PhD Food Technology is a research-based doctorate course in Food Technology and its related fields. It deals with all the fields of food technology including Food Chemistry, Vegetable and Cereal Technology, Dairy and Poultry Technology, Food Quality Control, etc. During a PhD in Food Technology, the candidates will have to research any one of the major topics of Food Science and Technology and will have to submit the thesis to gain a PhD degree. The minimum duration of the course is 3 years, but it can be extended up to 5 years depending on the length of the research.
To be eligible for Ph.D. Food Technology, a candidate must complete an MSc or MTech in Food Technology or Food Science and Technology with a minimum of 55% aggregate marks. The candidates will be selected on the basis of entrance exam scores. The admission to Ph.D. Food Technology is mainly entrance based. Some of the most popular Entrance Exams for this course are UGC NET, CSIR-UGC-NET, etc. After the entrance exam, the candidates will have to appear in a personal interview for final selection.
The average annual fee for completing Ph.D. Food Technology in India ranges between INR 50,000 to 1,25,000. The top colleges offering PhD Food Technology have been tabulated in the table below. The major job profiles offered to Ph.D. Food Technology candidates include Food Technologists, Food Quality Control Managers, Food Quality Inspector, Quality Assurance Managers, Nutritionists, etc. The average placement package offered to Ph.D. Food Technology candidates range between INR 4,00,000 to INR 10,00,000. The salary increases with experience and may rise up to INR 20,00,000, depending on the skills of the candidates.
The major highlights of the PhD Food Technology course are discussed in the table given below.
| Full-Form | Doctor of Philosophy in Food Technology |
| Level of Study | Doctorate |
| Course Duration | 3 - 5 years |
| Eligibility | Master's in Food Technology or Food Science and Technology |
| Admission Process | Entrance Based |
| Examination type | Semester |
| Course Fee | INR 50,000 to 1,25,000 |
| Average Starting Salary | INR 4,00,000 to 10,00,000 |
| Job Options | Professor, Lecturer, Food Technologist, Nutritionist, Quality Assurance Manager, Quality Control Inspector, etc. |
| Areas of Employment | Colleges and Universities, Quality Control Laboratories, Research Centres, Fisheries and Poultries, etc. |
PhD Food Technology involves researching on any one of the Food Technology topics and submitting the thesis for the same.
- PhD Food Technology includes some of the important topics involved in this course are Nutrition and Dietetics, Food Quality Control, Adulteration, Toxicology, etc.
- This course involves a detailed study of the topics related to food science. Some of these topics are Food Chemistry, Food Biochemistry, etc. along with study on Vegetable Technology, Cereal Technology, Poultry and Fishery Technology, Dairy Technology, etc.
- Along with these subjective topics, the course will also involve a compulsory coursework, which every candidate must complete in order to start researching.
- PhD Food Technology aims to find new food processing and preserving techniques, know more on the side effects of the current techniques and find out ways to improve the overall quality of the food. After completing the coursework, the candidates will do either individual or guided research.
Why Study PhD Food Technology?
PhD Food Technology is an important course which offers multiple job and research opportunities to the candidates. The major benefits of the course are discussed below.
- The candidates with PhD Food Technology will get research opportunities in multiple fields including Nutrition, Dietetics, Food Chemistry, Toxicology, etc.
- The research related to Food Science and Technology has a very high demand. With the growing health awareness, the demand for these research is expected to grow more in the future.
- PhD Food Technology graduates get ample job opportunities in government research centres, food quality testing centres, etc.
- PhD in Food Technology candidates get opportunities to work as faculty members (professors and lecturers) in both government and private colleges and universities.
- The candidates with PhD Food Technology get opportunities to start their own startups in the form of laboratories, Research Centres, Nutrition clinics, etc.
Find out: Top colleges offering PhD in India
What is the Admission Process for PhD Food Technology?
Most colleges grant admission to the PhD Food Technology course on the basis of Entrance Exam marks.
- Some common entrance exams for this course are UGC-NET and UGC-CSIR-NET.
-
Along with these entrance exams, some colleges and universities may also conduct their own exams for admission to PhD Food Technology courses.
The detailed admission process for PhD Food Technology is discussed below.
- Application Process: The candidates will have to apply for the entrance exams and colleges where they wish to get admission separately. The candidates must check the application form before submission to ensure that it is correct.
