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Food Marketing and Entrepreneurship (BSc (Hons))

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Programme Description

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):

  • AC1116 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.

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.

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!

Study Abroad

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
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Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to:

  • Communicate and work effectively to a professional standard;
  • Demonstrate analytical and problem solving skills associated with effective practice;
  • Engage in the application of frameworks and techniques in organisational settings;
  • Demonstrate entrepreneurial capacity;
  • Describe the role of science in food
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Practicalities & Assessment

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.

 

Full module information is detailed in the section below.

Assessment

Written exams will take place before Christmas and in May.  Not all modules will have formal examinations.  Many modules use other types of assessment including essays, laboratory reports, in-course tests, multiple-choice questionnaires, group project work, oral presentations. Assessment methods and distribution of marks across written examinations and continuous assessment vary from module to module. 

 

 

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Modules

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

  • Fundamentals of Food Packaging

    Year 3

    Fundamentals of Food Packaging (FS3018)

    To provide a thorough grounding in the fundamentals of food packaging.

    More Information
  • Market-oriented New Food Product Innovation

    Year 3

    Market-oriented New Food Product Innovation (FE3201)

    To provide students with an in-depth practical understanding of important elements (such as marketing, technical and financial) underpinning the development and marketing of successful ideas from the ideation stage to commercialisation.

    More Information
  • Food Market Research Methods

    Year 3

    Food Market Research Methods (FE3203)

    To enable the student to explain and engage in qualitative food marketing research and write a market research report.

    More Information
  • Food Marketing Management

    Year 3

    Food Marketing Management (FE3205)

    This module provides an insight into supply chain management challenges in both local and international markets. It also provides the perspective and management tools to support the development and implementation of marketing strategies.

    More Information
  • Food and Industrial Microbiology 1

    Year 3

    Food and Industrial Microbiology 1 (MB3993)

    To examine basic concepts and processes in food microbiology.

    More Information
  • People and Organisation

    Year 3

    People and Organisation (MG2001)

    MG2001 To develop an understanding of the complexities and challenges facing individuals in their roles as members of organisations.

    More Information
  • Enterprise and Innovation

    Year 3

    Enterprise and Innovation (MG3012)

    To introduce students to the context, content and processes of innovation management within modern businesses.

    More Information
  • Food Enterprise Management

    Year 3

    Food Enterprise Management (FE3204)

    To enable students to evaluate the strategic and operational challenges faced by food enterprises and provide an understanding of the impact of internal and external factors on enterprise establishment, development and performance.

    More Information
  • Science and Technology of Food Systems B

    Year 3

    Science and Technology of Food Systems B (FS3011)

    To provide an overview of food processing and preservation, both in general terms and as applied to specific food products.

    More Information
  • Sensory Evaluation of Foods

    Year 3

    Sensory Evaluation of Foods (NT3016)

    To provide an overview of the principles of sensory evaluation and their applications in nutritional sciences.

    More Information

Year 4

  • Consumer Behaviour in Food Markets

    Year 4

    Consumer Behaviour in Food Markets (FE4205)

    This module provides an in-depth understanding of consumer behaviour in the food marketing process. Students will develop an appreciation of the determinants of food choice at the macro and micro levels.

    More Information
  • International Food Retail Marketing

    Year 4

    International Food Retail Marketing (FE4206)

    To elucidate current marketing practices within the global food-retailing sector and to assess the strategic implications for food manufacturers.

    More Information
  • Global Food Supply Chain Management

    Year 4

    Global Food Supply Chain Management (FE4207)

    The purpose of this module is to provide a holistic understanding of the dynamics of global food supply chains and introduce analytical frameworks and tools to continually improve strategic planning and operational performance.

    More Information
  • Strategic Management

    Year 4

    Strategic Management (MG4036)

    To develop expertise in applying the methods, principles and processes of strategic analysis and strategy implementation to current business issues experienced by firms competing in today's turbulent environment

    More Information
  • Accounting in Business

    Year 4

    Accounting in Business (AC4406)

    To apply the theory of management accounting principles and practices to the analysis of actual decisions in firms.

    More Information
  • Global Food Policy

    Year 4

    Global Food Policy (FE4002)

    To analyse both the development and the impact of food policy in Europe, the USA and other selected countries.

    More Information
  • Strategic Marketing

    Year 4

    Strategic Marketing (MG4035)

    This module draws together the areas of strategic marketing analysis, marketing strategy formulation and implementation. Core topics include: Strategic marketing process, situation assessment (the external environment and the company), marketing strategy

    More Information
  • Sensory Evaluation of Foods

    Year 4

    Sensory Evaluation of Foods (NT4003)

    To provide an overview of the principles of sensory evaluation and their applications in nutritional sciences.

    More Information
  • Food Marketing and Entrepreneurship

    Year 4

    Food Marketing and Entrepreneurship (FE4475)

    To provide an in-depth practical understanding of the important elements (such as marketing, technical and financial) underpinning the development and marketing of successful new food products and business start-up.

    More Information

Year 4 - Elective

For full programme requirements, please refer to the University College Cork Academic Calendar here

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Entry 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.

Non-EU Candidates

Non-EU candidates are expected to have educational qualifications of a standard equivalent to Irish university primary degree level. In addition, where such candidates are non-native speakers of the English language they must satisfy the university of their competency in the English language. To verify if you meet the minimum academic requirements for this programme please visit our qualification comparison pages.

For more detailed entry requirement information please refer to the International website .

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Application Process

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. 

Non-EU Applications

Applicants who are interested in applying for the programme can also apply online at PAC.

For full details of the non-EU application procedure please visit our how to apply pages for international students.

**All Applicants please note: modules listed in the course outline above are indicative of the current set of modules for this course, but these are subject to change from year to year. Please check the college calendar for the full academic content of any given course for the current year. 

In UCC, we use the term programme and course interchangeably to describe what a person has registered to study in UCC and its constituent colleges, schools and departments. 

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New Leaving Cert Scale

Revised Common Points Scale for Entry into Higher Education

The revised scale, which has been developed collaboratively by the universities and institutes of technology, builds on the package of reforms announced by the Minister in April, and will apply to students who sit the Leaving Certificate from 2017.

The main features of the new scale are that:

  • it maintains the current alignment between the points awarded for achievement at Higher Level and the points awarded for achievement at Ordinary Level;
  • the difference in the points awarded for each grade varies, reducing the probability that students will achieve the same overall points score. This will help to minimise the allocation of places in higher education by random selection;
  • it will encourage the take-up of Higher Level subjects through the introduction of points for the new H7 grade.
  • it continues to award Bonus Points for Higher Level Maths

Source: www.transition.ie

For more information on the new grading scale for leaving certificate students at UCC

PLEASE VISIT THE UCC ADMISSIONS OFFICE

FAQS on NEW GRADING SCHEME

Work Placement Information

Work Placement Details: 

Benefits of work placement include:

  • Practical experience in industry
  • Improved job opportunities
  • Experience in teamwork and development of interpersonal skills
  • Awareness of current developments in the sector

For furthur Information , visit UCC Work Placement Website

For more info
Programme Code:
CK213
Duration:
4 years
Teaching Mode:
Classroom
Qualification:
BSc (Hons)
NFQ Level:
Level 8
Leaving Certificate:
2019: 433
Fee:
Irish/EU: Student Contribution + Capitation: €3,170

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