• Postgraduate

Food Business Management MSc

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Overview

Overview

The hospitality industry has seen tremendous growth in recent years, showing it to be a sector resilient to economic turbulence.

As demand for highly skilled employees in the industry continues to increase, this food business management course will equip you with the ability to design, manage and lead developments in the food business.

Your studies will focus on the role of the manager and the issues they may face within the international food, food service and hospitality sectors. You will also explore new findings in food research.

You will become part of a strong professional network that can support you with coaching and mentoring as you develop your career plan.

Study options

As well as the full-time and  part-time options, this course can be studied with:

Pre-Masters: If you have an undergraduate degree but do not meet the entry criteria or English language requirements for this course, you may qualify for our Extended Masters or Enhanced Extended Masters courses. 

Internship: Take this course with a 30-week (min. 1200-hour) internship. 

A food scientist studying food under a microscope

Select your desired study option, then pick a start date to see relevant course information:

Study options:
We support flexible study by offering some of our courses part-time or via distance learning. To give you real world experience before you graduate, we also offer some courses with a placement or internship. All available options are listed here. Your choices may affect some details of your course, such as the duration and cost per year. Please re-check the details on this page if you change your selection.

Start date:

If your desired start date is not available, try selecting a different study option.

Why study Food Business Management with us?

Why study Food Business Management with us?

A collage of students

What our students say…

The University is very modern, and it has a really good atmosphere. 

Costel Cantia
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70 years of teaching excellence
UWL is a member of The Council for Hospitality Management Education (CHME)
Industry focused teaching
Specialist careers advice
Course detail & modules

Course detail & modules

On your MSc Food Business Management, you will benefit from comprehensive academic study and will be encouraged to make the connections between theory and practice. The school, which has been running hospitality management courses since 1991, boasts strong business links and will support you as you begin to develop your professional network.

Led by a team with expertise across food and hospitality, this course takes an innovative approach. You will examine topics ranging from management theory and practice to food supply chain management.

The course will help you to approach business challenges from a global perspective and assess situations from financial, commercial, societal and cultural standpoints. We embrace product innovation while remaining aware of the ethical and nutritional responsibility of business in modern society.

You will learn to find innovative solutions to help you promote food businesses. You will also come to understand how to develop action plans based on theoretical frameworks that you will be able to apply throughout your career to manage change effectively.

Pre-Masters (Extended Masters and Enhanced Extended Masters)

Our Extended Masters and Enhanced Extended Masters courses are intended for students who already have an undergraduate degree but don't meet the entry requirements to study for a Masters degree.

Over a full-time semester, you will study four modules specially designed to improve your academic and English language skills:

  • Advanced Study Skills
  • Critical Thinking, Analysis and Evaluation
  • Statistics
  • English (Business English on the Enhanced course)

Once completed, you will progress directly onto the core Masters course.

What's the difference between an Extended Masters and an Enhanced Extended Masters? The Enhanced Extended Masters is similar to the Extended Masters but with a greater focus on improving your English skills. It also includes a Business English module which will allow you to gain a full understanding of this critical subject area.

For more information see our Pre-Masters page. 

Internship*

The internship route provides an opportunity to take a 30-week (1200-hour) internship as part of your course. This will allow you to put theory into practice, acquire new skills and explore career opportunities. 

Internships are coordinated with the Placements Office. While you will be responsible for finding your own internship,  a placement coordinator and placement tutors will assist you with preparing for the internship and support you throughout.

Please note: There is no guarantee that you will be successful in securing an internship. If you are unable to secure a placement/internship opportunity, the University will transfer you to the non-internship/placement route. 

Compulsory modules

  • Advanced Study Skills

  • Critical Thinking, Analysis and Evaluation

  • Designing the Customer Experience

    In this module, you will address the unique opportunities and challenges that the luxury hospitality industry faces when designing, implementing, and delivering a customer experience.

    The module is underpinned by the sociological, cultural, and historical perspectives of international luxury lifestyles that determine patterns of consumption and usage. It incorporates models and concepts drawn from new product and service development theories and innovation management forming a comprehensive understanding of ‘experience centric’ luxury production and consumption. It will be underpinned by the leadership and cultural perspectives that determine the service-profit chain of human-centred service design which links external customer satisfaction with internal customer satisfaction in the co-creation of the customer experience.

