Search
  Admission  /  Postgraduate  /  MFS

 

 

College of Applied Sciences and Pharmacy

 

This program provides an exciting opportunity for individuals who are passionate about solving global food challenges. It prepares students for future career opportunities while enabling them to contribute to Oman’s food security objectives and foster positive change both regionally and internationally. The primary goal is to equip students with interdisciplinary, specialized knowledge and professional skills to effectively contribute to sustainable development and to promote research and innovation in food security at local, national, and global levels.


Teaching Language: English

 

This program offered at:

 

  1.  UTAS-Sur

 

 

Upon successful completion of this program, a student should be able to:

 

  1.  Analyze diverse aspects of food security.
  2.  Assess causes and solutions for food insecurity and malnutrition.
  3.  Evaluate the impact of AI and advanced technologies on food systems.
  4.  Design effective policies and strategies for food security.
  5.  Address ethical concerns related to food security.
  6.  Conduct research using quantitative and qualitative methods.

 

Based on the bylaw in addition to the following requirements:

  1.  Bachelor’s degree in Environmental, Biological, Ecological or Agricultural Sciences or an equivalent degree with a minimum GPA of 2.5. If the GPA is below 2.5 but not less than 2, a minimum of 2 years of practical experience in the field of study is required.
  2.  IELTS 6.0 or equivalent TOEFL score (waived if prior education was in English).
  3.  Candidates from other backgrounds may join after bridging courses.
  4.  Any other general requirements mentioned in the Academic By laws of Post Graduate Studies for a master’s degree at UTAS.

 

Graduates can work in government and private sectors, including:

  1.  Government entities: Oman Food Investment Holding Company (OFIC), A’Namaa Poultry, Mazoon Dairy, Oman Fisheries, etc.
  2.  Consulting and policy: Food Security Analyst, Policy Advisor, Environmental Policy Analyst.
  3.  Academia and research: Food Safety and Quality Assurance Officer, Researcher.
  4.  Agribusiness: Agricultural Development Manager, Project Manager, Entrepreneur.

 

This course will introduce students to issues of global, regional and local food security, giving an overview and challenges. It defines food security and its relationship to the concepts of sources of food, food chemistry, food security on demand side/ food security on supply side, food analysis, food processing and preservation, and impacts of climate change on food systems. It also examines factors affecting food access, availability, and utilization, along with measurement tools and case studies on food insecurity. Students will explore the historical evolution of food security and the impact of globalization on food systems. Arable farming's role in climate change and natural resources, and its subsequent impact on food security. Case studies on the climate challenges pertaining to Sultanate of Oman.

This course explores the principles and practices of sustainable agriculture, examining its role in addressing environmental, social, and economic challenges in food production and safety. This course integrates segmental knowledge to shed light on agricultural system sustainability by critically studying system components and their interactions with external environments. Sustainable agriculture, agroecology, and farming systems dominate this course. The captivating chapters give critical, comparative, and balanced viewpoints on what adjustments are needed to attain and maintain agricultural system sustainability, actively leading to new ways of thinking about these complicated challenges. The research provided uses complex systems science approaches, solves scholarly shortages, and uses authentic agricultural systems and developmental data. The typical subjects covered in this field encompass the management of crops, soil, water, nutrients, waste, and pesticides.

 

This course is designed to emphasize the foundation and techniques of research in the context of food security. This course emphasizes the philosophy and methods of modern statistical data analysis and inference, with a particular focus on applications to food security. This course also introduces students to the advanced design of research and experiments and data analysis using advanced statistical-based software tools. The course encompasses data collection, computing and solving various real-world problems related to food security utilizing advanced software tools such as SPSS and R statistical analysis packages. Through this course, students will be exposed to the main components of the research process, viz., research problems, research objectives, research hypotheses, ethical issues in research, report writing and presentation. Besides, students will be familiar with the systematic literature review process using advanced bibliometric tools.

  1.  ASFS5104:  Food Technology and Supply Chain Management
  2.  ASFS5105: Biodiversity, Conservation and Ecosystems

 

This course provides an in-depth exploration of food policy and governance frameworks within the context of global food security. Students will examine the evolution of food policy, the role of various stakeholders in governance structures, and the interplay between international trade, regulations, and sustainable agriculture. Through theoretical analysis and practical case studies, students will gain a comprehensive understanding of the complexities surrounding food governance and its implications for ensuring food security at local, national, and global levels.

This course provides comprehensive details of principles, practices, and challenges for maintaining high food safety and quality standards throughout the production, distribution, and consumption chain. Students will explore the principles of food toxicology and different types of toxins in foodstuffs, including natural toxins in animal-based products, toxic phytochemicals, mycotoxins, etc., and the food contaminants from industrial wastes and pesticides. In addition, the course will cover the different types of food additives and their toxicity such as preservatives, antioxidants, sweeteners, and coloring agents, along with the toxicants formed during food processing. Besides, the students will understand the methods of genetic modification (GM) in foods, the risks and benefits of GM foods, and the safety evaluation of GM products. Students will delve into the complexities of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), a systematic approach in identifying and controlling potential hazards in food production processes.

 

Under the current pace of population growth, food security is considered a critical issue that can affect the livelihood of millions of people worldwide. In recent years, tremendous efforts have been made to increase interest in artificial intelligence (AI) for modeling and predicting different aspects related to food security. Thus, this course is designed to familiarize students with a systematic approach to understanding, designing, and implementing AI in various aspects of food security, such as precision agriculture, food science and technology, food processing, and marketing, food safety monitoring. Besides, data collection and analysis related to various aspects of food security from different sources, including publicly available databases, remote sensing, and surveys, will be evaluated. The students will be familiar with different AI techniques, such as machine learning and deep learning algorithms, and their implementation on various software platforms to identify patterns and correlations between the data and food security outcomes.

  1.  ASFS5204:  Entrepreneurship in Agriculture
  2.  ASFS5205: Post-harvest Technologies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 +968 24114000
 Get Map Direction
 Write to us

PO Box 74, Al Khuwair, Muscat 133

 

© 2025 University of Technology and Applied Sciences |