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Academics

Students who elect to pursue graduate study in the Department of Polymer and Fiber Engineering may earn two program degrees:

Polymer and Fiber Engineering M.S.
Polymer and Fiber Engineering Ph.D.

Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree in polymer engineering, fiber engineering, materials engineering/science, chemical engineering or related subject area. Graduate Record Examinations and (if an international student) TOEFL scores of all applicants are reviewed by the departmental graduate committee.

Students in the MS program enroll in course work covering core courses in polymer chemistry, polymer processing, structure and properties of polymers and polymer characterization. They further enroll in specialized courses beneficial to their research, such as mechanics of flexible structures, composite materials, biopolymers, and fiber and film formation. Both thesis and non-thesis options are offered. The thesis option requires a minimum of 30 hours of graduate courses plus thesis. The non-thesis option requires 36 hours and a graduate project.

The Ph.D. in polymer and fiber engineering requires a minimum of 60 hours of graduate courses including a minimum of 10 hours of PFEN 8990 Research and Dissertation. The student must enroll in a set of core courses and pass a written qualifying exam. After successfully presenting a dissertation research proposal to the student’s graduate committee, the student becomes a candidate for the Doctor of Philosophy degree and may proceed with the dissertation research. Graduate teaching and research assistantships may be available.