- Entrance Exam: Most of the PhD entrance exams are conducted on online mode. The admit cards are generally released 10 days prior to the entrance exam.
- Merit List: Once the results of the entrance exams are announced, the candidates who qualified the cutoffs will be shortlisted by the college. The name of these candidates will be published in the form of a merit list.
- Personal Interview: The shortlisted candidates will be called for a personal interview. The candidates will be asked questions on their research ideas during this interview.
- Document Verification: The selected candidates will have to present appropriate documents to prove their eligibility.
- Enrollment: Finally, the eligible candidates will be granted admission to the course.
What is the Eligibility Criteria for Admission to PhD Food Technology?
The candidates who wish to get admission to PhD Food Technology course must fulfill the following eligibility criteria:
- The candidates must complete their Master's in either Food Science and Technology or Food Technology from a recognized university.
- The candidates must attain minimum 55% aggregate marks in Master's to become eligible for PhD Food Technology.
- The candidates must keep in mind that the minimum required marks may vary from college to college. Some colleges may set the minimum marks to 60% or even higher.
- The candidates must have a thorough idea of their research idea, on which they will be questioned during the interview.
Which Entrance Exams are Required for Admission to PhD Food Technology course?
The major entrance exams accepted by most of the colleges for admission to PhD Food Technology courses are GATE, UGC-NET and CSIR-UGC-NET. These three exams have been discussed in detail below.
| Entrance Exam | Exam Dates |
|---|---|
| IIT JAM | Check Here |
| VITMEE | Check Here |
| UGC NET | To be Announced |
How to Prepare for PhD Food Technology Entrance Exams?
The PhD Food Technology Entrance Exams generally contain questions on general aptitude, logical reasoning, current affairs, English Comprehension and subject based questions. In the subject based questions, most questions are from the topics taught in the PG level.
The question paper pattern for the UGC-NET exam is discussed below.
- The question paper is divided into two parts. Paper 1 is common for all and contains questions on general aptitude, logical reasoning, current affairs and English Comprehension.
- Paper 2 contains subject based questions on the specific subject.
- Paper 1 contains 50 questions and Paper 2 contains 100 questions. All the questions are of MCQ type.
- The total time duration for the exam, including both the papers, is three hours.
- Each question carries two marks. There is no negative marking.
Some important points to keep in mind while preparing for PhD Food Technology Entrance Exams are as follows.
- The candidates should finish the entire syllabus at least 1 month in advance, so that they get some time to revise.
- The candidates must practice as many sample question papers as they can. This will help them to get habituated with the question pattern and types of questions asked.
- The candidates must also try to complete one question paper within a stipulated time, so that they can have an idea of the time period within which they need to write the exam.
- The candidates must maintain a score book of their daily practice, so that they can keep a track of their progress.
- The candidates must identify their weak areas and work on them properly.
How to get Admission in Top PhD Food Technology Colleges?
To get admission in top PhD Food Technology Colleges, a candidate must keep in mind the following points:
- The candidates must score higher marks in PhD Food Technology Entrance Exams. The cutoffs of good colleges will be higher and will require greater marks.
- The candidates must look to attempt at least 90% of the total question paper during the examination so that they can easily qualify the cutoff.
- The candidates must check whether negative marking is there or not. If the exam has negative marking, the candidates must not give the answer if not hundred percent sure.
- The candidates should prepare well for the Personal Interview as well. They should study their research idea in detail.
- The candidates with prior work and research experience may also highlight their work and research achievements during the interview.
PhD Food Technology Syllabus and Research Topics
The course structure of PhD Food Technology is divided into two portions: One is the coursework and the other is the research program.
- The coursework will mainly include topics related to Research Methodology, Thesis Writing, Survey Techniques, etc.
- It will make the candidates ready to take on the research program properly in future.
After the completion of the coursework, a candidate will have to take on the subject wise research work based on any one of the major Food Technology topics. They will also have to study some minor topics related to the subjects. According to ICAR, the list of major and minor topics for PhD Food Technology courses are given in the table below.
| Major Courses | |
|---|---|
| Advances in Food Chemistry and Nutrition | Modern Food Biotechnology |
| Advances in Food Engineering | Food Processing |
| Food Packaging | Food Analysis |
| Minor Courses | |
| Advances in Food Biotechnology | Food Microstructure and Texture |
| Agrochemicals and Residues in Food | Automation in Food Processing |
| Cold Chain Management | Food Supply Chain Management |
| Renewable Energy for Food Processing | Juice Processing Technology |
| Separation Techniques in Food Processing | Carbohydrate Chemistry and Technology |
| Protein Chemistry and Technology | Confectionery Technology |
| Flavour Chemistry and Technology | Grain Storage Technology |
| Supporting Courses | |
| Statistical Method for Food Science | Computer Application in Food Industry |
| Business Management and International Trade | Current Topics in Food Science and Technology |
Which are the Top Colleges for Studying PhD Food Technology?
