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Master'sRobotics, Automation & Control Applications open

Master’s in Food & Beverage Automation Engineering

Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in food and beverage automation engineering, structured in 12 modules covering hygienic design, sanitary instrumentation, thermal process control, ISA-88 batch automation, CIP cleaning systems, packaging and end of line, food robotics, inspection and quality, food safety and traceability, and digitalisation, with an assigned technical tutor.

Duration1900 h
ModeOnline
LanguageEnglish
Start datesSet by the faculty
AwardSEIUM Institute diploma
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Learning outcomes

What you will be able to do

01

Apply hygienic design principles to automated equipment.

02

Select sanitary instrumentation.

03

Control thermal processes and validate heat treatments.

04

Design batch systems in accordance with ISA-88.

05

Automate CIP cleaning systems.

06

Integrate robotics, inspection and packaging into lines.

07

Ensure food safety and traceability.

Profile

Who it's for

  • Food automation engineers working on process and packaging lines.
  • Food process engineers responsible for thermal and batch processes.
  • Quality and food safety managers overseeing HACCP and traceability.
  • Packaging engineers optimising filling and end-of-line equipment.
  • Batch control specialists designing ISA-88 recipes.
  • Production managers in food and beverage plants.
  • Engineering or science graduates seeking to enter the dairy industry.
Standards & tools

What you'll work with

  • Regulation (EC) 1935/2004 (materials in contact with food)
  • Regulation (EC) 852/2004 (hygiene of foodstuffs)
  • EN 1672-2:2020 (food processing machinery — hygiene requirements)
  • ISO 14159:2002 (hygiene requirements for machinery design)
  • EHEDG Doc. 8 (hygienic equipment design criteria)
  • ISA-88.01 (batch control models and terminology)
  • FSSC 22000 (food safety system certification)
  • ISO 22000:2018 (food safety management systems)
  • Siemens SIMATIC Batch
  • Rockwell FactoryTalk Batch
  • TIA Portal
  • Ignition
  • AVEVA MES
Syllabus

12 modules · 1900 h

  1. 1.1Structure of the food and beverage sector
  2. 1.2Continuous and batch processes
  3. 1.3Hygiene and food safety requirements
  4. 1.4Raw material variability
  5. 1.5Levels of automation in the sector
  6. 1.6Production and waste indicators
  7. 1.7Digitalisation trends
  8. 1.8Sustainability and resource consumption
  9. 1.9Sector regulations
  10. 1.10Case study: diagnosis of a beverage plant
  1. 2.1EHEDG hygienic design principles
  2. 2.2Food contact materials
  3. 2.3Regulation (EC) 1935/2004
  4. 2.4Stainless steel and surface finishes
  5. 2.5Drainability and dead zones
  6. 2.6Hygienic design of sensors
  7. 2.7Washdown enclosures and cabling
  8. 2.8IP69K protection ratings
  9. 2.9EN 1672-2 and ISO 14159 standards
  10. 2.10Workshop: hygienic review of a machine
  1. 3.1Mass and magnetic flow measurement
  2. 3.2Sanitary temperature measurement
  3. 3.3Conductivity and concentration
  4. 3.4In-line refractometry
  5. 3.5Tank level measurement
  6. 3.6Seat and butterfly valves
  7. 3.7Tri-Clamp sanitary connections
  8. 3.8Calibration and traceability
  9. 3.93-A certified instrumentation
  10. 3.10Practical exercise: selecting sanitary instruments
  1. 4.1HTST pasteurisation of liquids
  2. 4.2UHT sterilisation and downstream packaging
  3. 4.3Retort control
  4. 4.4Blanching and cooking
  5. 4.5Refrigeration and freezing
  6. 4.6Cascade temperature control
  7. 4.7Recording critical parameters
  8. 4.8Validation of heat treatments
  9. 4.9F0 lethality calculation
  10. 4.10Lab: pasteuriser control in simulation
  1. 5.1The ISA-88 batch control model
  2. 5.2Recipes and procedures
  3. 5.3Phases and equipment modules
  4. 5.4Recipe management in batch software
  5. 5.5Mixing and dosing
  6. 5.6Fermentation and process control
  7. 5.7Electronic batch records
  8. 5.8Batch-to-batch traceability
  9. 5.9Product changeovers
  10. 5.10Practical exercise: mixing recipe with ISA-88
  1. 6.1Sinner's circle in cleaning
  2. 6.2CIP circuit design
  3. 6.3Control of concentrations and temperatures
  4. 6.4Automated cleaning sequences
  5. 6.5Solution recovery
  6. 6.6Cleaning validation
  7. 6.7Water and energy savings
  8. 6.8SIP systems and sterilisation
  9. 6.9CIP cycle recording
  10. 6.10Case study: optimising a CIP cycle
  1. 7.1Volumetric and gravimetric fillers
  2. 7.2Cappers and labellers
  3. 7.3Aseptic carton packaging
  4. 7.4Form-fill and thermoforming machines
  5. 7.5Robotic case palletising
  6. 7.6Checkweighing and rejection
  7. 7.7Closure and fill-level inspection
  8. 7.8The PackML model in lines
  9. 7.9Line efficiency calculation
  10. 7.10Workshop: efficiency analysis of a packaging line
  1. 8.1Delta robots for pick and place
  2. 8.2Robots with hygienic protection
  3. 8.3Grippers for delicate foods
  4. 8.4Vision for sorting
  5. 8.5Robots in meat cutting
  6. 8.6Robotics in bakery
  7. 8.7Safety in food cells
  8. 8.8Robot cleaning
  9. 8.9Return on investment
  10. 8.10Practical exercise: pick-and-place cell with vision
  1. 9.1Metal detection
  2. 9.2X-ray inspection
  3. 9.3Product machine vision
  4. 9.4In-line checkweighing
  5. 9.5In-process NIR spectroscopy
  6. 9.6Foreign body detection
  7. 9.7Allergen control
  8. 9.8Integration with quality systems
  9. 9.9Non-conformity management
  10. 9.10Case study: foreign body control plan
  1. 10.1HACCP system and prerequisites
  2. 10.2Automated critical control points
  3. 10.3IFS and BRCGS standards
  4. 10.4The FSSC 22000 standard
  5. 10.5Regulation (EC) 178/2002
  6. 10.6Traceability with GS1 codes
  7. 10.7Product recall management
  8. 10.8Data recording and audits
  9. 10.9Data integrity
  10. 10.10Workshop: designing an automated CCP
  1. 11.1MES systems in food
  2. 11.2OEE calculation
  3. 11.3ISO 50001 energy management
  4. 11.4Water consumption monitoring
  5. 11.5Predictive maintenance of equipment
  6. 11.6Production planning
  7. 11.7Integration with ERP
  8. 11.8Digital twins of processes
  9. 11.9Cybersecurity in food plants
  10. 11.10Case study: waste reduction project
  1. 12.1Description of the food process
  2. 12.2Hygienic and regulatory requirements
  3. 12.3Automation architecture
  4. 12.4Process and recipe control
  5. 12.5Cleaning and packaging
  6. 12.6Quality and traceability
  7. 12.7Efficiency assessment
  8. 12.8Conclusions and proposal
  9. 12.9Master's Thesis report
  10. 12.10Master's Thesis: defence before a panel
Methodology, software & labs

