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  3. Life Sciences – Food, Nutrition and Health
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Life Sciences – Food, Nutrition and Health

Students of this degree programme engage with cutting-edge issues at the intersection of food and nutritional sciences.

Develop specific expertise along the entire value chain.

Choose between full-time or part-time study.

The MSc in Life Sciences – Food, Nutrition and Health trains you in established methodologies and equips you for the challenges of food production and human nutrition.

  

Factsheet

  • Title/Degree MSc in Life Sciences – Food, Nutrition and Health
  • Mode of study Full-time (3–5 semesters), part-time (4–8 semesters)
  • Start date Spring: calendar week 7
    Autumn: calendar week 38
  • Application deadline Programme start autumn: 30 April
    Programme start spring: 30 September
    Later registrations will be considered up to 30 June or 30 November at the latest, subject to availability of places.
    Deadline for people who need a visa: 30 April or 30 September.
  • ECTS credits 90 ECTS-Credits
  • Teaching language English
  • Location Zollikofen, Bern, Fribourg
  • School School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences HAFL
  • Next info event 17.03.2025, 6.30pm–7.30pm (CET), ONLINE via Microsoft Teams
    24.04.2025, 6.30pm–7.30pm (CET), ONLINE via Microsoft Teams

Contact

Find out everything you need to know

Do you have questions about the MSc in Life Sciences – Food, Nutrition and Health at BFH? Then take part in one of our information events.

Programme strengths

The market for speciality foods is booming, opening new opportunities for development in the food industry. Meanwhile, topics such as food waste and natural resource consumption have entered the public debate. With the MSc in Life Sciences - Food, Nutrition and Health, you will acquire the necessary knowledge to bridge the gap between what is technically feasible and what is socially desirable.

What you gain from the programme

The MSc in Life Sciences – Food, Nutrition and Health:

  • trains you in established methodologies and equips you for the challenges of food production and human nutrition.

  • provides you with insider access to the food and nutrition industries, by means of guest lectures, excursions and case studies.

  • is taught within an international context, with instruction in English.

  • offers full flexibility: you can study full- or part-time.

  • offers a unique opportunity to benefit from the expertise and skills drawn from four Swiss universities of applied sciences.

  • enables you to take on demanding roles in product development or public health nutrition.

  • introduces you to important actors in the food and nutrition industry.

“I chose this master because it incorporated different aspects of food, such as nutrition and the science side of it which I enjoy.” Amy Marshall

Collaborations and Partners

This programme is the result of a close cooperation between schools specialising in food and nutrition studies at Swiss universities of applied sciences. This guarantees a sound, hands-on approach.

Three partners each contribute their specific expertise:

  • BFH-HAFL: food technology, business administration and consumer sciences, food law
  • BFH School of Health Professions: nutrition and dietetics, public health nutrition
  • HES-SO Sion: food technology, food chemistry and analysis

The Food, Nutrition and Health degree programme is part of the Master of Science in Life Sciences, which is offered in cooperation with four Swiss universities of applied sciences:

  • Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH)
  • University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland (HES-SO) 
  • University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW)
  • Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW)

Career prospects

The MSc in Life Sciences - Food, Nutrition and Health equips you with the skills that employers in the industry require for management positions: You are a specialist with practical experience who takes a scientific approach and manages complex projects with ease.

This interdisciplinary master’s programme will prepare you for research and management positions in the Swiss food and nutrition industry. You will also be qualified for challenging positions in multinational food companies or international organisations dealing with nutrition.

Management positions can be found, for example:

  • in product development and research in the food industry
  • in public and private research institutions
  • at speciality food producers
  • for nutritional advisory services of supermarket chains or food manufacturers
  • at NGOs, charities and projects concerned with nutritional issues
  • as a nutritional consultant in international organisations
  • in food and nutrition areas of public administration
  • for independent consultancy practices

“Currently I’m working as an intern here in the 3D printing lab at the HAFL. And we basically 3D print food! We maintain a lot of the 3D printers and we are also in product development in terms of finding materials that can be printed.” Akshay Shah

Programme content

Our Food, Nutrition and Health programme is entirely modular. This allows you to select the modules that appeal to your interests and accommodate your work or family obligations. Independent study accounts for much of the programme.

Study programme

Specialisation modules form the core of your degree programme. There you will learn the most important aspects of developing nutritionally valuable foods and how public health can be influenced by nutritional measures.