  • Business Performance Analysis

    The module aims to provide you with a sound grasp of the principles of integrated reporting.

    It will enable you to evaluate the strategy and the strategic performance of a luxury hospitality business and develop a critical awareness of the business’s role as a corporate citizen. You will be able to apply the knowledge you acquire from this module to a listed luxury hospitality company of your choice, for example:

    • hotel or resort group
    • boutique hotel group
    • foodservice or restaurants group
    • corporate hospitality services and contract caterers.

    The content studied will also contribute towards the completion of your personal development plan (PDP).

  • Responsible Value Chain Management

    This module aims to provide you with an understanding of the principles of production operations management and assess the value chain from economic, social and environmental perspectives. 

    The module content covers: 

    • Supply/value chain management/production operations management theory.
    • Stakeholders, ethics, and social responsibility in the value chain.
    • Scale and scope of the value chain.
    • Food Production systems.
    • Food Markets and Purchasing.
    • Preparation and consumption.
    • Resource and waste recovery.
    • Concepts of collaboration: value chain management in a global food industry.

  • Applied Food Science and Product Development

    This module aims to provide you with:

    • strategic knowledge of the chemical composition and properties of foods for innovation and recipe development within the food sector
    • the ability to nutritionally analyse food/recipes and critically evaluate the development process according to current non-communicative diseases
    • the opportunity to develop dishes within a prescribed set of criteria (sensory, nutritionally and safety)
    • the opportunity to produce a critically reflective diary that underpins your research and development for your proposed recipe

  • Food and Society

    The aim of this module is to gain insights from disciplines such as anthropology, sociology, political economy and, to a lesser degree, history as to the relationship(s) between food, food production and humankind.

    The module will investigate how these relationships contribute to the construction/deconstruction of ‘foodways’ and how these are negotiated. Frameworks of thought will be proposed which attempt to make sense of the ways in which food and culture are developing and evolving, highlighting problematic features and attempting an evaluation of the underlying dynamics. 

  • Food Service Operations Analysis

    On this module you will explore the use of the internet and information technology (IT) that affects business dynamics in all aspects of food service provision. You'll be introduced to critical issues related to the use of IT in the food service industry, its advantages and the risks it entails.

  • Research Methods

  • Project Dissertation

Compulsory modules

  • Advanced Study Skills

  • Critical Thinking, Analysis and Evaluation

  • Designing the Customer Experience

    In this module, you will address the unique opportunities and challenges that the luxury hospitality industry faces when designing, implementing, and delivering a customer experience.

    The module is underpinned by the sociological, cultural, and historical perspectives of international luxury lifestyles that determine patterns of consumption and usage. It incorporates models and concepts drawn from new product and service development theories and innovation management forming a comprehensive understanding of ‘experience centric’ luxury production and consumption. It will be underpinned by the leadership and cultural perspectives that determine the service-profit chain of human-centred service design which links external customer satisfaction with internal customer satisfaction in the co-creation of the customer experience.

  • Business Performance Analysis

    The module aims to provide you with a sound grasp of the principles of integrated reporting.

    It will enable you to evaluate the strategy and the strategic performance of a luxury hospitality business and develop a critical awareness of the business’s role as a corporate citizen. You will be able to apply the knowledge you acquire from this module to a listed luxury hospitality company of your choice, for example:

    • hotel or resort group
    • boutique hotel group
    • foodservice or restaurants group
    • corporate hospitality services and contract caterers.

    The content studied will also contribute towards the completion of your personal development plan (PDP).

  • Responsible Value Chain Management

    This module aims to provide you with an understanding of the principles of production operations management and assess the value chain from economic, social and environmental perspectives. 

    The module content covers: 

    • Supply/value chain management/production operations management theory.
    • Stakeholders, ethics, and social responsibility in the value chain.
    • Scale and scope of the value chain.
    • Food Production systems.
    • Food Markets and Purchasing.
    • Preparation and consumption.
    • Resource and waste recovery.
    • Concepts of collaboration: value chain management in a global food industry.

