BSE in Polymer Science and Engineering

Manipulate molecules to improve or create products for just about every conceivable application, from carpets and clothes to synthetic organs and tissues to jet fuselages and smartphone displays.

macromolecular science and engineering student working in lab

Degree: Bachelor of Science in Engineering
Major: Polymer Science and Engineering

Polymers—or macromolecules—are the long molecular chains that provide the building blocks for all the matter in the world that isn’t metal or ceramic. And when it comes to studying them, the Department of Macromolecular Science and Engineering at Case Western Reserve defines the field.

Not only were we the first school in the country to offer an ABET-accredited Bachelor of Science program in polymer science, we were the first to establish a stand-alone department dedicated to the subject in 1963.

An undergraduate degree in polymer science will prepare you for a career in any number of industries—from aerospace to biomedical to packaging and more—or to take your education further with an advanced degree. Nearly three-quarters of our graduates pursue advanced degrees, and not just in engineering, but in medicine, business and law as well.

Our two-track program allows you to focus on either traditional polymer engineering or biomaterials. The traditional track provides you a versatile background in all things polymers.

The biomaterials track is designed to equip a polymer student with the necessary background in chemistry, biology and medicine for future work in the emerging biomaterials and biotech areas. In fact, our biomaterials track puts you within three courses of obtaining a minor in biomedical engineering. (You can review specific course requirements for a minor in biomedical engineering in the university’s General Bulletin.)

No matter which track you choose, you’ll have ample opportunities to put your classroom lessons to work on real-world research projects: Design nanomaterials that help build lighter, stronger wind turbine blades; build microscopic scaffolds for tissue engineering; get an electron-level look at complex surfaces or follow the flow of non-Newtonian fluids. All polymer science and engineering majors are required to complete a research project for a minimum of three credit hours, and many of our students are getting involved with the ground-breaking work going on in our faculty labs as early as their sophomore years.

Explore degree requirements, courses and more in the university's General Bulletin.

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Already looking ahead? By taking advantage of the university’s integrated BS/MS program, you can even earn a bachelor’s and master’s degree simultaneously in five years.

The Bachelor of Science in Engineering degree program with a major in Polymer Science and Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, www.abet.org, under the commission’s General Criteria and Program Criteria for Materials (1), Metallurgical (2), Ceramics (3), and Similarly Named Engineering Programs.

 

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