Presentation

Master in Gastronomic Sciences - Start date: OCTOBER 2023

Become a highly qualified professional, enabling you to work in areas related to scientific and technological research and innovation in gastronomy and nutrition.

The gastronomy, nutrition and catering sector is constantly expanding, and needs professionals who are familiar with valid research tools and apply them to move the sector forward on any of its planes.

The use of scientific tools in the world of gastronomy is increasingly necessary to develop new culinary products. Food technology and research likewise demand knowledge of gastronomy to devise products with the best possible sensory properties.

In this official University Master's Degree, the first official Master’s to offer specialised research in the gastronomy, catering and nutrition sector, you’ll learn about the research methodologies used in the gastronomy sector and how to apply them in order to develop new products and services with a scientific-technological base, in addition to innovative business propositions.

Specialisation on this Master’s focuses on an integrated vision of scientific and gastronomic disciplines. Gastronomy and the emotional factor are inserted in the mindset of students with a scientific background, and the scientific method is likewise inserted in the mindset of students with gastronomic profiles.

This Master's Degree will also open doors to teaching and doctoral studies.

90 credits, including the preparation of a Final Master's Project at a company, technology centre or R&D department at a university, which can be carried out abroad.

You’ll be taught by leading national and international professors and guest lecturers with extensive teaching and professional experience in the various areas of the syllabus.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

• Official Master’s Degree
• Duration: 18 months
• 90 ECTS credits
• Enrollment open until 17th july 2023
• Start date: October 2023
• Connection to Doctorate
• Queries and further information at: masteruni@bculinary.com​

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PROFESSIONAL OUTLETS

• Manager of gastronomic ecosystems and products
• Manager of food laboratory
• Research chef in R+D+i departments
• Manager at food industry multinationals
• Technical officer in charge of developing new food products
• Head of R+D+i at food companies, restaurants or businesses
• Researcher at technology centres operating in the foodstuffs sector
• Professional consultant operating in the foodstuffs sector
• Innovation consultants operating in the foodstuffs sector
• Manager of businesses operating in the HORECA channel
• Manager of international Gastronomy and Science congresses
• Technical officer in charge of food quality
• Research lecturer in Gastronomy, Nutrition and Culinary Arts

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​ARE YOU A FOREIGN STUDENT? 

Students enrolling on a master’s course must make arrangements for a long-term study visa at the nearest Spanish embassy or consulate in their country of residence. If they have a European identity document, no visa arrangements will be necessary.

See a list of the embassies and consulates here.

These arrangements can be made when a place has been booked on the master’s course.

10+1 Reasons

WHY THIS MASTER'S DEGREE IS THE RIGHT ONE FOR YOU

Programa

DIRECTED AT

This Master's  Degree targets university graduates who are interested in research into the development of new products, and everything related to the gastronomy, food and catering sectors.

It is open to university graduates in different disciplines, such as:

Gastronomy, Nutrition, Food Technology, Innovation in Food Processes and Products, Biochemistry*, Pharmacy*, Biology*, Chemistry*, Environmental Sciences*, Anthropology*, Applied Sociology*, Biotechnology* and Business Management and Administration*.

*Additional training will be given in some specific areas.

LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS:

The Master's Degree is taught in English. Therefore, students must certify a level equal to or higher than B2 in English. 

PROGRAMME

The Master's Degree study programme gives students overall competencies, supplemented with a period of work placement during which the final project is prepared.

1st ACADEMIC YEAR	60 ECTS	DOWNLOAD INFORMATION
1st Semester	30
Design of Products & Services	6
Gastronomy Research Methodology	6
Statistics Applied to R&D	6
New Business Models in the Hospitality & Catering Sector (HORECA)	6
Sensory Perception	6
2nd Semester	30
Gastronomy Project Management	6
Development of New Business Management Models	6
Design and Architecture of Dishes and Menus	6
Sociocultural Effects of Gastronomy Tendencies	6
Knowledge Transfer	6

FINAL MASTER'S PROJECT

During the second year of the Master's Degree, students will spend at least 5 months (30 ECTS) preparing a final project. This can be done either at a company, technology centre or R&D department of a university, with the support and guidance of professors at the Faculty and also company tutors. This work placement will allow students to learn about and gain first-hand experience of the real world of food and cuisine, by carrying out real-life projects.