How you'll learn

Training is 100% online on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within the intake, so it is compatible with full-time work.

Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is Siemens SIMATIC Batch, Rockwell FactoryTalk Batch, TIA Portal, Ignition and AVEVA MES, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Exercises are based on real procedures for batch recipe design, hygienic design review of equipment and optimisation of cleaning cycles. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final Master's Thesis.

Standards covered: Regulation (EC) 1935/2004, Regulation (EC) 852/2004, EN 1672-2:2020, ISO 14159:2002, EHEDG Doc. 8, ISA-88.01, FSSC 22000, ISO 22000:2018.

Assigned technical tutor:every module ends with a deliverable that your tutor marks individually.
Standards-based learning:guided reading of Regulation (EC) 1935/2004, EN 1672-2 and ISA-88 applied to real cases, not as a theoretical annex.
Industry software:Siemens SIMATIC Batch, Rockwell FactoryTalk Batch, TIA Portal, Ignition and AVEVA MES, in free, academic or evaluation versions.
Master's Thesis with defence:A complete automation design for a food or beverage process, defended before a panel.
Flexible format:100% online, no fixed timetables, compatible with full-time work.
Capstone project

Build it end to end

Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.

Describe the food process
Define the process and its hygienic and regulatory requirements.
Design the automation architecture
Specify control systems, instrumentation and ISA-88 recipes.
Automate cleaning and packaging
Design the CIP sequences and the packaging and end-of-line automation.
Ensure quality and efficiency
Integrate inspection, traceability and OEE assessment into the line.
Master's Thesis
A complete automation design for a food or beverage process, defended before a panel.
Career opportunities

Where this takes you

Food automation engineerFood process engineerQuality and food safety managerPackaging engineerBatch control specialistProduction manager
Admissions & scholarships

Requirements

  • A university degree in engineering, science or architecture, or equivalent demonstrable professional experience.
  • An internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme software.
  • English sufficient to read technical standards.

Ready to start?

Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.

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FAQ

Frequently asked questions

The programme totals 1,900 hours over 12–14 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.

You work with Siemens SIMATIC Batch, Rockwell FactoryTalk Batch, TIA Portal, Ignition and AVEVA MES, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.

A SEIUM Institute diploma, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the Master's Thesis. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.

Yes. Modules passed in a course or postgraduate diploma in the same area are recognised in the higher programme. Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.

A university degree in engineering, science or architecture (or equivalent professional experience), a computer able to run the programme software, and English sufficient to read technical standards.

Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.

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