, in compliance with new trends in the field of circular bioeconomy. The course also aims to provide students with a solid background in basic biological disciplines aimed at the understanding of the physiological and pathological processes related to nutrition with a view at the molecular, cellular and systemic level. The course also provides students with some non-biological skills, that play an important role in the professional development of the graduates. These aspects repeatedly emerged from the comparison with the social partners. These skills concern some aspects of business organization and marketing, the understanding the social impact of science, some knowledge of psychiatry and anthropology, which could be important in the understanding of decision-making mechanisms. In addition, the course aims to stimulate the student’s ability to work with wide autonomy, and to team-working

The Graduates will be able to carry out professional and managerial activities recognized by the regulation for the professional profile of the biologist. They will be able to work in the following environments:

• Public and private institutions that perform biological, microbiological, chemical-clinical analyses and quality control of products of biological origin;
• Private companies or public institutions active in nutrition;
• Private practice as biologist;
• The sectors of communication, scientific dissemination, information and publishing;
• Universities and research institutions

The graduates may also access to PhD programs and second level Master course according to the present regulation

In this section you will find classes and programmes of “Food Health and Environment” course, and information about the Piano di studi (distribution of the classes and of the training activities foreseen for the Piano di studi; how to fill it), the Regolamento Didattico (special rules that govern the FHE Master of Science), the Ordinamento Didattico (general rules that govern the FHE Master of Science)

Students need to attend at least 50% of the frontal didactic activities and at least 75% of the didactic laboratory activities

This is ensured by the Presidente del Consiglio di Corso di Studio (CCS), by the Gruppo di Gestione della Qualità e del Riesame and by the Commissione paritetica docenti studenti in which one representative of the professors and of the students is present.

For the purpose of calculating the weighted average of the final test, only the credits of the exams that will lead to the completion of the training course up to 126 training credits will be considered (where the 6 further credits are not separable from a higher credit score assigned to the exam otherwise they will contribute to the calculation of the average all credits corresponding to the weight of the course): the remaining supernumerary activities accrued at the time chronologically closest to the discussion of the final test will however be certified, but will not be included in the calculation of the average time for assigning the final mark expressed in one hundred and ten.

During the qualification period it is possible to go abroad with the Erasmus project.  For FHE Master of Science, non specific ECTS are foreseen as dedicated to internships. Within 12 months from the final test it is possible to attend internships or stages: to obtain more details it is possible to enquire to the Ufficio Stage and Job Placement of the Rectorate or to the Ufficio Stage of the Department that will assist in the activation of the internship. The graduate can look for a post-graduation stage independently within a company or research body or to take advantage from internships proposal offered by companies on the stages database where it is possible to apply online.

The qualification is obtained after having acquired 120 CFUs including the final exam. The final test consists in a verification of the candidate's ability to present and discuss with clarity and mastery of language the contents of an elaborate / thesis in English with original requirements, in the presence of a Commission appointed by Director's Decree on a proposal from the CCS. In order to be able to discuss the final exam on the basis of the completion of the university course and to allow the fulfilment of the administrative formalities connected to it, the student must have acquired all the credits required to access it. The graduation application must be filed at the office that manages the Student Secretariat procedures strictly within the month preceding the date set by the Annual Calendar of Degrees approved by the Department Council. The credits to access the final exam must be earned within 15 days prior to the graduation date. The Graduation Commission, made up of 5 Professors, is proposed by the CCS and appointed by the Director's Decree. The training activities related to the preparation of the final test / thesis are carried out under the guidance of a supervisor. The Student will have to conduct a research activity on a topic dealt with during the study and preparation of a profit exam for an activity passed and present in the university booklet. The period of development of the contents required for the final test, in addition to being carried out at a research laboratory of the University or other university or external body, public or private, in agreement and / or on the basis of specific agreements, may be also promoted in the context of international mobility projects.