As far as possible, Basque Culinary Center will suggest Final Master’s Projects on an ad hoc basis in accordance with the interests of students so that they match their areas of affinity and expectations.

Examples of Final Master’s Projects by our students:

• Reorientation of the business model at The Kitchen Theory - The Kitchen Theory (London, United Kingdom).
• Design of new sensory methodologies and sensory-based product certification - TasteLab (Lugo, Spain).
• Reduction of salt in ready-to-eat foodstuffs - Ebly-Mars (Brussels, Belgium).
• Development of the ecosystem at Food Alchemist Lab & Shi Liao Bo - Università di Modena (Modena, Italy).
• Production on a book on Dim Sum with scientific development - Janice Wong (Singapore)/Mugaritz (Spain)/National University of Singapore (Singapore).
• Study of the Chilean “anchoveta” fish for the development of new products - Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (Santiago de Chile, Chile).
• Utilisation of new sources of proteins for culinary applications - Restaurante DSTAgE (Madrid, Spain)
• Characterisation of maranta (Maranta arundinacea) starch as an alternative to traditional starches - Restaurante Mugaritz (Errenteria, Spain).

Calendar

1st ACADEMIC YEAR:

In-classroom teaching at Basque Culinary Center

October 2023 to June 2024

2nd ACADEMIC YEAR:

Final Master's Project at a company or university, which may be in the student's country of origin.

September 2024 - January 2025

TIMETABLE:

Mondary to Friday, mornings.

ENROLMENT:

Enrolment as of December 2022. 

The programme includes participation in a number of the following events:

• San Sebastián Gastronomika congress 
• The International Forum of Entrepreneurs Culinary Action!
• “Kitchen Dialogues” forum
• “Culinary Interaction” forum
• Visits to institutions and businesses

Methodology

Based on the Mondragon Unibertsitatea educational model, the Basque Culinary Center model puts students centre stage, focusing on their personal, social and professional training. It is an eminently practical model based on skills that will be required in students’ professional careers, in which they learn by doing, by working in teams, carrying out real projects, focusing on entrepreneurship and giving priority to autonomy and decision-making.

Subjects are not studied in isolation on this Master’s course. The specific contents of each subject are separate, and set out in blocks matching the life cycle of a product or service. They are divided into phases forming part of the development of a product or service: preliminary studies and ideation, conceptualisation, preliminary design, validation and prototyping, tendencies, planning and management, design and architecture, project management, economic management and knowledge transfer.

The theoretical-practical lectures also follow this sequence, in such a way that the student can acquire a more realistic mental structure, instead of studying subjects in isolation. This is also assisted by carrying out real projects implemented for the purposes of teaching the theoretical-practical lectures:

Core project: this starts at the beginning of lectures in October, until the end of the second semester in June. It is based on the need to research a specific issue related to a university, technology centre or restaurant. The project is supervised by a gastronomy tutor, a scientific tutor and a mentor to stimulate interaction between science and cookery. The ultimate objective is to generate solutions leading to research, and the publication of a gastronomy paper.

Challenges: these projects stem from a request by a restaurant, technology centre or the food industry on an issue tabled by these organisations. The challenge will be specified, and students will have an agreed period to obtain results, set out in a technical report, a prototype or similar.

Teachers and guests

Juan Carlos Arboleya

MASTER'S COURSE TECHNICAL COORDINATOR

He holds a degree in Chemical Sciences from the University of Oviedo, and wrote his doctoral thesis at the Institute of Food Research (Norwich, England), a study on the functioning of a range of foodstuff macromolecules, such as proteins or various types of polysaccharides. He spent eleven years as a researcher at AZTI-Tecnalia's Foodstuff Research Unit (Vizcaya), and also headed up the Foodstuff Characterisation and Microstructural Design research group. The knowledge generated was applied to the design of new products for the food industry, and also to the creation of new cookery recipes in association with haute cuisine outlets such as the Mugaritz restaurant. He is currently research lecturer at the Basque Culinary Center (University of Mondragón), and coordinator of its master's programme and the doctorate in Gastronomic Sciences. He is also Chief Editor of the International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science (published by Elsevier).  

