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Online Food Safety & Defense Graduate Certificate

The food safety & defense graduate certificate program will prepare you to help with protecting the human food supply. This certificate can complement a graduate degree, or provide working professionals in the food industry the tools needed to advance their career. 

Program Summary

Cost per credit hour:

2024-2025: $610
2025-2026: $622
Learn more

Graduate Certificate

12 Hours

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    What You Will Learn

    Through this graduate certificate, students learn to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate food safety and food defense information; design and assess food safety/defense assurance strategies; and community professionally about food safety/defense.

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    How You Will Learn

    Designed for working professionals, our courses are 100% online. You'll engage in coursework through a virtual classroom, with offerings available from four reputable universities. Start and end dates may vary depending on the universities instructing your courses each semester.

University Contacts

Click on the campus coordinator name to get their contact information. Click on the university name to learn more about how IDEA works at that campus.

Iowa State University
Kansas State University
University of Missouri
University of Nebraska - Lincoln
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Is the food safety & defense graduate certificate right for me?

Students in this program come from various areas in the food supply industry. You may be right for this certificate program if you:

  • Work in the food industry
  • Have a bachelor of science degree in food science or a closely related field
  • Have a job title such as Quality Assurance Associate or Food Safety Technician
  • Need additional education to advance your career
  • Are in the middle of a master’s degree or Ph.D. program and looking for supplemental courses

This unique 12-credit hour certificate pulls together researchers and students from various parts of the food industry, giving you the opportunity to interact with others from all over the country. This in-depth, specialized training in food safety and defense is offered completely online, so you don’t have to rearrange your life.

What will I learn in the food safety & defense program?

You will learn how to:

  • Analyze, synthesize, and evaluate food safety and food defense information
  • Design and assess food safety and food defense assurance strategies, especially in food-related industries
  • Communicate professionally about food safety and food defense

Course topics include:

  • Food microbiology
  • Foodborne toxicants
  • HACCP
  • Food safety and security overview
  • Food biotechnology
  • Rapid food microbiological methods
  • Food fermentations

How do I get started?

Students must meet admissions requirements for the Master of Science in Food Science or equivalent degree at their respective home universities. Contact a campus coordinator at your home university to learn more about admission requirements.

International applicants seeking admission to the food safety & defense graduate certificate program must apply at Iowa State University, the University of Missouri, or the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Kansas State does not accept international students who reside outside of the United State to this program.

Program Information at Participating Universities

Certificate titles vary by university.  Consult each university for the certificate title as it will appear on the diploma.

IDEA Student Handbook

Meet Our Faculty

You will learn from expert faculty who bring real-life experience to the coursework and are committed to helping you transition your learning beyond the online classroom into your career.