Dr. Patty Weber
Director of Food Safety Online Program
Dr. Patty Weber has worked on the MSU campus for 30+ years. She is passionate about both teaching and research and numerous undergraduate and graduate students have benefited from Dr. Weber’s guidance as a research project mentor or a graduate committee member.
Program Overview
The demand for professionals with advanced expertise in food safety science continues to grow across industry, government, and regulatory sectors. Michigan State University’s Online Master of Science in Food Safety prepares working professionals to meet this need through a multidisciplinary curriculum that integrates core food safety sciences with food law and regulatory principles.
Designed specifically for professionals currently working in the field, the program allows students to immediately apply what they learn to their daily responsibilities while building the knowledge and leadership skills needed for future career advancement. Elective options provide flexibility for students to tailor their studies to align with individual interests and professional goals.
Rather than a traditional thesis, students complete a non-thesis applied project that connects directly to real-world food safety challenges in their workplace. Courses emphasize collaboration, discussion, and applied learning, encouraging professional networking and peer-to-peer engagement. This approach helps bridge the siloed nature of many specialized roles and strengthens collaboration across laboratories, processing facilities, field operations, regulatory agencies, and markets.
Program Outcomes
After this program, students will:
- Be able to work collaboratively with experts in their field
- Effectively evaluate and manage a broad range of currently available food safety information
- Understand and evaluate new and emerging technologies as they arise
- Utilize a deeper understanding of core sciences including food borne microbiology, toxicology, & epidemiology
- Lead food safety efforts to address new concerns such as allergens, preventive controls, food packaging, emerging food borne pathogens, antimicrobial resistance, and food safety culture
- Demonstrate use of critical thinking, organizational and leadership skills
- Solve food safety problems by identifying effective and efficient processes in an ever-changing food safety industry
- Be able to connect food safety regulations to the science behind them
Career Outlook
Graduates of our program typically move up or on in their respective field, with many alumni receiving promotional opportunities within the first year after completing the degree. The majority of program alumni represent industry and others work in government or military positions. Graduates represent over 300 organizations and work in 41 US states and 20+ countries.
Some titles of MS in Food Safety alumni include:
- Quality Manager
- Director of Food Safety
- Research Microbiologist
- Regulatory Affairs Specialist
- USDA or FDA Inspector
A Top-Ranked Education
- 29th among Best Public Universities in America — U.S. News & World Report, 2026
- Veteran-Friendly 'Gold Status' 10 Years in a Row — Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency, 2025
Tuition & Fees per credit
In-State Tuition
Out-of-State Tuition
$991
$991
Cost of Attendance
The university reserves the right to make changes in the types, structures, rates for fees, and tuition. Every effort will be made to give as much advance notice as possible. In addition to tuition and fees, there are other expenses associated with your Cost of Attendance. A breakdown of a graduate student budget can be found on the "Estimate Your Cost of Attendance" page.