 

 

 

BASQUE CULINARY CENTER LECTURING STAFF

Jorge Bretón

Coordinator of the Cookery area at the Basque Culinary Center. He trained at a number of leading restaurants such as El Bulli, El Celler de Can Roca and El Poblet. Jorge has worked as a chef at two restaurants boasting Michelin stars: La Sucursal and Vertical. He has won many awards in the course of his career, such as Best Chef in the Community of Valencia - Chef Millesime 2012 and the National Gastronomy Research and Development Prize awarded by the Federation of Valencian Catering Entrepreneurs (FEHV). He combines his work as instructor and coordinator at the Basque Culinary Center as gastronomy advisor to the catering sector and the foodstuffs industry.

Cipriano Carrero

He has a doctorate in Applied Chemistry from Madrid's Universidad Autónoma. Cipriano has worked as researcher with Spain's National Scientific Research Council, Universiteit van Amsterdam, Università degli Studi di Torino and Stockholms Universitet. He now lectures at Mondragon Unibertsitatea on the Gastronomy Sciences Master's programme and the undergraduate course in Gastronomy and Culinary Arts. His chief lines of research include fungus biotechnology and the creation of a range of methodologies relating to the extraction, subdivision and analysis of bioactive and nutraceutical ingredients. 

Usune Etxeberria

Researcher heading up the Health area at BCC Innovation. A doctor of Foodstuffs, Physiology and Health (University of Navarra), a graduate in Foodstuff Science and Technology, and also a graduate in Human Nutrition and Dietetics (University of the Basque Country). Master's in Nutrition and Metabolism (University of Navarra) and a master's in Business Management (University of Deusto). She has been on research placements at Teagasc Ashtown Food Research Centre (Dublin) and the Catholic University of Louvain (Brussels). She has written more than 20 scientific papers, and was also founding partner in a start-up.

Anaïs Iglesias

She holds a doctorate in Economics and Business Management from the University of Deusto and an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania. Following two years of consultancy work in Spain and the United States, in areas relating to the strategies of public authorities and business development, she has worked at the University of Deusto since 2005 on projects in connection with education in enterprise, education in social values, and research. Her areas of work include education projects for enterprise, and research on a number of European, national and regional projects, chiefly in connection with social innovation and business competitiveness.  She is also the author of a number of scientific papers and communications, and has had university lecturing experience since 2014.

Joo Youl Lee

He holds a degree in Gastronomy and Culinary Arts and a master's in Gastronomic Sciences from the Basque Culinary Center faculty (Donostia-San Sebastián). He now forms part of the BCC coordination team for the Master's in Gastronomic Sciences. Originally from South Korea, he has worked at a number of restaurants such as Relæ (Copenhagen), Alkimia (Barcelona) and Elkano (Getaria). He takes a great interest in the psychosocial aspect of gastronomy and in the comprehension of the combination of science and gastronomy. 

Raquel Mestre

She holds a degree in Food Science and Technology from the University of Granada, and is also an illustrator. A graduate from the Master's in Gastronomic Sciences programme at the Basque Culinary Center, she secured a grant to work in BBC Innovation's Sensory Perception department, and carried out her final master's project on interactions between disciplines in R+D teams in gastronomy. She is currently a member of the Technical Committee for the Master's in Gastronomic Sciences and a lecturer on the Gastronomy and Culinary Arts undergraduate course, and on a number of the master's courses taught at the Basque Culinary Center.

María Mora

María Mora has a B.S. degree in Human Nutrition, a M.S. in Food Science and Technology, and a PhD on the Agro-environmental Technology for Sustainable Agriculture program. María specializes in sensory science and sensometrics, with highlights in the psychological dimension of consumer behavior. Her Ph.D. research focused on the consumer's emotional response elicited by different foods. Since 2015 she has been working as a researcher in the sensory analysis area of BCCInnovation, developing research projects with both public and private funding.