  • Applied Food Science and Product Development

    This module aims to provide you with:

    • strategic knowledge of the chemical composition and properties of foods for innovation and recipe development within the food sector
    • the ability to nutritionally analyse food/recipes and critically evaluate the development process according to current non-communicative diseases
    • the opportunity to develop dishes within a prescribed set of criteria (sensory, nutritionally and safety)
    • the opportunity to produce a critically reflective diary that underpins your research and development for your proposed recipe

  • Food and Society

    The aim of this module is to gain insights from disciplines such as anthropology, sociology, political economy and, to a lesser degree, history as to the relationship(s) between food, food production and humankind.

    The module will investigate how these relationships contribute to the construction/deconstruction of ‘foodways’ and how these are negotiated. Frameworks of thought will be proposed which attempt to make sense of the ways in which food and culture are developing and evolving, highlighting problematic features and attempting an evaluation of the underlying dynamics. 

  • Food Service Operations Analysis

    On this module you will explore the use of the internet and information technology (IT) that affects business dynamics in all aspects of food service provision. You'll be introduced to critical issues related to the use of IT in the food service industry, its advantages and the risks it entails.

  • Research Methods

  • Project Dissertation

Compulsory modules

  • Advanced Study Skills

  • Critical Thinking, Analysis and Evaluation

  • Designing the Customer Experience

    In this module, you will address the unique opportunities and challenges that the luxury hospitality industry faces when designing, implementing, and delivering a customer experience.

    The module is underpinned by the sociological, cultural, and historical perspectives of international luxury lifestyles that determine patterns of consumption and usage. It incorporates models and concepts drawn from new product and service development theories and innovation management forming a comprehensive understanding of ‘experience centric’ luxury production and consumption. It will be underpinned by the leadership and cultural perspectives that determine the service-profit chain of human-centred service design which links external customer satisfaction with internal customer satisfaction in the co-creation of the customer experience.

  • Business Performance Analysis

    The module aims to provide you with a sound grasp of the principles of integrated reporting.

    It will enable you to evaluate the strategy and the strategic performance of a luxury hospitality business and develop a critical awareness of the business’s role as a corporate citizen. You will be able to apply the knowledge you acquire from this module to a listed luxury hospitality company of your choice, for example:

    • hotel or resort group
    • boutique hotel group
    • foodservice or restaurants group
    • corporate hospitality services and contract caterers.

    The content studied will also contribute towards the completion of your personal development plan (PDP).

  • Responsible Value Chain Management

    This module aims to provide you with an understanding of the principles of production operations management and assess the value chain from economic, social and environmental perspectives. 

    The module content covers: 

    • Supply/value chain management/production operations management theory.
    • Stakeholders, ethics, and social responsibility in the value chain.
    • Scale and scope of the value chain.
    • Food Production systems.
    • Food Markets and Purchasing.
    • Preparation and consumption.
    • Resource and waste recovery.
    • Concepts of collaboration: value chain management in a global food industry.

  • Applied Food Science and Product Development

    This module aims to provide you with:

    • strategic knowledge of the chemical composition and properties of foods for innovation and recipe development within the food sector
    • the ability to nutritionally analyse food/recipes and critically evaluate the development process according to current non-communicative diseases
    • the opportunity to develop dishes within a prescribed set of criteria (sensory, nutritionally and safety)
    • the opportunity to produce a critically reflective diary that underpins your research and development for your proposed recipe

  • Food and Society

    The aim of this module is to gain insights from disciplines such as anthropology, sociology, political economy and, to a lesser degree, history as to the relationship(s) between food, food production and humankind.

    The module will investigate how these relationships contribute to the construction/deconstruction of ‘foodways’ and how these are negotiated. Frameworks of thought will be proposed which attempt to make sense of the ways in which food and culture are developing and evolving, highlighting problematic features and attempting an evaluation of the underlying dynamics. 

  • Food Service Operations Analysis

    On this module you will explore the use of the internet and information technology (IT) that affects business dynamics in all aspects of food service provision. You'll be introduced to critical issues related to the use of IT in the food service industry, its advantages and the risks it entails.

