Study plan
The Master of Science in Food Engineering consists of a 120 ECTS programme structured over four semesters. The study plan includes:
- 95 ECTS of compulsory courses
- 10 ECTS of elective activities
- 15 ECTS dedicated to the Master’s thesis
The full list of courses is available in the Manifesto degli Studi webpage.
The programme adopts a structured educational approach, primarily based on lecture-based teaching (DT) and interactive teaching (DI), but also enriched by laboratory activities (DL) and project-based activities (DP). Continuous assessment activities are not for any course.
Course overview
First year – 1st semester
- Agri-Food Supply Chain Perspectives (DT, DI, DP)
- Unit Operations and Processes of Food Industry (DT, DI, DP)
- Principles of Food Manufacturing (DT, DI, DP)
- Technologies for Food Chemistry (DT, DI, DL)
- Food Packaging Materials (DT, DI, DP)
This semester introduces the scientific and technological foundations of Food Engineering.
First year – 2nd semester
- Quality Data Analysis (DT, DI, optional DP)
- Purchasing & Operations Management (DT, DP)
- Logistics Management (DT, DI)
This semester focuses on management and operational aspects of the food supply chain, including quality, logistics, and operations.
Second year – 1st semester
- Trends in Food Industry Lab (DP + peer-to-peer)
- Microbiology in Process and Product Engineering (DT, DL, optional DP)
- Plants in Food Industry (DT, DI, DL)
- Management Tools and Analytics in the Food Industry (DT, DI, DL, optional DP)
This semester has a strong applied and industry-oriented focus.
Second year – 2nd semester
- Sustainable Energy in Food Industry (DT, DI, optional DP)
- Elective courses
- Optional curricular internship
- Master’s thesis
This semester is dedicated to practical experience and programme completion.
Elective Courses
Students can choose elective courses grouped into the following thematic areas:
- Food Industry Processes
- Food Industry Management
- Food Industry 4.0
- META-IUS
- Green technologies
The study plan must be submitted through the Online Services during the timeframe indicated in the Academic Calendar. For detailed information, please refer to the Study Programme’s Educational Rules. Students may:
- follow the recommended study plan, or
- customise it within the programme rules (following guidance from the Study Plan advisors).
Changes can also be made during the second semester.
More information can be found on the dedicated Politecnico’s webpage. Students can also directly contact the Study Plan advisors:
Study plans delegates
Teaching materials
Course materials are available on WeBeep, the official Politecnico di Milano platform supporting online teaching and communication between students and lecturers.
Each course has a dedicated channel where lecturers provide:
- lecture slides and materials;
- exercises and additional resources;
- lecture recordings;
- project guidelines and assignments.
A dedicated Food Engineering WeBeep channel is also available for general communications and updates.
International mobility
Students enrolled in the MSc in Food Engineering can participate in a wide range of international mobility opportunities, including study periods abroad and international internships and thesis projects, through programmes such as Erasmus+ and bilateral agreements with partner universities.
Participation in these mobility programs requires application to the University’s mobility calls, typically published twice a year (in November and April). All relevant information is available at the dedicated Politecnico’s webpage, while feedback from past students can be found via the Exchange your mind initiative.
Students can also find updates via the Food Engineering WeBeep channel, and can directly contact the International mobility advisor:
International mobility delegate
Tutoring
The tutoring service supports students throughout their academic journey, particularly in the early stages. Tutors (faculty members and senior students) provide:
- guidance on study organisation and available services;
- support with academic difficulties;
- assistance in addressing knowledge gaps.
Further information as well as the service calendar are available on the School of Industrial and Information Engineering website.
Internship
The internship is a training experience that allows students to apply their knowledge in real-world contexts and engage with the professional environment. Students may undertake a curricular internship (5 ECTS – 125 hours) in Italy or abroad. To be recognised, the internship must be included in the Study Plan and must be supervised by an academic tutor. After completion, it is awarded with the corresponding ECTS but it is not graded.
In some cases, the internship may lead to a Master’s thesis project, provided that it is supervised by a Politecnico faculty member.
How to find an internship
Students can find internship opportunities through:
- the Career Service portal dedicated to internship;
- lecturers’ advice and industrial contacts;
- direct contact with companies.
Students can also contact the Internship coordinator for further information:
Internship coordinator
Final examination
The final stage of the programme consists of the preparation and defence of a Master’s thesis. Two types of thesis are available:
- Experimental thesis (dissertation): this type of thesis involves a research or industrial project, carried out either at Politecnico, in a company or at a foreign university or research center. The work typically includes a comprehensive literature review, the development of a research model or framework, an experimental work or data collection and the generation of innovative or applied results. The thesis is evaluated by the supervisor, an external examiner (discussant) and the graduation committee.
- Thesis (“tesina”):this type of thesis typically involves a literature review, and either the study of an industrial case or a data analysis based on existing models. The student works with a supervisor, and no external examiner is involved.
Both types of thesis can be carried out individually or in pairs, although the tesina is typically completed individually.
In the case of a thesis carried out in a company, a Politecnico di Milano faculty member is assigned as academic supervisor. The supervisor agrees with the student on the topic to be developed within the company context and on the type of work to be carried out (experimental thesis or thesis/tesina). In addition, a company tutor must be identified, who will act as the student’s point of contact within the company.
In the case of a thesis carried out at a foreign university, a Politecnico di Milano faculty member is assigned as academic supervisor, together with a faculty member at the host institution (typically the hosting professor), who acts as tutor (and co-supervisor). The thesis topic may be proposed either by the Politecnico supervisor or by the student, based on existing contacts with the foreign university. In the latter case, it is the student’s responsibility to identify a Politecnico faculty member working on related topics and to agree on their availability to formally coordinate the collaboration.
Thesis templates
The School of Industrial and Information Engineering provides official templates for the preparation of the Master’s thesis:
- Classic format
- Article format: used as an alternative to the classic format, it follows the typical structure of a scientific article (approximately 30 pages). IMPORTANT: the use of this format must be agreed with the academic supervisor and must be предусмотрено as an option by the Study Programme.
- Executive Summary: mandatory complementary summary to be prepared in the case of an experimental thesis or dissertation.
The templates are available in both LaTeX (also on the Overleaf platform) and MS Word formats and can be downloaded from the School’s website.
Information about available thesis projects is generally communicated to students through the WeBeep page of the supervisor’s course, although specific opportunities may also be announced directly during lectures. Alternatively, the official Politecnico’s thesis board is available via the Online services, where additional project opportunities can be found.
For further information on the final examination, students may contact the Graduation coordinator:
Graduation coordinator