Pablo Orduna

He holds a doctorate in Modern History from the University of Navarra. He has lectured at this institution, as international lecturer-reader at the University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB), and also lecturer-researcher at the International University of La Rioja and in the Gastronomic Sciences Faculty at the Basque Culinary Center. He has conducted research with grants from the CSIC Council and the José Miguel de Barandiarán Foundation. He obtained a research placement in the Center of Basque Studies at the University of Nevada, Reno (USA). He is an extremely active member of a number of History, Ethnography and Anthropology associations. He continues his ethnological research work with the Etniker Ethnographic Studies Group. He has been a member of the "Cuadernos de Etnología y Etnografía de Navarra" periodical's Editorial Board since 2016. He has also been a member of the Editorial Board of International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science since 2020.

Laura Perezabad

She holds a doctorate in Foodstuff Sciences from Madrid's Universidad Autónoma. After studying nutrition, she undertook a personal consultancy project for individuals and businesses. She worked in the food industry before studying for a doctorate at the CSIC research centre on egg and milk food allergies. She is now coordinating lecturer for the Development and Food Technology speciality on the Gastronomy undergraduate course, and also a researcher with BCCInn. Her work on a range of projects constantly seeks synergies between nutrition, food technology and gastronomy to meet the demands of the foodstuffs sector.

John Regefalk

Research chef and coordinator of the culinary team at BCC Innovation. He has more than 20 years' international experience in professional kitchens and top restaurants (Noma - Copenhagen, RyuGin - Tokyo, Metamorfosi - Rome), which have afforded him a broad gastronomic perspective and experience across a wide range of different types of cuisine. He lived and worked in Italy for 9 years, giving him an insight into the country's gastronomic culture.

Laura Vázquez

Research coordinator and researcher at BCC Innovation. She holds one degree in Biology, another in Food Science and Technology, and also a doctorate in Agriculture and Food Sciences and Technologies. She has over 15 years' experience in the Sensory Analysis of food, and has written more than 60 papers in indexed periodicals. She formerly worked as head of research and sensory development with Hijos de Rivera S.A.U., and researcher/lecturer at a number of universities (University of Vigo, Kansas State University and Miguel Hernández University in Elche).

GUEST EXPERTS

Javier Ahedo

A gastronomy consultant with extensive international experience. His professional trajectory has included several countries and haute cuisine restaurants with Michelin stars such as Mugaritz, Zuberoa, Casa Marcial, and Nihonryori Ryugin in Tokyo. He specialises in effective, highly profitable gastronomic concepts, constantly adapted and contextualised in accordance with the idiosyncrasies of the surroundings, economic objectives, and strategic positioning of the project. Some of his projects are Bar Con in Helsinki, Valley Sports Center in Casablanca, F&B Strategy for the new Camp Nou stadium, Chaka Khan in Barcelona, Hotel Aire de Bardenas in Navarra etc. He also promotes the Humo Pizza project in Donosti.

Francisco Álvarez Ron

Dietitian-Nutritionist and former student on the Master's in Gastronomic Sciences. He is now Head of Product Development and Manager of Food Alchemist Lab at the Future Food Institute, which carries out internal projects and consultancy work for the food industry. He also conducts gastronomic experiments on fermentation and product development. He has authored a number of scientific articles and is involved in congresses and  events in relation to science, gastronomy and foodstuff enterprise.

Jose Berasaluce

He runs the University of Cádiz's Master's in Management and Innovation of the Gastronomy Culture, "Másterñam". Historian. Graduate in Modern and Contemporary History. Doctorand in Arts and Humanities. He is keen on politicising gastronomy, understanding it as a common asset, and questioning its power structures. Author  of the book "El engaño de la gastronomía española: perversiones, mentiras y capital cultural" [The Spanish gastronomy swindle: perversion, lies and cultural capital] (Ediciones TREA, 2018). Expert in University-Business innovation and knowledge transfer. Researcher at the Library of Congress, US, Washington DC (2017-2018).