  • Research Methods

  • Project Dissertation

Compulsory modules

  • Advanced Study Skills

  • Critical Thinking, Analysis and Evaluation

  • Designing the Customer Experience

    In this module, you will address the unique opportunities and challenges that the luxury hospitality industry faces when designing, implementing, and delivering a customer experience.

    The module is underpinned by the sociological, cultural, and historical perspectives of international luxury lifestyles that determine patterns of consumption and usage. It incorporates models and concepts drawn from new product and service development theories and innovation management forming a comprehensive understanding of ‘experience centric’ luxury production and consumption. It will be underpinned by the leadership and cultural perspectives that determine the service-profit chain of human-centred service design which links external customer satisfaction with internal customer satisfaction in the co-creation of the customer experience.

  • Business Performance Analysis

    The module aims to provide you with a sound grasp of the principles of integrated reporting.

    It will enable you to evaluate the strategy and the strategic performance of a luxury hospitality business and develop a critical awareness of the business’s role as a corporate citizen. You will be able to apply the knowledge you acquire from this module to a listed luxury hospitality company of your choice, for example:

    • hotel or resort group
    • boutique hotel group
    • foodservice or restaurants group
    • corporate hospitality services and contract caterers.

    The content studied will also contribute towards the completion of your personal development plan (PDP).

  • Responsible Value Chain Management

    This module aims to provide you with an understanding of the principles of production operations management and assess the value chain from economic, social and environmental perspectives. 

    The module content covers: 

    • Supply/value chain management/production operations management theory.
    • Stakeholders, ethics, and social responsibility in the value chain.
    • Scale and scope of the value chain.
    • Food Production systems.
    • Food Markets and Purchasing.
    • Preparation and consumption.
    • Resource and waste recovery.
    • Concepts of collaboration: value chain management in a global food industry.

  • Applied Food Science and Product Development

    This module aims to provide you with:

    • strategic knowledge of the chemical composition and properties of foods for innovation and recipe development within the food sector
    • the ability to nutritionally analyse food/recipes and critically evaluate the development process according to current non-communicative diseases
    • the opportunity to develop dishes within a prescribed set of criteria (sensory, nutritionally and safety)
    • the opportunity to produce a critically reflective diary that underpins your research and development for your proposed recipe

  • Food and Society

    The aim of this module is to gain insights from disciplines such as anthropology, sociology, political economy and, to a lesser degree, history as to the relationship(s) between food, food production and humankind.

    The module will investigate how these relationships contribute to the construction/deconstruction of ‘foodways’ and how these are negotiated. Frameworks of thought will be proposed which attempt to make sense of the ways in which food and culture are developing and evolving, highlighting problematic features and attempting an evaluation of the underlying dynamics. 

  • Food Service Operations Analysis

    On this module you will explore the use of the internet and information technology (IT) that affects business dynamics in all aspects of food service provision. You'll be introduced to critical issues related to the use of IT in the food service industry, its advantages and the risks it entails.

  • Research Methods

  • Project Dissertation

Compulsory modules

You must take all compulsory modules and you may choose one of two optional modules.

  • Business Performance Analysis

    The module aims to provide you with a sound grasp of the principles of integrated reporting.

    It will enable you to evaluate the strategy and the strategic performance of a luxury hospitality business and develop a critical awareness of the business’s role as a corporate citizen. You will be able to apply the knowledge you acquire from this module to a listed luxury hospitality company of your choice, for example:

    • hotel or resort group
    • boutique hotel group
    • foodservice or restaurants group
    • corporate hospitality services and contract caterers.

    The content studied will also contribute towards the completion of your personal development plan (PDP).

  • Responsible Value Chain Management

    This module aims to provide you with an understanding of the principles of production operations management and assess the value chain from economic, social and environmental perspectives. 

    The module content covers: 

    • Supply/value chain management/production operations management theory.
    • Stakeholders, ethics, and social responsibility in the value chain.
    • Scale and scope of the value chain.
    • Food Production systems.
    • Food Markets and Purchasing.
    • Preparation and consumption.
    • Resource and waste recovery.
    • Concepts of collaboration: value chain management in a global food industry.

