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4. Food Marketing and Entrepreneurship

About This Course

Fact File

• Title

  Food Marketing and Entrepreneurship

• Code

  CK213

• College

  Business and Law

• Duration

  4 years

• Teaching Mode

  Full-time

• Qualifications

  BSc (Hons)

• Fees

  Student Contribution + Capitation: €3,250 See Fees and Costs for full details.

• Entry Requirements

  2 x H5, 4 x O6/H7; O6/H7 in Maths. See Requirements for full details.

• CAO Points

  2019: 433

Course Outline

BSc (Hons) Food Marketing & Entrepreneurship offers a unique combination of business and science, providing graduates with the skills to work in an exciting, fast-paced industry. The programme explores the application of business concepts and food science to support business excellence.

Graduates will learn skills in strategic decision-making, innovation, enterprise and knowledge management, delivered through an integrated range of subjects that support successful personal and business development.

The course is designed to consider the challenges faced by businesses and expose students to the concepts and theories that explain how the business world operates. Practical application of these theories in the form of group and individual projects will be integral to your learning experience.

The programme is built on UCC’s international reputation in food education and research and taught by lecturers who are internationally recognised in their field of expertise.

Modules

Year 1 Modules (all 5 credits):

• AC1102 Financial Accounting;
• EC1500 & EC1503 Economic Analysis for Food Business I & 11 (5 credits each);
• FE1030 Introduction to International Food Policy;
• FE1016 Introduction to Food Business;
• FE1017 Introduction to Food Marketing;
• FE2200 Introduction to Food Supply Chain Management;
• FS1011 Introduction to Food Science and Technology;
• LW1108 Introduction to the Legal System;
• LW1109 Introduction to Business Law;
• MA1100 Introductory Mathematics for Business I;
• MB1901 Introduction to Food and Industrial Microbiology

Year 2 Modules:

Introduction to Management Accounting;  International Food Policy;  Food Economics;  Principles of Food Science and Technology;  Topics in Food Quality and Legislation B; Introduction to Information Systems;  Information Systems for the Networked Enterprise;  Fundamentals of Nutrition;  Introduction to Business Statistics;  Methods of Business Statistics;  Quantitative Research for Food

Year 3 Modules:

Core

Market-oriented New Food Product Innovation;  Food Market Research Methods;  Food Enterprise Management;  Food Marketing Management;  Science and Technology of Food Systems;  Food and Industrial Microbiology;  People and Organisation;  Enterprise and Innovation;  Applied Nutrition

Electives

Transferrable skills - Food Business and Development research project;  Work Placement

Year 4 Modules:

Core

Accounting in Business;  Global Food Policy;  Consumer Behaviour in Food Markets;  International Food Retail Marketing;  Global Food Supply Chain Management; Food Marketing and Entrepreneurship;  Strategic Marketing;  Strategic Management;  Sensory Evaluation of Foods

Electives

Financial Reporting;  Food Security and the Developing World;  Co-operative Business and the Rural Economy;  Cereals and Related Beverages B;  Entrepreneurship Practice and Opportunity Recognition;  Advanced Food Packaging

Having successfully completed this course you should be able to:

• comprehend and resolve a variety of marketing and business challenges within a fast-paced business environment
• communicate effectively to business and food science communities
• recognise the importance of good science in business success
• contribute, either in a leadership or supporting role, to the effective functioning of a team

See the College Calendar for more detailed information on the programme and the Book of Modules for a more detailed description of programme modules.

Course Practicalities

Expected lecture hours: In a typical week most students will have 12 hours of lectures.

Expected reading hours: Self directed learning is an important aspect of University education and the student will need to supplement in-class learning with study of relevant reading materials. Study time is also used to work in teams to prepare project reports and essays. As a general rule of thumb for every hour in class the student should complete three hours of self-directed learning.

Expected lab/practical hours: In a typical week most students will have 3-6 hours of seminars, tutorials and practical classes.

 

Why Choose This Course

 

Anna McCarthy (FME 3, 2019)

I am completing my six-month placement in Valeo Foods, in Dublin. Valeo own several different Irish brands, such as Jacobs, Kelkin, Batchelors, Chef, Odlums and many more. I am working with the communications team, promoting new products and our existing brands across all forms of social media and in-store. I’m also spending time at the Virgin media studios, shooting videos and photography for our websites. It’s so interesting to see how much work goes on behind the scenes. It’s great to bring ideas and skills to the table from my modules in college such as food marketing, enterprise & innovation and food enterprise management!

 

Liam O’Connell (FME 3, 2017)

"Currently, I am spending a lot of time working with food developers & technologists improving current products and developing new food products for SuperValu & Centra stores across the country.