Dani Lasa

Founding partner of Imago S.L., a community producing creative and executive creations in a number of areas to transform businesses. He is currently involved in a number of businesses (Dotorea, Nublo, Humo Pizza and Los Caños), on projects ranging from the creation of catering spaces to management of companies operating in the world of food.  He is a founding partner of Wild Ferment S.L., a company which produces an original low-alcohol beverage in the Basque Country known as Ama Pet-Nat Tea, and sells it in 19 countries. He is also jointly responsible for international projects in the intersection between social innovation and gastronomy, working alongside organisations such as ALC (a social innovation laboratory), La Caixa Foundation and also UNDP (United Nations Development Program), working in countries such as Thailand, Pakistan, Colombia, Uruguay and Peru. 

Erik Fooladi

Associate professor at Volda University College, Norway, within educational studies, emphasising on science education, home economics (food) education and interdisciplinarity. He has an extensive production of teaching resources and popular scientific material in the interface between science and food. His main research interests are education and communication in domain intersections, e.g. between science, cooking and food culture, and between scientific and craftsmanship/practical knowledge. Recently, his research has also included sense/ory experiences in the intersection between sciences and arts.

Peter Klosse

Dr. Peter Klosse (1956) is the owner of Hotel De Echoput in the Netherlands, which has held a Michelin star for 34 years. The restaurant specializes in natural products from the surrounding Royal forest. Scientifically, Peter developed the mouthfeel model which gives new insights in the composition of taste and how compounds affect taste perception. He obtained a PhD from Maastricht University. He educates sommeliers in wine and food pairing. His view on gastronomy is elaborated in his academic textbook: The Essence of Gastronomy (CRC Press, 2013). He founded T.A.S.T.E. to continue his research and collaborations.

Ignacio Morgado

Former professor of Psychobiology at the Universidad Autónoma's Neuroscience Institute in Barcelona. He studied at the Ruhr University (Germany), Oxford University (United Kingdom) and the California Institute of Technology (USA). He was founding dean of the Psychology Faculty, head of the Department of Psychobiology and Methodology of Health Sciences, and head of the Neuroscience Institute at Barcelona's Universidad Autónoma. He writes communication articles on neuroscience in Spanish daily El País. Several academic and research awards. Author of “Los sentidos: Cómo percibimos el mundo” [Senses: how we perceive the world] (Ariel, 2015).

José de la Rosa Morón

A biologist absorbed by gastronomy and the sciences surrounding it, with a close affinity for neurophysiology and microbiology. The Basque Culinary Center's Master's programme in Gastronomic Sciences sparked a connection between his studies and his true passion. He is director and creator of the Food Alchemist Lab at the Future Food Institute, advising a wide range of multinationals and restaurants worldwide. He now works as fermented freelance®, sharing knowledge and exploring the contamination between and through disciplines with the help of microorganisms, in order to "ensure" a better food system from Andalusia and for the world.

Nabila Rodríguez

She qualified as a technical industrial engineer specialising in industrial chemistry at the University of Las Palmas, and graduated in Analytic Chemistry at the University of Laguna. She is a former student on the Gastronomic Sciences Master's programme at the Basque Culinary Center. She now works in research and development at the Alchemist restaurant in Copenhagen, carrying out a range of science and cooking projects. She is also studying for the Gastronomic Sciences doctorate at the Basque Culinary Center in association with Harvard University, investigating the kokumi sensation in fermented products.  