PhD Food Technology is not only offered by some reputed universities in India, but many top Agricultural Universities, Veterinary Science Universities and Technical Universities also offer this course. The top colleges for this course are tabulated below.
| College Name | Admission Process | Average Annual Fees |
|---|---|---|
| Mysore University, Mysore | Entrance Based | INR 11,000 |
| Amity University, Noida | Entrance Based | INR 1,00,000 |
| Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chennai | Entrance Based | INR 33,500 |
| Amity University, Jaipur | Entrance Based | INR 84,000 |
| Islamic University of Science and Technology, Pulwama | Entrance Based | INR 80,000 |
| Shoolini University, Solan | Entrance Based | INR 1,49,100 |
| Shobhit University, Meerut | Entrance Based | INR 1,22,400 |
| Harcourt Butler Technological University, Kanpur | Entrance Based | INR 55,500 |
| Uttaranchal University, Dehradun | Entrance Based | INR 1,55,000 |
PhD Food Technology College Comparison
The top colleges offering PhD Food Technology have been compared in the table below on the basis of parameters like Placement Salary, Fees, Admission Process, etc.
| Parameters | Mysore University | Amity University | Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University |
|---|---|---|---|
| Location | Mysore | Noida | Chennai |
| Overview | Mysore University is more than 100 years old state owned University in Mysore. Founded by the Maharaja of Mysore in 1916, the Mysore University is one of the major universities of the region today. It has more than 180 affiliated colleges under its shed. It offers UG and PG courses with more than 35 academic departments. | Amity University is a private deemed university with campuses in many cities including Noida, Mumbai, Kolkata, Jaipur, among others. It is one of the best private universities in India according to rankings by multiple universities. It also has a specialised management college, fine arts and visual arts school, etc under its shed. It provides UG, PG and PhD courses in many disciplines. | TANUVAS was established as Madras Veterinary College in 1876. It is one of the oldest and one of the best Veterinary and Animal Sciences Colleges in India. It offers BVSc, MVSc, BTech, MTech, MSc, PhD courses in multiple disciplines including Veterinary Science, Food Technology, Dairy Technology, Poultry Technology, etc. |
| Admission Process | Entrance Based | Entrance Based | Entrance Based |
| Average Annual Fees | INR 11,000 | INR 1,00,000 | INR 33,500 |
| Average Annual Salary | INR 3,80,000 | INR 4,50,000 | INR 3,50,000 |
| Top Recruiters | Deloitte, Infosys, Amazon, JP Morgan, etc. | Cognizant, Oracle, Amazon, Byju's, etc. | TCS, Wipro, etc. |
PhD Food Technology Course Comparison
PhD Home Science vs PhD Food Technology
PhD Home Science is a vast course which includes topics like Nutrition, Dietetics, Food Science, etc along with many other topics. But, PhD Food Technology concentrates only on food related topics. The two courses have been compared below.
| Parameters | PhD Food Technology | PhD Home Science |
|---|---|---|
| Full Form | Doctor of Philosophy in Food Technology | Doctor of Philosophy in Home Science |
| Overview | PhD Food Technology includes in depth study of techniques involved in production, processing, preservation, packaging, labeling, quality management, and distribution of food products. | PhD Home Science includes topics like Nutrition and Dietetics, Food Servicing, etc along with subjects like Argo-Economics, Human Resource Management, Consumerism, etc. It is a very vast course covering a wide range of subjects. |
| Duration | 2 - 5 years | 2 - 5 years |
| Eligibility | MSc or MTech in Food Science and Technology or Food Technology | MSc or MA in Home Science |
| Admission Process | Entrance-Based | Entrance-based |
| Top Colleges | Mysore University, Amity University, Shoolini University, etc. | Women's Christian College, Saint Teresa's College, Patna University, etc. |
| Average Annual Fees | INR 50,000 to 1,25,000 | INR 30,000 to 1,50,000 |
| Job Profiles | Food Technologist, Food Scientist, Nutritionist, Quality Control Inspector, Quality Assurance Manager, etc. | Human Resource Executive, Agro-Economist, Food Technologist, Nutritionist, etc. |
| Average Annual Salary | INR 4,00,000 to 10,00,000 | INR 5,00,000 to 10,00,000 |
Which Jobs and Salary Trends are Available After Completing PhD Food Technology?
