Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering, BS
Bachelor of Science in Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering (987001BS)
Polymer Science and Engineering is a versatile field of study. Polymers are used in industries ranging from aerospace to medicine, plastics, and rubber. Polymer scientists and engineers work at the intersection of chemistry, physics, biology and engineering to develop material solutions to some of the world’s most challenging problems. They invent new materials, optimize processes, and model the physical behavior of macromolecules.
The undergraduate program in Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering teaches students fundamental problem-solving skills, analytical techniques and design, and provides hands-on laboratory experience. The curriculum builds a strong foundation in polymer science, polymer physics, and polymer engineering with opportunities to specialize in sustainability, processing, or biomaterials.
Akron is the “Rubber Capital of the World” and has a more than a 100-year history in the development of rubber, tires, and other polymeric materials. Students in Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering benefit from industrial collaborations with local polymer-focused companies, state-of-the-art processing facilities, and a wealth of research opportunities. Students interested in technical solutions to sustainability, materials science, processing, soft-matter physics, and biomaterials will find this an exciting program.
Requirements for Admission
All students who meet the minimum requirements for admittance into The University of Akron and intend to major in engineering or engineering technology are accepted into the College of Engineering and Polymer Science and welcome to begin study towards their intended major. Students must show success in key classes early in the program curriculum before they gain full admission to the program and approval to take classes in the third year of the curriculum and beyond.
The following information has official approval of The School of Polymer Science & Polymer Engineering and The College of Engineering and Polymer Science, but is intended only as a supplemental guide. Official degree requirements are established at the time of transfer and admission to the degree-granting college. Students should refer to the Degree Progress Report (DPR) which is definitive for graduation requirements. Completion of this degree within the identified time frame below is contingent upon many factors, including but not limited to: class availability, total number of required credits, work schedule, finances, family, course drops/withdrawals, successfully passing courses, prerequisites, among others. The transfer process is completed through an appointment with your academic advisor.
Requirements
Summary
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Requirements * | 21 | |
| Required General Education Courses | 9 | |
| Math and Science Requirements | 33 | |
| Required Courses in Major | 60 | |
| Electives | 9 | |
| Total Hours | 132 | |
- *
Several courses required for the major also satisfy General Education requirements. The University minimum of 36 credits are required for General Education and credit for these courses will apply to multiple requirements.
General Education Courses
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Students pursuing a bachelor’s degree must complete the following General Education coursework. Diversity courses may also fulfill major or Breadth of Knowledge requirements. Integrated and Applied Learning courses may also fulfill requirements in the major. | ||
| Academic Foundations | 12 | |
Mathematics, Statistics and Logic: 3 credit hours | ||
Speaking: 3 credit hours | ||
Writing: 6 credit hours | ||
| Breadth of Knowledge | 22 | |
Arts/Humanities: 9 credit hours | ||
Natural Sciences: 7 credit hours | ||
Social Sciences: 6 credit hours | ||
| Diversity | ||
Domestic Diversity | ||
Global Diversity | ||
| Integrated and Applied Learning | 2 | |
Select one class from one of the following subcategories: | ||
Complex Issues Facing Society | ||
Capstone | ||
Review the General Education Requirements page for detailed course listings. | ||
| Total Hours | 36 | |
Required General Education Courses