Carlos Velasco

Carlos Velasco is associate professor at the Department of Marketing, BI Norwegian Business School (Norway), where he co-founded the Centre for Multisensory Marketing. Carlos received his D.Phil. in Experimental Psychology from Oxford University. His work is situated at the intersection between Psychology, Marketing, and Human–Computer Interaction, and focuses on understanding, and capitalizing on, our multisensory experiences and their guiding principles. Carlos has worked with a number of companies from around the world on topics such as multisensory experiences, food and drink, branding, and consumer research. For more information, visit https://carlosvelasco.info/

Héloïse Vilaseca 

A chemical engineer specialising in Cookery Science. After seven years working with Fundación Alicia on nutrition, science and education projects, in 2011 she joined Harvard University as head of the laboratory for the Science and Cookery course. She now runs El Celler de Can Roca restaurant's La Masía, which chiefly focuses on sustainability, capacitation and creativity. She has worked on a number of cookery science communication projects for the general public, such as the book “Las deliciosas aventuras de los hermanos Roca” [The delicious adventures of the brothers Roca].

Fees / Grants

The total fee for the Master's Degree is: 13.260 €

 •   9.970 € in the first academic year

 •   3.290 € in the second acadamic year

Payment as follows:

 •   1,000€ on confirmation of admission, as a deposit to book a place

 •   The remaining amount can be paid in monthly instalments

The price includes:

 •   Academic material

 •   Training visits

 •   Sessions with guests on the Master's Degree

Financing options 

The centre has special financing agreements with a number of financial entities (maximun financing option of 6 years).

GRANTS AND AID FOR MASTER'S DEGREES

Since this is an official qualification, students legally resident in Spain can apply for grants or state aid. Likewise, international students can apply for financial assistance and grants from institutions in their country of origin that fund studies abroad.

ERASMUS+ GRANTS

Students can apply for a Erasmus+ grant. These grants promote international mobility and work placements within Europe.

SUPPORT FOR STUDENT EMPLOYABILITY 

In order to help students look for a job, during or after their studies, the students on this Master's Degree course will be given information on any job offers received by the Faculty.

Likewise, during their stay, students can apply for the study-work grants offered by the Faculty, and work in the various departments: R&D, operations, cafeteria etc.

Admission

The Basque Culinary Center admission system is directed at ensuring that our students have the academic level and personal skills required to cope with the innovative and demanding study programme.

An Admissions Committee will be responsible for selecting the candidates admitted.

1 REGISTRATION

2 SUBMISSION OF DOCUMENTS

3 PAYMENT OF THE DEPOSIT TO BOOK A PLACE

 For any queries or further information, please contact admisiones@bculinary.com 

Permanencia

RULES OF CONTINUITY ON THE MASTER’S COURSE:

The rules of continuity on the degree course are based on two aspects: attendance of lectures and participation in the teaching-learning process, and academic results:

 •   Students’ attendance of lectures and participation in the teaching-learning process: Any unjustifiable non-attendance of lectures by students, repeatedly or over long periods of time, since this interferes with the pace of their learning, and also with that of their  fellow students, may alone constitute grounds for mandatory repetition of the subject (or of a number of subjects in the course of the semester), or even for curtailment of their studies.

 •   Academic results: mandatory deregistration for failure to acquire competence on a course after three attempts.

calidad

SGIC – SYSTEM OF INTERNAL QUALITY ASSURANCE

The EHEA framework and new changes in Spanish regulations, require that Spanish universities must ensure the fulfilment of the objectives associated with the lessons taught, in furtherance of continuous improvement.

For this reason, the Basque Culinary Center has designed its own system of internal quality assurance in accordance to the principles and guidelines of the AUDIT program of ANECA (National Agency for the evaluation of quality and accreditation).

• Quality manual [PDF]
• Processes and procedures [PDF]

VERIFICA

This is a programme for the evaluation of the proposals of official study plans designed in line with the EHEA (European Higher Education Area).

A favourable ANECA report is an essential pre-requisite for the degree to become official.

• Application approval report [PDF]
• Final ANECA report [PDF]
• Formal agreement and enrolment in the RUCT [PDF]
• Link to Registro de Universidades, Centros y Títulos (RUCT)

MONITOR

This Is a programme available to universities to help the monitoring of official degrees with the aim of validating their correct implementation and results.

• Self evaluation 2017/2018 [PDF]

DOCENTIA

This is a support programme to universities in the design of their own mechanisms to manage the quality of teaching by university teaching staff, and to promote their development and reputation.

• Teaching protocol [PDF]