To date, my placement has handed me experience in developing new food products, contacting and negotiating with suppliers and looking at products’ ingredients to see how they can be altered and improved."

Oisin Conway (FME 3, 2019)

“I’m working on four Brands in Musgrave’s  “Future Brands” Department that are currently being launched across SuperValu and Centra stores. These include Caramico pizza, Green Kitchen salads, Moo’d Ice-cream and another exciting new brand yet to launch. My work involves supporting the Brand Support Managers, visiting retailers and doing mystery shops, while supporting the NPD team to create new products. This is a fascinating placement as I watch  new brands launch and grow  and  learn about challenges associated with starting a new business.”

Clíodhna O’Regan (FME3, 2019)

I’m on placement with Allfresh Wholesale Ltd, developing a new business initiative. I’ve been responsible for the creation of a new logo, brochures, a website and lots of social media posts! I am spending a lot of time presenting my new business to offices around Cork city and educating office workers on the benefits of fruit in the workplace. This project has really given me a taste of the entrepreneurial side of the course and it has handed me a vast amount of experience in the real world. Several modules have helped me tackle the obstacles I’ve come across such as market innovation, food enterprise management and food market research methods 

 

If you are interested in learning about, understanding and, most importantly, contributing to the success of the most important home-grown sector in the Irish economy, this is the course for you.

As a student of this course we aim to develop your ability to gather market intelligence, interpret data from multiple sources, and judge and realise market opportunities, while also enhancing your appreciation of the science of food and ensuring that you understand the significance of the regulatory and business environment. This will support you in developing a skills set that fosters leadership and innovation.

You will get opportunities to test your technical knowledge (in both business and science) through projects and work placement. Skills such as working with and for others, responding to briefs, working to deadlines, using initiative, communicating and presenting in professional manner will also be developed. These transferable skills form an important part of your armoury when seeking employment and advancing your career.

This programme offers a unique combination of business and science. This positions graduates to work in the space between science and business. Furthermore, the programme is built on UCC’s international reputation in food education and research and includes many lecturers who are internationally recognised in their field of expertise.

Placement or Study Abroad Information

An integral part of this programme is a six-month industrial placement during Year 3. The placement offers an excellent opportunity to draw on your knowledge and skills in performing tasks in specific work contexts. This will enhance your work capabilities and offers you a chance to reflect on and better understand these.

Placement opportunities are both national and international, and past placements have included:

• Aldi (Buying Office)
• Nestle
• Cully & Sully
• Dairygold
• Dunnes Stores (Buying Office)
• Glenilen
• Glanbia (Supply Chain)
• Kepak Group
• Musgrave Group (Own Brand, Buying, Marketing)
• Rich Dairies (USA)
• Silver Pail

Skills and Careers Information

Graduates from the BSc will be equipped to find employment in the thriving indigenous food sector.

The skills acquired will also ensure that our graduates can position themselves to exploit career opportunities within fast-moving consumer goods markets both here and abroad.

International growth will underpin demand for graduates in areas such as consumer research, product marketing, key account and supply-chain management not only in Ireland but worldwide. And with suitable experience there is always the prospect of setting up your own business!

Requirements

Leaving Certificate entry requirements: 

At Least six subjects must be presented. Minimum grade H5 in two subjects and minimum grade O6/H7 in four other subjects. English and Irish are requirements for all programmes unless the applicant is exempt from Irish.
Applicants will need to meet the following minimum entry requirements:

English	Irish	Maths
O6/H7	O6/H7	O6/H7

*For 2021 entry, students must achieve a minimum O6/H7 in another language.

Mature students: Applicants should apply directly through the CAO, include a statement of interest and may be called for interview.  Applicants are assessed on education, life and/or relevant experience as demonstrated in the CAO application and statement of interest.  Approximately four places are available for mature students.

International Students should visit the International Education website.

FETAC Requirements.

Fees and Costs

Course fees include a tuition fee, student contribution fee and capitation fee. The state will pay the tuition fees for EU students who are eligible under the Free Fees Scheme. The annual student Contribution and Capitation Fees are payable by the student. In 2019/20 the Student Contribution Fee will be €3,000 and the Capitation Fee will be €250.

Please see Fees Office for more information.

How Do I Apply

EU Applicants: Application to Year 1 of the degree programme is made directly through the Central Applications Office (CAO). Applicants should apply online at www.cao.ie. The normal closing date for receipt of completed applications is 1st February of the year of entry.

Non-EU Applicants

Mature Applicants:  Application is made through the CAO and the closing date for receipt of completed applications is 1st February of the year of proposed entry. 

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