ACBS creates food safety undergraduate certificate program to address growing need for food safety professionals

The School of Animal and Comparative Biomedical Sciences has developed a new 13-unit Food Safety Undergraduate Certificate Program for anyone interested in tackling the current and future food safety challenges facing Arizona, the United States, and the world. The first group of students began this Fall 2023 at UArizona Tucson and Yuma campuses and will be available to students across the United States through AZ Online starting in Fall 2024.

The Food Safety Undergraduate Certificate Program was developed in response to the critical need for a workforce trained in all aspects of food safety. The certificate program allows for students from across the university to complement their primary area of study with food safety education, as well as, for currently employed food industry representatives, to advance their food safety knowledge and be able to immediately apply novel food safety approaches in their respective industries.
This dynamic, fully online program offers complete flexibility to participants. The program was specifically set up to ensure that students completing the certificate in any area of study will be ready to join the food safety workforce and be meaningful contributors upon completing this unique and relevant combination of academics, experience, and certification.

The certificate program begins with a foundational microbiology course, and then moves into upper division coursework including Food Safety & Microbiology, Food Safety Laws & Legal Practices, and at least one specialized food safety elective. Students also receive hands-on training with 1-3 Practicum units that can include an internship in industry or independent study in a laboratory. Additional professional certification in different food safety areas of interest are available through the program.

If you are interested in making a difference in protecting the world’s food supply contact Dari Salvo, food safety advisor (kdtrujil@arizona.edu) or Margarethe Cooper, Victor P. Smith Endowed Chair in Food Safety Education (cooperma@arizona.edu).