1. Home
  2. Degrees and Certificates
  3. Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
  4. Associate in Arts, Emphasis in Food Science and Technology

Associate in Arts, Emphasis in Food Science and Technology

The Associate in Arts (AA), Emphasis in Food Science and Technology covers many specializations within the realm of food science. The coursework for this program is interdisciplinary and provides students a choice of food science courses from the food science specializations of food biochemistry, fermentation, protein science, the analysis of foods using analytical techniques, and research and product development. Academic food science certificates aid students in chemistry, biology, and engineering fields to gain enough academic knowledge to enter the workforce in food science. Certificates of Completion (CCLs) in Food Science Technology I and II are also available.

Details

Details iconImportant information you’ll need when applying for admission:
Field of Interest
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
Type
Associate Degree
Academic Plan
Associate in Arts, Emphasis in Food Science and Technology (DEG)
Academic Plan Code
8136
Total Credits Required
60-64
Catalog Year
2021-2022
Students at any Maricopa Community College may need to complete courses at more than one of our colleges.
Notes

Students must earn a grade of C or better in all courses required within the program.

What You'll Learn

This pathway map will help you gain the expertise needed to:

  1. Effectively communicate orally, visually and in writing in an accurate, articulate, respectful and culturally responsive manner.
  2. Collaborate with diverse individuals and institutions to explore opportunities and resolve problems.
  3. Demonstrate professional and ethical behavior appropriate to the food science discipline.
  4. Critically evaluate the internal and external validity of scientific studies to inform decisions.
  5. Explain the relationship between structure and function at the molecular and cellular level.
  6. Construct qualitative and quantitative models to draw conclusions concerning physical, biological, and chemical phenomena.
  7. Conduct experiments to accurately collect, analyze, and evaluate data.
  8. Design experiments using appropriate mathematical models, technology, and equipment.
  9. Adhere to standard safety protocols when performing experiments and collecting data.
  10. Apply knowledge of computing and mathematics appropriate to the Food Science and Technology discipline.
Career Opportunities

Successful completion of this degree may lead to employment in a variety of different occupations and industries. Below are examples of related occupations with associated Arizona-based annual median wages* for this program. Education requirements vary for the occupations listed below, so you may need further education or degrees in order to qualify for some of these jobs and earn the related salaries. Please visit with an academic advisor and/or program director for additional information.

Agricultural and Food Science Technicians

$37,330

Agricultural Inspectors

$34,720

Chemical Technicians

$40,300

Chemists

$65,030

Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians

$46,120

Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health

$57,850

Food Scientists and Technologists

$59,990

Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Other

$45,530

Microbiologists

$63,820

* Wage information sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics Program. Updated May 2019.
Course Sequence by Term

The following is the suggested course sequence by term. Please keep in mind:

  • Students should meet with an academic advisor to develop an individual education plan that meets their academic and career goals. Use the Pathway Planner tool in your Student Center to manage your plan.
  • The course sequence is laid out by suggested term and may be affected when students enter the program at different times of the year.
  • Initial course placement is determined by current district placement measures and/or completion of 100-200 level course and/or program requirements.
  • Degree and transfer seeking students may be required to successfully complete a MCCCD First Year Experience Course (FYE) within the first two semesters at a MCCCD College. Courses include AAA/CPD150, AAA/CPD150AC, CPD104, and AAA115/CPD115. Course offerings will vary by college. See an academic, program, or faculty advisor for details.

Full-time Sequence

Full-time status is 12 credits to 18 credits per semester.