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Specific courses that must be taken for the speaking and writing General Education requirements | ||
| ENGL:111 | English Composition I | 3 |
| ENGL:222 | Technical Report Writing | 3 |
| And one of the following two courses to fulfill the requirement in oral communication | ||
| COMM:105 | Introduction to Public Speaking | 3 |
| or COMM:106 | Effective Oral Communication | |
| Total Hours | 9 | |
Math and Science Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| MATH:221 | Analytic Geometry-Calculus I | 4 |
| MATH:222 | Analytic Geometry-Calculus II | 4 |
| MATH:223 | Analytic Geometry-Calculus III | 4 |
| MATH:335 | Introduction to Ordinary Differential Equations | 3 |
| PHYS:291 | Elementary Classical Physics I | 4 |
| PHYS:292 | Elementary Classical Physics II | 4 |
| CHEM:151 | Principles of Chemistry I | 3 |
| CHEM:152 | Principles of Chemistry I Laboratory | 1 |
| CHEM:153 | Principles of Chemistry II | 3 |
| CHEM:263 | Organic Chemistry Lecture I | 3 |
| Total Hours | 33 | |
Required Courses in Major
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| PSPE:100 | Introduction to Polymers | 3 |
| PSPE:201 | Introduction to Polymer Science | 3 |
| PSPE:202 | Introduction to Polymer Engineering | 3 |
| PLYS:265 | Organic Polymer Chemistry Laboratory | 2 |
| PLYS:340 | Polymer Characterization Fundamentals | 3 |
| PLYS:403 | Polymer Chemistry | 3 |
| PLYS:404 | Polymer Physics | 3 |
| PLYS:405 | Polymer Science Laboratory | 3 |
| PLYE:101 | Tools for Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering | 2 |
| PLYE:321 | Polymer Fluid Mechanics | 3 |
| PLYE:324 | Quantitative Polymer Analysis | 3 |
| PLYE:330 | Polymer Thermodynamics | 3 |
| PLYE:333 | Polymer Thermodynamics Laboratory | 2 |
| PLYE:451 | Polymer Engineering Laboratory | 3 |
| PLYE:422 | Polymer Processing | 3 |
| PLYE:496 | Senior Design Project I | 3 |
| PLYE:499 | Senior Design Project II | 3 |
| CIVE:201 | Statics | 3 |
| CHEE:121 | Chemical Engineering Computations | 2 |
| or CORE:105 | Corrosion Engineering Computations | |
| CHEE:200 | Material & Energy Balances | 4 |
| CHEE:321 | Transport Phenomena | 3 |
| Total Hours | 60 | |
Electives
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| 9 credits of polymer and technical electives are required. At least 3 of these 9 credits must be from polymer electives. | 9 | |
| Polymer Electives | ||
| PSPE:411 | Special Topics in Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering | |
| PLYE:423 | Injection Molding and Mold Design | |
| PLYE:424 | Additive Manufacturing with Polymers | |
| PLYE:425 | Introduction to Blending & Compounding Polymers | |
| PLYE:450 | Engineering Properties of Polymers | |
| PLYE:497 | Honors Project | |
| PLYE:498 | Research Problems in Polymer Engineering | |
| PLYS:350 | Sustainable Polymers | |
| PLYS:460 | Polymeric Biomaterials | |
| PLYS:497 | Honors Project in Polymer Science | |
| PLYS:499 | Research Problems in Polymer Science | |
| Allowed Technical Electives | ||
| CHEM:264 | Organic Chemistry Lecture II | |
| CHEM:154 | Qualitative Analysis | |
| ECON:244 | Introduction to Economic Analysis | |
| MATH:312 | Linear Algebra | |
| STAT:401 | Probability and Statistics for Engineers | |
| CPSC:200 | Programming for Data Science | |
| CPSC:209 | Computer Science I | |
| CIVE:202 | Introduction to Mechanics of Solids | |
| CIVE:321 | Introduction to Environmental Engineering | |
| ELEN:231 & ELEN:230 | Circuits I and Circuits I Laboratory | |
| ELEN:307 | Basic Electrical Engineering | |
| BMEN:300 | Biomaterials | |
| BMEN:440 | Advanced Biomaterials | |
| For no specialization, the electives taken do not need to include specific electives. | ||
| For a specialization in Sustainability the electives taken must include the following: | ||
| PLYS:350 | Sustainable Polymers | |
| PSPE:411 | Special Topics in Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering | |
| CIVE:321 | Introduction to Environmental Engineering | |
| For a specialization in Processing the electives taken must include the following: | ||
| PLYE:423 | Injection Molding and Mold Design | |
| PLYE:424 | Additive Manufacturing with Polymers | |
| PLYE:425 | Introduction to Blending & Compounding Polymers | |
| For a specialization in Biomaterials the electives taken must include the following: | ||
