About the Department of Food Engineering

The Department of Food Engineering at Mehmet Akif Ersoy University was established within the Faculty of Engineering-Architecture by the Council of Ministers' decision published in the Official Gazette dated July 4, 2011, and numbered 27984 (2nd Repeat). It started education and training on the 3rd floor of the Faculty of Science and Letters B Block Building by accepting students in the 2012-2013 Academic Year. The department, which continues its education and training with its faculty members who have international experience and are experts in their field, and undergraduate and graduate students, has two main science branches, Food Sciences and Food Technology.

There are four equipped laboratories where education, training, and research activities are carried out in our department. The language of instruction in our department is Turkish and the duration of education is 8 semesters (4 years). Students who successfully complete the four-year education program are awarded a bachelor's degree and receive the title of Food Engineer. Students who prefer our department can attend the optional English Preparatory Program for one year at our university's School of Foreign Languages. A Certificate of Achievement is given to students who successfully complete this program.

Burdur is one of the provinces of our country with significant food potential. For example, the Western Mediterranean Region, which includes Burdur, has significant potential for the dairy sector with its existing socio-economic and geographical features. Dairy farming is carried out intensively in the region, especially in the province of Burdur. There are 210 milk collection centers and 13 milk processing facilities in the province. The total capacity of these enterprises is 184,807 tons/year. There is also a milk powder and cheese whey powder processing facility, and the capacity of this facility is 4,554 tons/year. The annual meat production in the province is approximately 5,600 tons. In addition to the prominent dairy and meat industry in Burdur, there are food enterprises such as sugar factory, flour factory, bakery products enterprises producing at export level, pasta factory, mineral water bottling facility. Many of the students graduating from the program find employment opportunities in private sector organizations within the province. It will be possible to apply the products and technologies produced as a result of the scientific researches to be carried out by the faculty members and staff who will work in the program in cooperation with the industry within the framework of university-industry cooperation, and such applications can contribute to the development of the food industry in the region. The fact that Burdur province has a strong food industry and is close to provincial centers such as Antalya, Denizli, Isparta, Afyonkarahisar where related academic units are located and there is no transportation problem to these centers is considered important.

Within Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, the existence of some undergraduate (Veterinary Faculty Food Hygiene and Technology Main Science Branch; Health High School Nutrition and Dietetics Department; Faculty of Science and Letters Chemistry and Biology Departments) and associate degree programs (Burdur Vocational High School, Dairy Products Program) related to Food Engineering provides potential for cooperation in both education and scientific studies with related programs.