A list of additional requirements for this pathway map
Awareness Areas
  • In addition to the requirements identified in the sequence below, students must complete the following awareness areas if not otherwise met by other program requirements:
    • Cultural [C] and
    • Global [G] or Historical [H]
  • Students are strongly encouraged to visit with an academic advisor to ensure completion of all graduation requirements.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course
Number		 Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
FST263 Principles of Food Science Critical course Gateway course 4
(CHM130 and
CHM130LL) or
(CHM151 and
CHM151LL)		 (Fundamental Chemistry and Fundamental Chemistry Laboratory) or (General Chemistry I and General Chemistry I Laboratory) Critical course Gateway course Select from the following Chemistry sequences:
(CHM130, CHM130LL, CHM230, and CHM230LL) OR
(CHM151, CHM151LL, CHM230, and CHM230LL) OR
(CHM151, CHM151LL, CHM152, CHM152LL, CHM235, and CHM235LL) 		SQ 4
ENG101 or
ENG107		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL Critical course FYC 3
MAT212 or
MAT213 or
MAT220 or
MAT221		 Brief Calculus or Brief Calculus or Calculus with Analytic Geometry I or Calculus with Analytic Geometry I Critical course OR Higher approved general education course in the Mathematical Applications [MA] area for which MAT22+ is a prerequisite. MA 3–5
AAA/CPD115 or
AAA/CPD150 or
AAA/CPD150AC or
CPD104		 Creating College Success or Strategies for College Success or Educational and Career Planning or Career and Personal Development 0–3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course
Number		 Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
FST264 Protein Science Critical course 4
(CHM152 and
CHM152LL) or
(CHM230 and
CHM230LL)		 (General Chemistry II and General Chemistry II Laboratory) or (Fundamental Organic Chemistry and Fundamental Organic Chemistry Laboratory) Critical course Complete CHM230 and CHM230LL if CHM130 AND CHM130LL were completed in Term 1.
Complete CHM152 and CHM152LL if CHM151 and CHM151LL were completed in Term 1. 		SQ 4
ENG102 or
ENG108		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL FYC 3
BIO156 or
BIO156XT or
BIO181 or
BIO181XT		 Introductory Biology for Allied Health or Introductory Biology for Allied Health or General Biology (Majors) I or General Biology (Majors) I Critical course Gateway course SQ 4
CRE101 College Critical Reading and Critical Thinking OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment L 0–3

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course
Number		 Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
CUL101 or
FST175		 Culinary Basics or Food Science Product Development I 3
FST265 Microbiology of Foods 4
FON104 Certification in Food Service Safety and Sanitation 1
CHM235 and
CHM235LL		 General Organic Chemistry I and General Organic Chemistry I Laboratory Complete CHM235 and CHM235LL if CHM152 and CHM152LL were completed in Term 2. 0–4
SB Social-Behavioral Sciences 3
L Literacy & Critical Inquiry 3
COM100 or
COM110 or
COM225 or
COM230		 Introduction to Human Communication or Interpersonal Communication or Public Speaking or Small Group Communication Recommend selecting a course that satisfies COM and SB or COM and L requirements simultaneously SB or L 0–3

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course
Number		 Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
CS Computer/Statistics/Quantitative Application 3
HU Humanities, Fine Arts, and Design 3
HU Humanities, Fine Arts, and Design 3
RE Restricted Electives 1–4
SB Social-Behavioral Sciences 3

Restricted Electives

A list of program electives for this pathway map
Course
Number		 Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
FON241 and
FON241LL		 Principles of Human Nutrition and Principles of Human Nutrition Laboratory SG 4
FST266 Fermentation in Food Science 4
FST267 Analysis of Food 4
FST275 Food Science Product Development II 3
FST298AA Special Projects 1
FST298AB Special Projects 2
FST298AC Special Projects 3

Part-time Sequence

Part-time status is 11 credit hours or less.

A list of additional requirements for this pathway map
Awareness Areas
  • In addition to the requirements identified in the sequence below, students must complete the following awareness areas if not otherwise met by other program requirements:
    • Cultural [C] and
    • Global [G] or Historical [H]
  • Students are strongly encouraged to visit with an academic advisor to ensure completion of all graduation requirements.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course
Number		 Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
FST263 Principles of Food Science Critical course Gateway course 4
AAA/CPD115 or
AAA/CPD150 or
AAA/CPD150AC or
CPD104		 Creating College Success or Strategies for College Success or Educational and Career Planning or Career and Personal Development 0–3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course
Number		 Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
MAT212 or
MAT213 or
MAT220 or
MAT221		 Brief Calculus or Brief Calculus or Calculus with Analytic Geometry I or Calculus with Analytic Geometry I Critical course OR Higher approved general education course in the Mathematical Applications [MA] area for which MAT22+ is a prerequisite. MA 3–5
FST264 Protein Science Critical course 4

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course
Number		 Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
(CHM130 and
CHM130LL) or
(CHM151 and
CHM151LL)		 (Fundamental Chemistry and Fundamental Chemistry Laboratory) or (General Chemistry I and General Chemistry I Laboratory) Critical course Gateway course Select from the following Chemistry sequences:
(CHM130, CHM130LL, CHM230, and CHM230LL) OR
(CHM151, CHM151LL, CHM230, and CHM230LL) OR
(CHM151, CHM151LL, CHM152, CHM152LL, CHM235, and CHM235LL) 		SQ 4
ENG101 or
ENG107		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL Critical course FYC 3

