Food technology
Protein-based foods, drinks, baked goods and sweets: find your favorite topic. Before you dive into these specialized areas, we will teach you the fundamentals. How are these foods produced and developed? What raw materials are used? Then, for your thesis you will do research on current topics like sustainability, new product developments, or “smart foods.”
Your heart beats for...
A Degree Program with a Future
Specialize in this degree program by selecting a product category to focus on
- Baked goods and confectionery technology
- Drink technology
- Protein-based foods
The degree program can be 6 or 7 semesters (including an internship semester).
You will bring one of the following educational backgrounds:
- General university entrance qualification (Abitur)
- Specialized university entrance qualification
- Advanced technical college certificate (Fachhochschulreife)
- Professional qualification (Case-by-case examination)
German language level: B2
1. Semester
- Raw materials science
- Food production
- Mathematics
- Physics I
- Chemistry I
- Business administration
2. Semester
- Sensor technology
- Physics II
- Organic chemistry & biochemistry
- Physical chemistry
- Statistics
- English
3. Semester
- Microbiology I
- Process engineering I
- Operational technology
- Food chemistry I
- Food law
4. Semester
- Microbiology II
- Process engineering II
- Food technology II
- Raw material technology according to selected focus area I
- Product technology according to selected focus area I
5. Semester
- Raw material technology according to selected focus area II
- Product technology according to selected focus area II
- Quality management
6. Semester
- Applied project
- Bachelor thesis
Focus areas/advance courses
- Baked goods and confectionery technology
- Drink technology
- Protein-based foods
As a graduate of our degree program in food technology,
- you will be able to develop, plan, organize, implement, and optimize complex processes in production – both in industry and trade and for suppliers
- you will understand food manufacturing processes
- you will combine material (chemical, microbiological, physical) characteristics of raw materials with technical parameters
The different internships you will complete throughout your degree program provide practical experience implementing the theoretical knowledge you have gained.
As a food technologist, you will work in:
- Research and development of foods and drinks, raw materials or manufacturing systems
- Production planning and management
- Quality assurance or quality management
- Sales, marketing, and company management
You can carry out this work in different industries, such as:
- at food manufacturers
- in the supplier industry (raw materials manufacturers)
- in the packaging industry
- at machine and equipment manufacturers
- in research institutions
- in university teaching
- as a freelancer (technological consulting, start-ups, journalism)
- Baked goods manufacturers (such as Dr. Oetker, Coppenrath & Wiese; Kuchenmeister)
- Confectionery manufacturers (such as Storck, Lindt)
- Drink manufacturers (such as riha WeserGold, Krombacher Brauerei, Carolinen, Coca Cola)
- Ingredients and raw materials supplier industry (such as Uniferm GmbH&CoKG, Erbslöh Geisenheim GmbH, Symrise AG).
- Machine and system manufacturers (such as Gea).
- Planning firms (such as Ruland Engineering & Consulting)
Food research is a particularly well-developed area of focus at TH OWL, represented by a separate research institute and the Future Food Factory OWL. Here, you will work as a student alongside scientists on topics like sustainable processes, plant-based alternative products, innovative new products, digitization in the food industry, sensor systems and consumer research. You can work in research alongside companies as a student worker, or as a research associate after completing your degree as part of a Ph.D program.
... the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations
- directly to zero hunger
- directly to good health and well-being
- directly to quality education
- directly to industry, innovation and infrastructure
- directly to responsible consumption and production
Studying at Innovation Campus Lemgo

At the Innovation Campus in Lemgo, you will study at one of the most exciting technology locations in NRW. Here you will find state-of-the-art laboratories and teaching rooms as well as science-to-business factories. For example, the Centrum Industrial IT, in which companies from all over East Westphalia-Lippe (OWL) have their branches. Or the Smart Factory OWL, which showcases data and AI management. In the Future Food Factory OWL, which is unique in Europe, something similar is happening in relation to food production. New work and transfer meet at InnovationSPIN. Here, TH OWL, the district administration and the skilled trades demonstrate transparent cooperation and a spirit that allows new things to emerge. In addition to Fraunhofer IOSB-INA, the campus is also home to two vocational schools and the national handball league team TBV Lemgo-Lippe. And best of all, the campus also has student residence halls with short distances to the university and the city.
Information
- Application and enrollment
- Dates and deadlines
- Semester dues
- FAQ about application and enrollment
- Studyplan
- Manual of course modules
Only the details of the currently valid examination regulations of the degree program as published in the promulgation gazette are authoritative and legally binding. You can find the announcement sheets here.
Contact and Counseling
- Our Central Student Advisory Service answers questions about studying at the university
- Offers for study orientation
- Get to know your department!
- Click here to go to the subject-specific student advisory service of the department
- Apply via our KIS portal!
- Information on the enrollment procedure is available from the Enrollment Office
- Studying abroad? Our International Office is there for you!
Still unanswered questions?
Our Student Service Center will answer all your questions about studying at TH OWL as well as about application and enrollment:
Phone: +49 5261 702 2534
E-mail: studierendenservice(at)th-owl.de
Service hours: Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.