Degree: Master of Science
Major: Macromolecular Science and Engineering
Polymers transcend virtually every segment of our economy—from the chemical sector that produces them to the processing and formulation companies that create property-specific products to the biomedical, consumer product, packaging, food, automobile, aerospace, tire and rubber, and furniture and appliance industries that use them. The Department of Macromolecular Science and Engineering at Case Western Reserve University was the first stand-alone polymer science and engineering department in the nation and continues to send its graduates into leadership positions in industry, government, standards and academic organizations. While some 75 percent of all chemists and chemical engineers in the United States work in the polymer field, only a tiny fraction of these people have been specifically trained in polymers—the training and experience you gain earning your graduate degree at Case Western Reserve gives you a unique edge that helps you stand out in the field.
You’ll work alongside our field-leading faculty, making discoveries with a team of elite and prolific researchers—as a group, they publish a peer-reviewed paper approximately every three days. Our department is home to state-of-the-art equipment and facilities, and we attract top seminar speakers and frequent visitors from industry. We offer a well-balanced curriculum that provides a solid basis in the chemistry, physics, engineering and application of polymers—one that has been carefully constructed based on our close ties with industry partners to deliver the kind of education that produces in-demand employees. Our program is designed to hone your technical expertise while building the skills that make you a well-rounded professional: creativity, communication, emotional intelligence, entrepreneurial thinking, leadership and business acumen. And we work closely with our colleagues in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, which provides opportunities to collaborate across the full spectrum of materials research and education.
Explore degree requirements, courses and more in the university's general bulletin.
We have thesis and non-thesis options to fit your particular career goals, as well as a new master’s degree track and certificate program in advanced films and packaging systems that offers flexible scheduling, online and on-site courses, and an emphasis on innovation management. Learn more about the packaging track in the university’s General Bulletin.
Students also have the option of earning their MS in Macromolecular Science and Engineering with a specialization in Fire Science and Engineering. Learn more about this unique program now.
Graduate coursework is designed to increase the student’s knowledge of macromolecular science and of his or her own basic area of scientific interest, with application to specific polymer research problems. The interdisciplinary academic structure allows the faculty to fit the individual program to the student’s background and career plans. Basic and advanced courses are offered in polymer synthesis, physical chemistry, physics, biopolymers, and applied polymer science and engineering. A laboratory course in polymer characterization instructs students in the use of modern experimental techniques and equipment. Graduate students are also encouraged to take advanced course work in polymer solid state physics, physical chemistry, synthesis, rheology and polymer processing.
Three versions of the MS degree are offered:
Details of these programs are described in the university bulletin.
These MS degree programs can also be delivered via distance learning, wherein coursework is streamed to students off campus, with optional research projects coordinated with departmental faculty members. Please contact the department chair for details of the distance learning option.
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