You may select from a range of modules, which allows you to customise your studies based on your strengths, interests and area of focus.

You will conclude your studies with a master’s thesis. This is generally embedded within a project at one of the three participating schools or is conducted together with one of their research partners. You may do it with an outside research or industry partner, such as your employer.

Structure

 Master’s thesis – the core of your studies     30 credits
 Specialisation modules  min. 30 credits
 Cluster-specific modules (Food and Environment)  min. 9 credits
 Core-competence modules (Data and Business Management)  min. 12 credits
Yearly schedule (PDF, 105 KB)
Curriculum (PDF, 120 KB)

Study modules

Effective from 1 August 2023

1 These additional modules can only be chosen after consultation with our specialisation coordinators.
2 Depending on the admission requirements, the minimum number of ECTS credits to be obtained can be higher.
Code   Module title   ECTS
    Specialisation modules – compulsory-elective    
FNH-1   Food Quality and Safety from Farm to Fork   5
FNH-2   Food Regulation and Consumer Perception   5
FNH-3   Technology meets Nutrition   5
FNH-4   Food for Specific Target Groups   5
FNH-5   Bioactive Food Ingredients   5
FNH-6   Public Health Nutrition   5
FNH-7   Current Issues in Food, Nutrition and Health   5
    Minimum required   30
    Further specialisation modules – after consultation 1    
AF-01   Applied Research in Natural and Social Sciences   5
AF-02   Knowledge Management and Sharing in Agriculture and Forestry   5
AF-03   Integrated Natural Resources Management   5
AF-12   Consumer Behaviour, Markets and Trade   5
AF-13   Corporate Responsibility, Quality Management and Traceability   5
AF-21   Expansion of Personal Scientific Knowledge   5
AF-22   Holistic Assessment of Production Systems   5
AF-23   Optimisation of Production Systems in Agriculture and Forestry   5
AF-32   Policies and Institutions as Drivers for Development and Innovation   5
AF-33   Rural and Regional Development in Practice   5
    Core competence modules – compulsory-elective    
B1  

Business Administration for Life Sciences

   3
B2  

Management and Leadership for Life Sciences

   3
B3  

Innovation and Project Management

   3
B4  

Politics and Society

   3
D1*  

Handling and Visualising Data

   3
D2*  

Design and Analysis of Experiments

   3
D3*  

Modelling and Exploration of Multivariate Data

   3
D4   Data and Ethics   3
    Minimum required
* One of the modules D1, D2 or D3 must be successfully passed		   12
    Cluster-specific modules – compulsory-elective    
F1  

Progresses in Food Processing

   3
F2  

Nutrition and Nutrition Related Chronic Diseases

   3
F3  

Foodomics 

   3
F4  

Sustainable Food Supply Chains

   3
F5  

Advanced Sensory Techniques

   3
F6  

Journal Club Food and Nutrition Sciences

   3
E2  

Life Cycle Assessment

   3
E3  

Sustainable Natural Resource Management

   3
E5   Biodiversity   3
    Minimum required   9
All areas   Minimum required (has to be completed by taking additional modules from the four areas) 2   60
Thesis   Required from master’s thesis   30
Total   Minimum required 2   90

Examples of master’s theses

Entry requirements

To enrol in the MSc in Life Sciences - Food, Nutrition and Health, you must have a Bachelor of Science degree in a related field and a good command of English.

Specific requirement

You will be accepted into the programme if you have completed a Bachelor of Science in one of the following fields of study, at a Swiss university of applied sciences, with a grade of at least 5 or if you have an ECTS grade of A or B:

  • Food Science
  • Food Technology
  • Nutrition and Dietetics
  • Oenology

Candidates who have an equivalent previous education and professional experience will also be considered for admission on a case-by-case basis. The Head of Degree Programme reviews and determines the equivalence of your previous education and professional experience.

Do you have a bachelor’s degree from an academic university? If so, you must provide evidence of at least half a year of full-time professional experience in a relevant field.

Additional information

Lessons are held in English. Therefore, your English language skills must be at least Level B2 according to the European Language Portfolio. You may write your master’s thesis in German or French (or in Italian or Spanish, by request).

We review each international application individually. If you have any questions, please contact msc-fnh.hafl@bfh.ch before submitting an official application.

The cost of study includes tuition and examination fees, as well as costs for teaching materials and excursions.

Costs

At BFH, different fees apply for programmes and examinations.

