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Sensory and Food Science

UC Davis CPE’s Sensory and Food Science programs serve the continuing education needs of food industry professionals around the world. Offered in conjunction with the UC Davis Department of Food Science and Technology, one of the nation’s premier educational departments in this field.

Additionally, our Product Management Strategy and Innovation program is designed to help you progress towards a product manager role, providing cross-functional skills across business, technology and innovation. You can even complete our programs entirely online, making it easy to fit studying around other commitments.

Certificates and Programs

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Why Choose UC Davis for Your Sensory Science Training?

Here are 6 reasons why you should choose us for your professional development.

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Sensory and Consumer Science Free Sample Lesson

Sign up for a free sample lesson from our Applied Sensory and Consumer Science Certificate Program.

UC Davis Sensory and Food Science FAQs

  • What is sensory analysis?

  • Sensory analysis is the science of using human senses, such as sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing, to understand how products are perceived. By using trained panelists and statistical analysis, personal impressions are turned into meaningful, objective data. This process supports quality control, product development, and consumer insight in industries like food, beverages, and cosmetics. 

    As a result, companies can make informed decisions that help products consistently meet consumer expectations, from early formulation through marketing.

  • What can you do in food science?

  • Food science combines biotechnology, sensory science, quality control, and engineering to understand how food is produced, processed, and improved. Because of its interdisciplinary nature, a background in food science opens the door to many career opportunities. 

    Food science professionals can work as food scientists or technologists, food science technicians, extension agents or specialists, food inspectors, or sales representatives.

  • What sectors can you enter with a food science certificate?

  • With a food science certificate, you’ll qualify for various food science jobs. Some graduates work in academia – teaching, conducting research, and helping shape the future of the field. Others become food science experts in the private sector, working in food product development, manufacturing, nutraceuticals, or pharmaceuticals.  

    Meanwhile, some food science professionals choose to join nonprofit or international organizations, such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), which focuses on food security and nutrition around the world.

  • What is the difference between product management and project management? 

  • Product management and project management both require leadership, communication and cross-functional collaboration, they focus on different outcomes.

    Product managers focus on what to build, why it matters and how it supports customer and business goals. They guide product strategy, customer discovery, prioritization, roadmapping, launch planning and product performance. Project managers focus on how work gets done. They manage timelines, budgets, dependencies, resources and deliverables to keep projects moving.

    If you are a project manager, program manager or agile delivery lead, this course can help you expand from execution ownership into product strategy, customer problem framing, roadmap prioritization and product outcome measurement.

    UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education also offers a Project Management Certificate Program for professionals focused on planning, execution and operational leadership.

  • Can I become a product manager without a product management title?

  • Yes. Many professionals transition into product management from adjacent roles. The key is learning how to translate your existing experience into product management capabilities, including customer discovery, product strategy, prioritization, roadmapping, stakeholder communication and outcome measurement.