| CIVE:202 | Introduction to Mechanics of Solids | |
| BMEN:300 | Biomaterials | |
| PLYS:460 | Polymeric Biomaterials | |
| Total Hours | 9 | |
Recommended Sequence
| 1st Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Hours | |
| MATH:221 | Analytic Geometry-Calculus I | 4 |
| CHEM:151 | Principles of Chemistry I | 3 |
| CHEM:152 | Principles of Chemistry I Laboratory | 1 |
| ENGL:111 | English Composition I | 3 |
| PSPE:100 | Introduction to Polymers | 3 |
| PLYE:101 | Tools for Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering | 2 |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| MATH:222 | Analytic Geometry-Calculus II | 4 |
| CHEM:153 | Principles of Chemistry II | 3 |
| ENGL:222 | Technical Report Writing | 3 |
| Social Sciences Requirement | 3 | |
| Speaking Requirement | 3 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| 2nd Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| PHYS:291 | Elementary Classical Physics I | 4 |
| CHEM:263 | Organic Chemistry Lecture I | 3 |
| CIVE:201 | Statics | 3 |
| PSPE:201 | Introduction to Polymer Science | 3 |
| MATH:223 | Analytic Geometry-Calculus III | 4 |
| Hours | 17 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| PHYS:292 | Elementary Classical Physics II | 4 |
| PLYS:265 | Organic Polymer Chemistry Laboratory | 2 |
| PSPE:202 | Introduction to Polymer Engineering | 3 |
| MATH:335 | Introduction to Ordinary Differential Equations | 3 |
| CHEE:121 | Chemical Engineering Computations | 2 |
| Select one of the following: | 0-3 | |
| Social Science Requirement (For Sustainability Specialization) | ||
| CIVE:202 | Introduction to Mechanics of Solids (For Biomaterials Specialization) | |
| No Course (For Processing Specialization or No Specialization) | ||
| Hours | 14-17 | |
| 3rd Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| PLYE:330 | Polymer Thermodynamics | 3 |
| CHEE:200 | Material & Energy Balances | 4 |
| PLYS:403 | Polymer Chemistry | 3 |
| PLYE:333 | Polymer Thermodynamics Laboratory | 2 |
| PLYE:324 | Quantitative Polymer Analysis | 3 |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| CHEE:321 | Transport Phenomena | 3 |
| PLYS:404 | Polymer Physics | 3 |
| PLYS:340 | Polymer Characterization Fundamentals | 3 |
| Arts/Humanities Requirement | 3 | |
| Select one of following: | 3 | |
| PSPE:411 | Special Topics in Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering (For Sustainability Specialization) | |
| Art/Humanities Requirement (For Processing Specialization) | ||
| BMEN:300 | Biomaterials (For Biomaterials Specialization) | |
| Social Science Requirement (For No Specialization) | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| PLYS:350 | Sustainable Polymers (For Sustainability Specialization) | |
| PLYS:460 | Polymeric Biomaterials (For Biomaterials Specialization) | |
| Social Science Requirement (For Processing Specialization) | ||
| Technical Elective (For No Specialization) | ||
| Hours | 18 | |
| 4th Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| PLYE:496 | Senior Design Project I | 3 |
| PLYE:321 | Polymer Fluid Mechanics | 3 |
| PLYE:422 | Polymer Processing | 3 |
| PLYS:405 | Polymer Science Laboratory | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Arts/Humanities Requirement (For Sustainability Specialization or No Specialization) | ||
| PLYE:425 | Introduction to Blending & Compounding Polymers (For Processing Specialization) | |
| Social Science Requirement (For Biomaterials Specialization) | ||
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| PLYE:499 | Senior Design Project II | 3 |
| PLYE:451 | Polymer Engineering Laboratory | 3 |
| Art/Humanities Requirement | 3 | |
| Select one of the following three choices: | 3-0 | |
| No Course (For Sustainability or Biomaterials Specialization) | ||
| PLYE:423 | Injection Molding and Mold Design (For Processing Specialization) | |
| Technical Elective (For No Specialization) | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| CIVE:321 | Introduction to Environmental Engineering (For Sustainability Specialization) | |
| PLYE:424 | Additive Manufacturing with Polymers (For Processing Specialization) | |
| Arts/Humanities Requirement (For Biomaterials Specialization) | ||
| Polymer Elective (For No Specialization) | ||
| Hours | 15-12 | |
| Total Hours | 126 | |