Graduate Faculty

701-231-7711

Deland Myers, Ph.D., Chair
Iowa State University, 1984
Research Interests:
Utilization of Legume and Cereal Proteins in Nonfood and Food Applications and Their Functionality.

Kow Ching (Sam)Chang, Ph.D.
University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 1980
Research Interests:
Legumes, Processing and Chemistry

Douglas C. Doehlert, Ph.D. (adjunct)
University of Wisconsin, 1982
Research Interests:
Oat Variety Development, Quality of Oats and Oat Products

Clifford A. Hall III, Ph.D.
University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 1996
Research Interests:
Flaxseed, Antioxidants, Phytochemical Stability in Food Systems

Gary A. Hareland, Ph.D. (adjunct)
North Dakota State University, 1987
Research Interests:
Durum and Hard Red Spring Wheat Quality

Khalil Khan, Ph.D.
University of Manitoba, 1977
Research Interests:
Electrophoresis, Proteins and Enzymes, Wheat Quality

Dennis P. Wiesenborn, Ph.D. (adjunct)
Rice University, 1988
Research Interests:
Food Engineering, Process Development, Oilseeds Processing

Charlene Wolf-Hall, Ph.D. (adjunct)
University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 1995
Research Interests:
Food Microbiology and Food Safety

Program Description

The of Cereal and Food Sciences program offers graduate study leading to the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Cereal and Food Sciences. Advanced work may involve research in the areas of proteins, carbohydrates, enzymes, and lipids of cereals, legumes, and other northern-grown crops; barley malting and brewing; wheat milling, baking, and pasta processing. Research in functional foods and stability of bioactive compounds in food systems are also predominant areas of research.

The department has a close working relationship with the Northern Crops Institute and the USDA Hard Red Spring and Durum Wheat Quality Laboratory housed in the Harris Hall complex.

Students are strongly urged to visit faculty members to discuss research opportunities. During the first year in the program, the student will, with his or her adviser, prepare a research proposal.

Admissions Requirements

The Cereal and Food Sciences graduate program is open to all qualified graduates of universities and colleges of recognized standing. To be admitted with full standing status to the program, the applicant must

1. Hold a baccalaureate degree from an educational institute of recognized standing.
2. Have adequate preparation in chemistry and the biological sciences, and show potential to undertake advanced study and research as evidenced by academic performance and experience.
3. At the baccalaureate level, have earned a cumulative grade point average (GPA) in all courses of at least 3.0 or equivalent.

Students who do not meet all requirements for admission or have deficiencies in prerequisite course work, but show satisfactory potential for graduate study may be admitted conditionally. Dependent upon the student's academic performance after the first or second semester of study, the conditional status may be changed to full graduate standing.

Applications should be submitted directly to The Graduate School before March 15 of the upcoming academic year, although applications will be considered at any time they are submitted. Official transcripts (transcripts having an appropriate seal or stamp) of all previous undergraduate and graduate records must be received by The Graduate School before the application is complete. When a transcript is submitted in advance of completion of undergraduate or graduate studies, an updated transcript showing all course credits and grades must be provided prior to initial registration at North Dakota State University.

Three letters of recommendation are generally required before action is taken on any application. Personal reference report forms are available from The Graduate School.

The TOEFL examination is required of international applicants. A minimum score of 550 (paper test) or 213 (computer test) must be achieved.

Financial Assistance

The number of assistantships varies from year to year, depending on industrial support, grants, and the number of students in residence. Applicants are considered on the basis of scholarship, academic performance, and financial need. The application to The Graduate School, including the three letters of reference and official transcripts, is required to be considered for an assistantship. International students must also submit a TOEFL score. The minimum annual stipends for M.S. and Ph.D. students are $12,000 and $13,200, respectively for a half time assistantship. In addition, graduate tuition is waived for students with assistantships.

Degree Requirements

The Master of Science program requires a minimum of 20 semester credits of course work with an overall GPA of 3.0 or better. The Ph.D. program requires the completion of a minimum of 40 semester credits of course work with an overall GPA of 3.0 or better.
With assistance from the adviser, a supervisory/advisory and examining committee is established and a plan of study developed. The student is required to prepare and defend a written research proposal.