  • Applied Food Science and Product Development

    This module aims to provide you with:

    • strategic knowledge of the chemical composition and properties of foods for innovation and recipe development within the food sector
    • the ability to nutritionally analyse food/recipes and critically evaluate the development process according to current non-communicative diseases
    • the opportunity to develop dishes within a prescribed set of criteria (sensory, nutritionally and safety)
    • the opportunity to produce a critically reflective diary that underpins your research and development for your proposed recipe

  • Food Service Operations Analysis

    On this module you will explore the use of the internet and information technology (IT) that affects business dynamics in all aspects of food service provision. You'll be introduced to critical issues related to the use of IT in the food service industry, its advantages and the risks it entails.

  • Research Project

    This module aims to demonstrate responsibility in planning and managing resources necessary to produce a coherent dissertation that shows a detailed knowledge of a topic relevant to your programme of study.

    The module will:

    • prepare you to conduct theoretical and empirical work for a master’s dissertation in Food Business Management fields. 
    • introduce you to the theories, approaches and methodologies of research. 
    • enable you to generate, explore and identify a possible area of research appropriate to their subject discipline 
    • develop your knowledge, understanding and application of data collection and analysis methods. 

  • Project Dissertation

  • Researching Food Organisation (Internship route)

    Semester 2 (20 credits)

Optional modules

  • Designing the Customer Experience

    In this module, you will address the unique opportunities and challenges that the luxury hospitality industry faces when designing, implementing, and delivering a customer experience.

    The module is underpinned by the sociological, cultural, and historical perspectives of international luxury lifestyles that determine patterns of consumption and usage. It incorporates models and concepts drawn from new product and service development theories and innovation management forming a comprehensive understanding of ‘experience centric’ luxury production and consumption. It will be underpinned by the leadership and cultural perspectives that determine the service-profit chain of human-centred service design which links external customer satisfaction with internal customer satisfaction in the co-creation of the customer experience.

  • Nutrition Through Life Stages

    This module aims to give you a perspective on the linkages between human diet and health through the different life stages. Each week this module will introduce you to a different stage of life and demonstrate the basic nutritional needs and how to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

  • Food and Society

    The aim of this module is to gain insights from disciplines such as anthropology, sociology, political economy and, to a lesser degree, history as to the relationship(s) between food, food production and humankind.

    The module will investigate how these relationships contribute to the construction/deconstruction of ‘foodways’ and how these are negotiated. Frameworks of thought will be proposed which attempt to make sense of the ways in which food and culture are developing and evolving, highlighting problematic features and attempting an evaluation of the underlying dynamics. 

  • Circular Economy and Food Security

    At the end of this module, you will be able to:

    1. demonstrate the concepts of Circular economy and create new concepts that are applicable in the food industry
    2. identify and critically analyse the advantages and disadvantages of various practices in existing food systems
    3. demonstrate problem diagnosis and problem-solving skills.
Entry requirements

Entry requirements

You should have an honours degree (2:2 or above) from a UK university or equivalent.

We may also offer you a place based on relevant experience or training, normally from within the work environment. All applications are considered individually.

You will also need to provide two references (one academic and one professional).

You may then be invited for an interview. Find out more about our processes for recognising previous experience.

Extended Masters Degree

To study the Extended Masters programme you will need:

  • a Bachelor's degree
  • international students need to meet our English language requirements of IELTS 6.5 or above and a minimum of 5.5 for each of the individual components (Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening).
Enhanced Extended Masters Degree

To study the Enhanced Extended Masters programme you will need:

  • a Bachelor's degree
  • international students must meet our English language requirements at IELTS 6.0 or above, and a minimum of 5.5 for each of the individual components (Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening).

Please note: If you qualify for a regular Masters, you will not be accepted on the Extended Masters or Enhanced Extended Masters course.

You need to meet our English language requirement of IELTS 6.5 or above, and a minimum of IELTS 5.5 for each of the 4 individual components (Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening). Visit our English language requirements page for information on other English language tests we accept.

In some countries where teaching is in English, we may accept local qualifications. Check for local equivalents.

We will also consider you for this course with IELTS between 6.0-6.5 - in this case, you would need to complete an English language course during your first semester, which we provide at no additional cost.

