Department of Plastics Engineering
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This program is designed to prepare the graduate for a professional career in the polymer industries of which plastics is the largest. Other segments include rubber, coatings and adhesives.
Plastics Engineering Program Educational Objectives
The Plastics Engineering Undergraduate Program provides students with a well-rounded plastics materials science and engineering education. The curriculum provides a sound foundation in basic sciences, engineering disciplines and communication skills along with a detailed study, including a laboratory experience, of plastics materials, properties, processing and design. The curriculum aims to foster professionalism, ethics and safety.
The department maintains the highest standard of academic excellence in plastics engineering, and maintains a caring environment for students of diverse backgrounds. The Plastics Engineering Program Educational Objectives (PEEX) listed below allow graduates to secure and develop the following post-graduation skills:
PEE1 Graduates are expected to position themselves as readily employable professionals within all fields of plastics engineering, from plastic (polymer) synthesis, material characterization, product design, mold design, troubleshooting and technical service in the field of plastics engineering.
PEE2 Graduates are expected to position themselves as project/team leaders, with developing skills to advance within management levels in the commercial plastics industry.
PEE3 Given the program’s deep outreach measures to alumni within the Plastics Engineering Community, our graduates are expected to maintain contact with the Plastics Engineering Program and that they continue to report and advise on the educational requirements within the field of plastics engineering.
PEE4 Graduates are expected to become team leaders within the global plastics engineering community and to be able to lead and respond to global changes in the field of plastics engineering.
PEE5 Graduates are expected to be well-positioned to consider their need for advanced degrees in the field of plastics engineering, other engineering disciplines, marketing, business administration, medical and intellectual property law.
PEE6 Graduates are expected to adapt to emerging issues in plastics engineering, related to globalization of the plastics industry, environmental concerns and the importance of developing sustainable and reusable resources.
It includes sufficient flexibility for further specialization in areas of individual interest. Undergraduates may join the nation’s first student chapter of the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE). Another Engineering society that is relevant is SAMPE.
Since the program started in 1954, more than 2000 graduates have been employed by polymer industries throughout the United States, South America, Europe, and Asia. Major plastics producers and users recruit annually on campus. While most job openings are in product and process development, or in technical service and marketing medical plastics, some graduates go into research, consulting, and teaching.
The University of Massachusetts Lowell has the only ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology) accredited Plastics Engineering Program in the U.S.
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