For M.S. candidates, a written examination on course work is required prior to scheduling the final oral examination at which the student defends the thesis and is asked questions covering academic subject matter.

Ph.D. candidates are required to take a preliminary written and oral examination covering academic subject matter and a final oral defense of a research-based dissertation.

Research Facilities and Equipment

The department maintains specialized equipment that evaluates cereal and food quality including laboratory equipment, such as spectrophotometers, gas chromatographs, a particle size analyzer, LC-MS, GC-MS, high-performance liquid chromatographs, various electrophoretic devices, a differential scanning calorimeter, Rapid ViscoAnalyzer, and computer terminals. Flour mills, ranging up to pilot-plant size; three completely equipped bake shops; continuous bread-baking equipment; rheological instruments for dough testing; several pasta-processing units; malting equipment; Asian noodle making equipment; soymilk/tofu processing machines; a wet processing pilot plant; labscale HT/ST extruder; and a microbrewery are some examples of the specialized equipment.

In addition, the department has access to equipment and instrumentation in the Northern Crops Institute and USDA Hard Red Spring and Durum Wheat Quality Laboratory housed in the same building complex.

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Courses Offered

630 Food Unit Operations 2

Thermodynamics, materials and energy balance, fluid flow, heat transfer, all related to food processing. Prereq: Math 147; Phys 211, 211L. Coreq: CFS 631.

631 Food Unit Operations Laboratory 1

Experiments relevant to CS 630, with emphasis on application of mass and energy balances, and heat transfer to food processing operations. Coreq: CFS 630.

650 Cereal Technology 3

Discussion of cereal grains, their properties, evaluation, and utilization.

653 Food Microbiology 3

Study of the nature, physiology, and interactions of microorganisms in foods. Introduction to foodborne diseases, effects of food processing on the microflora of foods, principles of food preservation, food spoilage, and foods produced by microorganisms. Prereq: Biol 202L or Micr 350L.

660 Food Chemistry 3

Study of food components, including water, carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, vitamins, minerals, and enzymes. Prereq: CS 210; Chem 341, 341L; Bioc 460.

661 Food Chemistry Laboratory 1

Laboratory isolation, observation of characteristics, and quantitation of food components. Coreq: CS 460/660.

664 Food Analysis 3

Principles, applications, and practice of methods for quantitative determination of food components. Two lectures and one 3-hour laboratory. Prereq: Bioc 460, CFS 460/660, or departmental approval.

670 Food Processing II 3

Capstone course integrating principles of food chemistry, food microbiology, food engineering, nutrition, statistics, and sensory evaluation through the discussion of food processing operations. Prereq: CS 450, 460, or departmental approval.

671 Food Processing Laboratory 1

Field trips, experiments on freezing, freeze drying, spray drying, canning, beverage production, water activity measurements, shelf life, and quality control. Coreq: CS 470/670.

758 Fundamentals of Flour Testing and Baking 3

Flour testing, industrial, and experimental bread baking. Production methods, ingredients, and baking reactions. Lectures and laboratories. Prereq: CS 450/650.

759 Milling 3

Experimental and industrial feed and flour milling. Production, equipment, and factors involved in the milling process. Lectures and laboratories. Prereq: CS 450/650.

760 Pasta Processing 2

Durum wheat quality, pasta production, and pasta quality evaluation. Lectures and laboratories. Prereq: CS 450/650.

761 Malting and Brewing 2

Barley and malt quality; malting and brewing. Lectures and laboratories. Prereq: CS 450/650.

765 Advanced Cereal and Food Chemistry I 4

Physiochemical, structural, and functional properties of cereal and food carbohydrates and lipids in food systems.

766 Advanced Cereal and Food Chemistry II 4

Physiochemical, structural, and functional properties of cereal and food proteins and the biochemical characteristics of enzymes in food systems

The following variable credit courses are also offered:

 

690, 790 Seminar 1-3

 

793 Individual Study/Tutorial 1-5

 

695, 795 Field Study 1-15

 

696, 796 Special Topics 1-5

 

798 Master's Thesis 1-10

 

799 Doctoral Dissertation 1-15