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course
Number		 Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
(CHM152 and
CHM152LL) or
(CHM230 and
CHM230LL)		 (General Chemistry II and General Chemistry II Laboratory) or (Fundamental Organic Chemistry and Fundamental Organic Chemistry Laboratory) Critical course Complete CHM230 and CHM230LL if CHM130 AND CHM130LL were completed in Term 1.
Complete CHM152 and CHM152LL if CHM151 and CHM151LL were completed in Term 1. 		SQ 4
CUL101 or
FST175		 Culinary Basics or Food Science Product Development I 3

Term 5

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 5
Course
Number		 Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
BIO156 or
BIO156XT or
BIO181 or
BIO181XT		 Introductory Biology for Allied Health or Introductory Biology for Allied Health or General Biology (Majors) I or General Biology (Majors) I Critical course Gateway course SQ 4
FST265 Microbiology of Foods 4

Term 6

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 6
Course
Number		 Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
FON104 Certification in Food Service Safety and Sanitation 1
CHM235 and
CHM235LL		 General Organic Chemistry I and General Organic Chemistry I Laboratory Complete CHM235 and CHM235LL if CHM152 and CHM152LL were completed in Term 2. 0–4
COM100 or
COM110 or
COM225 or
COM230		 Introduction to Human Communication or Interpersonal Communication or Public Speaking or Small Group Communication Recommend selecting a course that satisfies COM and SB or COM and L requirements simultaneously SB or L 0–3

Term 7

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 7
Course
Number		 Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
ENG102 or
ENG108		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL FYC 3
L Literacy & Critical Inquiry 3

Term 8

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 8
Course
Number		 Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
HU Humanities, Fine Arts, and Design 3
RE Restricted Electives 1–4

Term 9

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 9
Course
Number		 Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
CRE101 College Critical Reading and Critical Thinking OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment L 0–3
SB Social-Behavioral Sciences 3
HU Humanities, Fine Arts, and Design 3

Term 10

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 10
Course
Number		 Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
CS Computer/Statistics/Quantitative Application 3
SB Social-Behavioral Sciences 3

Restricted Electives

A list of program electives for this pathway map
Course
Number		 Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
FON241 and
FON241LL		 Principles of Human Nutrition and Principles of Human Nutrition Laboratory SG 4
FST266 Fermentation in Food Science 4
FST267 Analysis of Food 4
FST275 Food Science Product Development II 3
FST298AA Special Projects 1
FST298AB Special Projects 2
FST298AC Special Projects 3

General Electives

Recommended that students interested in university transfer select from the following courses if additional coursework is needed to meet the minimum 64 transfer credits:
BIO205 Microbiology
FON241 Principles of Human Nutrition
FON241LL Principles of Human Nutrition Laboratory
PHY111 General Physics I

Course Area Key

Gateway Course = Generally the first major-specific course in a pathway.

Critical Course = A course that is highly predictive of future success in a pathway.

  • C = Cultural Diversity in the US
  • CS = Computer/Statistics/Quantitative Application
  • FYC = First Year Composition
  • G = Global Awareness
  • H = Historical Awareness
  • HU = Humanities, Fine Arts, and Design
  • L = Literacy & Critical Inquiry
  • MA = Mathematics
  • SB = Social-Behavioral Sciences
  • SG = Natural Sciences General
  • SQ = Natural Sciences Quantitative
Disclaimer

Students must earn a grade of C or better for all courses required within the program.

Course Sequence total credits may differ from the program information located on the MCCCD curriculum website due to program and system design.

View MCCCD’s curriculum website for the Associate in Arts in Associate in Arts, Emphasis in Food Science and Technology (http://aztransmac2.asu.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/MCCCD.woa/wa/freeForm10?id=165014).

At Maricopa, we strive to provide you with accurate and current information about our degree and certificate offerings. Due to the dynamic nature of the curriculum process, course and program information is subject to change. As a result, the course list associated with this degree or certificate on this site does not represent a contract, nor does it guarantee course availability. If you are interested in pursuing this degree or certificate, we encourage you to meet with an advisor to discuss the requirements at your college for the appropriate catalog year.

Other Versions

The pathway map presented above is for the current catalog year and is the intended pathway map for new students. Other versions of this pathway map from different catalog years are available below:

Catalog YearEffective Dates
2020-20215/26/2020 – 7/31/2021
2019-20205/28/2019 – 5/25/2020