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4. Food Marketing and Entrepreneurship

About This Course

Fact File

• Title

  Food Marketing & Entrepreneurship

• Code

  CK213

• College

  Business and Law

• Duration

  4 years

• Teaching Mode

  Full-time

• Qualifications

  BSc (Hons)

• Fees

  Student Contribution + Capitation: €3,138 See Fees and Costs for full details.

• Entry Requirements

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

• CAO Points

  2022: 434

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):

FE1017 Introduction to Food Marketing; FE1016 Introduction to Food Business; FE1030 Introduction to International Food Policy; FE2200 Introduction to Food Supply Chain Management; EC1500 Ethics and Economic Decision Making for Food Business; EC1503 Economic Analysis for Food Business; FS1011 Introduction to Food Science and Technology; MB1901 Introduction to Food and Industrial Microbiology; AC1116 Financial Accounting; LW1108 Introduction to the Legal System; LW1109 Introduction to Business Law; MA1100 Introductory Mathematics for Business.

Year 2 Modules:

Digital Food Marketing and Branding; Placement Preparation plan; Quantitative Research for Food; Food Economics ; Introduction to Management Accounting; Introduction to Information Systems; Information Systems for the Networked Enterprise; Principles of Food Science and Technology; Topics in Food Quality and Legislation B; Fundamentals of Nutrition Part 1; Introduction to Business Statistics; Methods of Business Statistics.

Year 3 Modules:

Market-oriented New Food Product Innovation; Food Market Research Methods; Food Enterprise Management; Understanding Supply Chain Management; Science and Technology of Food Systems B; Fundamentals of Food Packaging; Food and Industrial Microbiology I; Enterprise and Innovation; Fundamentals of Nutrition Part 2; Sensory Evaluation for Food and Nutritional Sciences;

Electives

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

Year 4 Modules:

Core

Food Marketing and Entrepreneurship (FYP); Consumer Behaviour in Food Markets ; International Food Retail Marketing; Global Food Supply Chain Management; Global Food Policy; Strategic Marketing; Strategic Management ;Accounting in Business Public Health Nutrition (5 credits)

Electives

Advanced Food Packaging; Cereals and Related Beverages B; Financial Reporting 1; Financial Reporting 2; Food Security and the Developing World; Co-operatives, Food and Rural Sustainability; Entrepreneurial Business Start-Ups.

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 the 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

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.

BSc Food Marketing and Entrepreneurship programme's recent partnership with the SuperValu Food Academy 

Current students on the BSc Food Marketing and Entrepreneurship were delighted to participate in a recent partnership with the SuperValu Food Academy Food Producers programme.  

The Food Academy is a longstanding Musgrave initiative that helps develop and support emerging food & drink brands by giving producers their first step into the retail sector.  The SuperValu Food Academy promotes producers and their products in Supervalu stores across the country in a manner that is creative, local, committed to quality, and sustainable.  

Throughout February and March, 1st and 2nd-year FME students, mentored by 3rd and 4th years, gained invaluable experience from working closely with Food Academy producers, providing expertise and creative input in the areas of social media, marketing, consumer & product market research and packaging redesign. Significant business benefits were realised by SuperValu Food Academy producers, with increased brand awareness and social media engagement, new packaging developments and better consumer insights allowing for more informed decision making.

Students learned what it means to be a food entrepreneur and experienced the passion, creativity, challenges and joys that entrepreneurship entails. In addition, the initiative provided students with the opportunity to develop their communication, interpersonal, creativity, and networking skills while applying in-class learning to real-life businesses. Our Food Business and Development Department and the BSc Food Marketing and Entrepreneurship degree is looking forward to a continued relationship with the Musgrave group and the Academy.

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	Other Language	Maths
O6/H7	O6/H7	O6/H7	O6/H7

 

*From 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.

Find out about the mature entry requirements here.

International Students should visit the International Education website.

FETAC Requirements.

Fees and Costs

The State will pay the tuition fees for students who satisfy the Free Fees Criteria. In 2022/23 the Student Contribution Fee will be €3,000 and the Capitation Fee will be €138. Full-time EU/EEA/Swiss State undergraduate students may be exempt from paying tuition fees.

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.