Find out more about our English Language courses.

Extended Masters Degree

To study the Extended Masters programme you will need:

  • a Bachelor's degree
  • international students need to meet our English language requirements of IELTS 6.5 or above and a minimum of 5.5 for each of the individual components (Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening).
Enhanced Extended Masters Degree

To study the Enhanced Extended Masters programme you will need:

  • a Bachelor's degree
  • international students must meet our English language requirements at IELTS 6.0 or above, and a minimum of 5.5 for each of the individual components (Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening).

Please note: If you qualify for a regular Masters, you will not be accepted on the Extended Masters or Enhanced Extended Masters course.

Fees & funding

Fees & funding

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Please note:

  • Fees for the 2026/27 academic year and onwards may be subject to Government regulation and change.
  • Tuition fees are charged for each year of your course. If your course runs for two years or more, you will need to pay the fee for each academic year at the start of that year.
  • If your course runs for less than two years, the cost above is for your full course and you will need to pay the full fee upfront.
  • If no fee is shown above then the fees for this course are not available yet. Please check again later for updates.

Funding your studies

If you are studying a Masters course you may be eligible to apply for a Postgraduate Loan, this may help contribute towards your course fees and living costs.

Additional funding is available to some types of students, such as disabled students or those with dependants.

We offer a range of scholarships and bursaries, including awards for specific subjects. Awards for hospitality and tourism students are also on offer.

View full details, including conditions and eligibility.

Help with funding
{{ formatCurrencyValue(currentVariantData.field_p_cv_int_main_fee.name) }} per year

Please note:

  • Fees for the 2026/27 academic year and onwards may be subject to Government regulation and change.
  • Tuition fees are charged for each year of your course. If your course runs for two years or more, you will need to pay the fee for each academic year at the start of that year.
  • If your course runs for less than two years, the cost above is for your full course and you will need to pay the full fee upfront.
  • If no fee is shown above then the fees for this course are not available yet. Please check again later for updates.

International students - funding your studies

We offer scholarships for international students including International Ambassador Scholarships. 

Further information about funding and financial support for international students is available from the UK Council for International Student Affairs.

 

Financial support for international students
Teaching staff

Teaching staff

Dr Amalia Tsiami

Dr Amalia Tsiami

I am an Associate Professor of Food Science and am on the editorial board of the Food and Nutrition Journal. I am the academic support for the West London Food Innovation Laboratory, overseeing its business and research outputs. My interests include diet and health in regards to type-two diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and the role of nutrition and hydration in the wellbeing of the older adults.

I am an Associate Professor of Food Science and am on the editorial board of the Food and Nutrition Journal. I am the academic support for the West London Food Innovation Laboratory, overseeing its business and research outputs. My interests include diet and health in regards to type-two diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and the role of nutrition and hydration in the wellbeing of the older adults.

Study & career progression

Study & career progression

A smartly dressed woman in a busy kitchen near two chefs and plates of food

This course will deliver professional development opportunities to senior managers which can enhance promotion prospects, open up new career opportunities and create greater long-term career security.

For sponsoring organisations it serves as a basis for developing senior staff as thought leaders and also assists in senior staff retention.

On successful completion of the Master’s degree you can progress onto an MPhil or a PhD research degree.
 

How to apply

How to apply

Search for courses

Important notes for applicants

Disclaimer

*Modern universities - defined as higher education institutions that were granted university status in, and subsequent to, 1992.

**The National Student Survey 2023 and 2024 - Average of answers to all questions by registered student population. Excludes specialist institutions.

Testimonials - our students or former students provided all of our testimonials - often a student from the course but sometimes another student. For example, the testimonial often comes from another UWL student when the course is new.

Optional modules - where optional modules are offered they will run subject to staff availability and viable student numbers opting to take the module.

Videos - all videos on our course pages were accurate at the time of filming. In some cases a new Course Leader has joined the University since the video was filmed.

Availability of placements - if you choose a course with placement/internship route we would like to advise you that if a placement/internship opportunity does not arise when you are expected to undertake the placement then the University will automatically transfer you to the non-internship route, this is to ensure you are still successful in being awarded a degree.