ECTS
120 credits
Duration
2 years
Training structure
Faculty of Science
Language(s) of instruction
French
Presentation
The Engineering for the Eco-design of Foods (ICOA) program, part of the Biology and Agrosciences specialization, is co-accredited by the University of Montpellier and the Institut Agro de Montpellier (Etablissement national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement). It is positioned at the interface between process engineering and life sciences, and offers an integrated approach to food design, combining knowledge of processes (physical and biological) and control of the organoleptic and nutritional quality of products, as part of a drive to reduce the environmental impact of the industry.
The major disciplinary fields on which the courses are based are engineering sciences: Biotechnology, Food Science, Physical Chemistry, Green Chemistry and Sustainable Process Engineering. This highly multi-disciplinary training enables students to enter the full range of professions in the agri-food industry (production, R&D, quality control) and, more broadly, in all sectors dedicated to the valorization of agro-resources (materials, energy, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, etc.).
Both years are punctuated by an internship (of at least 3 months and 5 months respectively in M1 and M2), which students can identify from the extensive catalog of internship sites available, or by canvassing the program's active alumni network.
For a limited number of students (2 to 3 selected on the basis of their academic record and professional project) wishing to acquire additional skills in project management, a co-diploma with the Institut d'Administration des Entreprises de Montpellier (IAE Montpellier) can be offered. By choosing an additional 5 ECTS UE related to management themes, students can obtain a double Master's degree: Master ICOA and Master of Technology and Science Management.
For more information on this course and its content, visit https://bioagro.edu.umontpellier.fr/ingenierie-pour-leco-conception-des-aliments/
Further studies
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Objectives
Supporting dietary diversification towards greater consumption of plant resources, setting up responsible supply chains, and reducing losses and waste are all global issues that need to be taken into consideration in a project aimed at a more sustainable food supply. These challenges imply the emergence of new professions in which players will be able to provide technical solutions that respect/integrate all the components of sustainable food systems. The aim of this Master's program is to train scientists capable of responding to these issues and integrating all sectors linked to the processing and valorization of agroresources, in particular the food industry. It also provides a springboard for doctoral studies, particularly in the Montpellier region, which is a major European research hub in the field of agrosciences.
Know-how and skills
In addition to their general knowledge of the formulation, sizing and control of food processing and preservation processes, and the tools needed to analyze them, graduates have the skills needed to understand and solve the problems of qualitative and quantitative agro-resource management in a sustainable development context. By integrating a systemic dimension to agri-resource management (food supply and the valorization of by-products and co-products), they demonstrate solid know-how dedicated to the development of new technologies, their eco-design and industrial ecology, skills that contribute to mastering the transformation of agri-resources into food, but also into materials and renewable energy (to a lesser extent) in line with current and future issues of sustainable research, development and production. A key feature of this program is its specialization in food issues in developing countries.
Organization
Knowledge control
Each UE is assessed either in the form of a written final exam, or in the form of individual or group work and a written final exam, or in the form of an oral presentation or a written summary.
Open on a sandwich basis
Contract type | Apprenticeship contract |
|---|
Students on work-study programs work in the company for four weeks in the odd-numbered semesters (semester 1 in M1/semester 3 in M2), then return to the company for the same length of time as in the initial training program in the even-numbered semesters (3/4 months in semester 2 / 5 months in semester 4).
Internships, tutored projects
Internship | Mandatory |
|---|---|
Internship abroad | Possible |
The ICOA master's program includes numerous exercises in project set-up and management, enabling students to learn the tools specific to these disciplines and to be directly operational when they enter the job market.
These skills are developed through team exercises in collaboration with partner companies, during which students are asked to respond to an industrial problem or to design and develop a new food product. Beyond the deployment of their innovative skills, students discover the world of business and the processes which, starting from fundamental research or an invention, enable it to be applied on an industrial scale.
In addition to these applied exercises, other projects are carried out over the course of the two-year training program, such as coordinating the alumni network (via the LinkedIn network), and organizing a scientific seminar...
Students are also strongly sensitized to professional integration through a dedicated UE, during which they will work on drawing up their CV and cover letter. Job interviews conducted by a speaker with an entrepreneurial background will give students the opportunity to get used to the exercise. These skills will be put to immediate use through an internship at the end of each of the two years of the ICOA program (lasting a minimum of 3 and 5 months respectively for M1 and M2). Depending on the student's aspirations, these internships can be carried out in a public research laboratory or a company. Every effort is made within the program to support students wishing to carry out their internship abroad.
Program
The ICOA program is based on a 4-semester teaching structure. The Master's degree is awarded by the acquisition of 120 ECTS ( European Credits Transfer System), with each semester comprising several Teaching Units (UE) accounting for 30 ECTS.The even-numbered semesters are mainly dedicated to internships, which can be carried out in France or abroad. The curriculum is built around a single compulsory pathway.
Select a program
M1 - Food engineering and eco-design (ICOA)
The first year of the ICOA program offers a unique pathway structured around 4 disciplinary areas: biological engineering, food process engineering, bioproduct development engineering and professional integration. It is designed to provide students with the foundations for a dual competence in Process Engineering and Biotechnology/Food Science. The program's professionalism is reflected in two teaching units on project management and professional integration. Courses in English and biostatistics common to other courses complete the curriculum.
Biostatistics with R
5 creditsBiological catalysis and microbiology
3 creditsRichness and potential of agricultural resources
3 creditsEnglish
5 creditsInternship preparation and professional integration
2 creditsFluid mechanics
2 creditsFood structural characterization and imaging
2 creditsFood Process Engineering
5 creditsFunctional properties of nutrients
3 credits
Processing & structuring bioproducts
3 creditsFood science and processing
5 creditsFood quality and safety
2 creditsProject management
3 creditsFirst-year internship
15 creditsBioprocess engineering - Batch
2 credits
M2 - Food engineering and eco-design (ICOA)
The second year of ICOA's more professional training program is organized around three major themes: intensification of transformation processes, sustainability and innovation. It is also largely built around a number of project set-up and management exercises in which students are (i) required to design/develop new foodstuffs by integrating all the environmental components of the processes, (ii) respond to issues raised by industrial partners in connection with the development of bioproducts.
Integrated management of agro-industry by-products and co-products
5 creditsOptimization / Instrumentation of transformation processes
5 creditsLife cycle assessment and impact assessment
2 creditsContinuous and fed-batch bioprocess engineering
3 creditsFood packaging: design tools to reduce packaging costs
2 creditsDeveloping new food products
3 creditsNutritional quality and risk management
3 creditsProcess simulation tools
2 creditsEco-design methods for new foods
5 credits
Creating and setting up R&D projects
5 credits5-month internship
25 credits
Admission
Access conditions
The course is open to holders of :
- a Bachelor's degree in Science and Technology, majoring in "Chemical and Biological Sciences" and "Life and Earth Sciences".
- other science and technology bachelor's degrees, or equivalent and validation of prior experience, for professionals, selection based on portfolio
- a Bachelor of Technology degree in Biological Engineering.
Foreign candidates are required to have a good command of the French language, DELF level C1.
How to register
Applications can be submitted on the following platforms:
French & European students :
- For M1, follow the "My Master" procedure on the website: https: //www.monmaster.gouv.fr/
- For M2, students must submit their application via the e-candidat application: https: //candidature.umontpellier.fr/candidature
Capacity
20 enrolled in M1
30 enrolled in M2