PhD Food Technology offers multiple job opportunities in multiple fields like food processing, food packaging, food quality inspection, etc along with research opportunities in Food Biochemistry, Food Microbiology, etc. The average salary for these candidates ranges between INR 4,00,000 to INR 10,00,000. Some of the major job profiles for PhD Food Technology candidates along with their salary trends are tabulated in the table given below.
| Job Profile | Job Description | Average Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Professor | Food Technology Professors teach the various aspects of the subject to the undergraduate and postgraduate students. | INR 8,00,000 |
| R&D Manager | Research and Development Managers decide which new research to take on depending on the market demands. They also look after the ongoing research works. | INR 9,00,000 |
| Food Science Researcher | Food Science Researchers research and discover new aspects of Food Preservation, Food Processing, Food Production, etc. | INR 5,00,000 |
| Research Analyst | Research Analyst research on the different aspects of Food production, food processing and food toxification. | INR 4,50,000 |
| Nutritionist | Nutritionists prescribe the kind of Nutrition, Food and Diet that one needs to take depending on the physical requirement of the person. | INR 4,10,000 |
| Food Technologist | Food Technologists work to produce new food products, flavours, processes, etc for the food company where they work. | INR 4,29,000 |
| Food Processing Manager | A food processing manager looks after the food processing activities in a food processing unit. They also advise on new food processing principles. | INR 4,00,000 |
| Quality Control Inspector | Quality control inspectors verify the quality of the food, find out if it is harmful or unfit for consumption and decide the overall quality of the food product. | INR 2,50,000 |
| Quality Control Manager | The Quality Control Manager of a company generally works for improving the quality of the food produced and also checking the quality of the existing products. | INR 4,50,000 |
PhD Food Technology Future Scope
After completing PhD Food Technology, a candidate can either do independent research work or do jobs in various organisations.
- The candidates who wish to do further research can either research on a new topic or continue their prior research independent.
- After completion of the research, they can also publish their research papers for the upcoming food technology enthusiasts.
- The candidates who will continue to do their research for 4-5 years continuously will be able to earn a DSc degree. It is an honorary degree which is awarded to candidates with excellence in the field of research.
- PhD Food Technology graduates can also work as a professor at various colleges and universities.
- The candidates with PhD in Food Technology can also start their own startups in the form of Food Processing Units, Food Research Centres, etc.
PhD Food Technology FAQs
Some frequently asked questions on PhD Food Technology are discussed below.
Ques. I Want to do a PhD in Food Technology. Which subject should I choose for UGC NET?
Ans. If Food Technology is not available, you should go for Home Science subject in UGC-NET as Food Science comes under Home Science bracket of UGC-NET.
Ques. Do IITs offer PhD in Food Technology?
Ans. Currently, very few IITs offer this course. IIT Kharagpur offers PhD programmes in this field through its department of Agriculture and Food Engineering.
Ques. Which are the Top Universities in India offering PhD Food Technology?
Ans. Mysore University, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Harcourt Butler Technological University, etc are some top universities offering PhD Food Technology in India.
Ques. What is the average fee for completing a PhD in Food Technology in India?
Ans. The average annual fees for PhD Food Technology in India varies between INR 50,000 to 1,25,000.
Ques. What is the average salary for a candidate completing PhD Food Technology in India?
Ans. The average starting salary for a PhD Food Technology candidate ranges between INR 4,00,000 to INR 10,00,000. The salary increases with experience and may rise upto INR 20,00,000, depending on the skills of the candidates.
Ques. Are there any government job opportunities completing PhD Food Technology?
Ans. Yes, Government jobs are available for PhD Food Technology candidates in various Government Food Research Centres. They get jobs in positions of Food Quality Inspector, Researchers, Food Technologist, etc.
Ques. What is the difference between PhD Food Technology and PhD Food Science?
Ans. There is practically no difference between PhD Food Technology and PhD Food Science. Only Food Technology is a bit of a Technology oriented field, while Food Science includes both theoretical and technical aspects.
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