A rigorous science program at TU Berlin that builds from foundational chemistry and mathematics through to specialist food analysis, food law, and laboratory practice — structuring the first four semesters around broad chemical principles before focusing on food-specific content, and incorporating a mandatory industrial practical component.
The Bachelor's program in Food Chemistry at Technische Universität Berlin, offered by the Faculty of Process Sciences, provides a thorough scientific education in the composition, analysis, and safety of food and consumer goods. The curriculum is built on a broad natural-science foundation: students begin by developing strong competencies in mathematics, physics, and all major branches of chemistry — including inorganic, organic, analytical, and physical chemistry — before progressing to food-specific content and practical analytical work.
The early semesters are deliberately foundational. Students work through mathematical methods, the physics relevant to chemistry, general and inorganic molecular chemistry, classical analytical methods, thermodynamics, electrochemistry, and organic reaction mechanisms. Structural elucidation techniques and an introduction to biology round out the scientific base. This approach ensures that food chemistry is studied not as an isolated applied discipline, but as a specialised branch of the natural sciences with rigorous chemical underpinning.
From around the third semester onward, the curriculum increasingly focuses on food-specific topics. The module 'Introduction to Food Chemistry' marks the transition, and subsequent coursework addresses the chemical characterisation of foodstuffs, contaminant analysis, quality control, and the legislative framework — including a dedicated module in special legal studies for chemists and natural scientists, which covers food law and regulatory requirements.
A mandatory practical component — either an industrial internship or a project study — is embedded in the program, giving students direct experience in professional food laboratory or production environments. The Bachelor's thesis, worth 12 credit points, concludes the program and requires students to conduct and document an independent research project under academic supervision.
The program is structured as both a full-time and part-time study option, and it is admission-free, meaning no entrance examination or grade threshold is required for enrolment — places are allocated to all qualifying applicants.
