Registration is open for Concordia University Wisconsin’s Master of Product Development (MPD) program, Food and Beverage (F&B) track.
This graduate program, the only one of its kind in Wisconsin, will combine the service and the science components of product development to prepare students to be entrepreneurs in the ever-growing food and beverage industry.
This hands-on program guides students through the food and beverage development process from concept to marketplace. Alongside industry leaders, students will work in the labs, in the field, and in the classroom to learn the technical skills and obtain the business knowledge to start their own companies. It is designed to be a blend of business, science, marketing, and culinary arts.
According to Associate Professor of Business, Dr. Brian Curry, MBA program director, “Not only have we built this program to meet the specific demands of the food and beverage industry, but we’re also actually building a building that will provide students with all the conceivable tools to be successful.”
The MPD F&B program is offered through the Batterman School of Business and will be housed in The Robert W. Plaster Free Enterprise Center, the new state-of-the art academic building scheduled to open in fall. The Plaster Center will house a culinary kitchen, 3D printers, labs, collaboration spaces, and focus group rooms to equip students throughout their product development process.
The MPD in F&B will be offered online and in-person on the main campus, 12800 N. Lake Shore Drive, Mequon. It is a two-year program with a thesis project that will result in an actual corporate partner or product launch.
Wisconsin’s robust food and beverage industry ranks fourth in the country. The Milwaukee region alone has 253 food and beverage manufacturers representing a workforce of 15,000 people. Industry leaders from Sargento Foods, Sendik’s Food Market, Palermo’s Pizza, and Kwik Trip are involved in the program.
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