Application (per application)*

CHF 100

Matriculation**

CHF 100

Tuition fees (per semester)

CHF 750

Tuition fees for international students*** (per semester)

CHF 950

Examination fee (per semester)

CHF 80

Fee for social, cultural and sport offerings (per semester)

CHF 24

Membership fee for the Bern University of Applied Sciences Student Association (VSBFH) (per semester)

CHF 15

* plus CHF 10 processing fee if paying by paying-in slip/paper invoice.
** If the application leads to matriculation, the matriculation fee is covered by the application fee.
*** International students are defined as persons of foreign citizenship who at the time of obtaining their university entrance qualification were domiciled under civil law neither in Switzerland nor the Principality of Liechtenstein. This rule applies as of the 2018/19 autumn semester.

Grants, loans and other funding options

Financial aid is available through grants and loans. Grants are one-off or ongoing payments that don’t usually have to be paid back provided you complete your course. Loans are one-off or ongoing payments that must be paid back after you finish your course.

Cantonal grants

Grants and loans for Swiss students and overseas students are generally paid out by the canton where the students’ parents are tax residents.

Students who have been tax residents in the Canton of Bern for at least two years are able to apply for cantonal grants and loans. Applications should be submitted to the Financial Aid Office at the Department of Education.

Further information (incl. financial aid calculator):

The websites educaswiss.ch, stipendium.ch and European Funding Guide cover all the key information about grants in Switzerland and overseas.

Foundations and funds

There are also numerous private foundations and funds that offer financial support to students. The electronic foundation directory administered by the Federal Department of Home Affairs offers a comprehensive summary of these organisations and can be searched by keywords (e.g. student, research, financial aid, etc.). Other sources of funding include the foundation directories for individual cantons and private foundations.

The following foundations offer funding specifically to BFH students and students from other universities:

Further information

Register to study

Be sure to secure your place on the programme early! Missing documents can be submitted later.

Deadlines

Programme start autumn

  • Deadline for registration: 30 April
  • Start of programme: calendar week 38 (AF-03 calendar week 36)

Programme start spring

  • Deadline for registration: 30 September
  • Start of programme: calendar week 7

A place on the programme is guaranteed if the registration is submitted by the applicable date and all conditions are met. Registrations after this date will be considered up to 30 June (autumn start) or 30 November (spring start) if places are available. 

Deadline for people who need a visa: 30 April or 30 September.

Start your studies

Online registration explained in a nutshell

You can only register for the degree programme online.
Our online registration guide explains everything you need to know, step by step.

Instructions for online registration (PDF, 66 KB)

Documents needed for the application

Prepare the following documents as PDF or JPG:

The following are mandatory

  • ID or passport
  • A passport photo compliant with international passport standards

Other documents (certificates, etc.)

  • Diplomas and final certificates (e.g. vocational/technical baccalaureate certificate with grades, secondary school leaving certificate, Abitur)
  • Federal Certificate of Competence EFZ with grades
  • Work and/or internship references
  • tabular CV
  • Depending on your previous education, additional documents must also be submitted.

Counselling

Choosing a degree or continuing education programme is an important decision when planning your professional career. We are happy to answer your questions and clarify requirements for the MSc in Life Sciences - Food, Nutrition and Health.

Head of Degree Programme

Prof. Marie-Noëlle Falquet

  • Dozentin für Lebensmitteltechnologie
  • +41 31 910 21 78
  • Show e-mail

Coordination

María José Coloma Cea

  • Assistentin
  • +41 31 848 52 03
  • Show e-mail

Information Events

At our information events, you will find out everything you need to know about the degree programme, admission requirements and your career prospects.

Personal taster day

Location + Facilities

The BFH-HAFL campus is located in Zollikofen, near Bern. Nestled among fields and forests, the location offers both the modern infrastructure you need for your studies and countless recreational options. Further campuses are located in Bern and Fribourg.

Most of the courses take place on the campus of BFH-HAFL in Zollikofen – in lecture halls, modern labs and our own technology hall. 

While working on your master’s thesis, you will also have access to the laboratories and technical centre at HES-SO Valais-Wallis in Sion.

Benefit from the expertise, skills and infrastructure provided by three research institutes as you pursue your master’s degree.

Specialisation modules

 

Food Cluster Modules
 

  • Sion, Olten, Changins, Bern

Business and Data Modules
 

  • Fribourg, local coaching at HAFL Zollikofen