The Graduate Certificate in Plastics Engineering Fundamentals is designed to provide engineering professionals - such as mechanical engineers involved in the design of plastic parts - with the plastics background they generally do not receive as part of their undergraduate education. This four-course online certificate program provides students with the fundamental concepts associated with plastics materials, processing and design.

All of the courses in this certificate program may be applied towards any of the graduate degree programs offered through UMass Lowell's Department of Plastics Engineering.

Intended Audience
The Plastics Engineering Fundamentals Graduate Certificate is open to students that have earned a B.S. Degree in science or engineering. This certificate program is particularly popular amongst engineers involved in manufacturing and those interested in pursuing graduate studies in Plastics Engineering.

Recommended Prerequisite Knowledge
Engineering or Science Bachelor's Degree, plus general chemistry and mathematics.

Applying Into the Program

To apply into this certificate program, download the Application Form in .pdf file format.

For questions regarding your application status, contact the Graduate School at (800) 656-GRAD.

Credit Transfer Policy
Students enrolled in the Plastics Engineering Fundamentals Certificate Program may transfer one 3-credit graduate course, grade of B or better, taken from an accredited U.S. or Canadian university provided the graduate course content from the other university is substantially equivalent to the certificate course for which it would be substituted. Decisions regarding course equivalency will be made collectively by the Plastics Engineering Department Graduate Coordinators.

Registering for Courses

New Students: Print and complete the Non-Degree Course Registration Form (pdf) and fax it to 978-934-4076 or mail it to: University of Massachusetts Lowell, Enrollment Services/Continuing Studies, Dugan Hall, Room 102, 882 Broadway Street, Lowell, MA  01854-5104.

Current Students: Register online using your UML student account at http://isis.uml.edu
 

Contact Us

Do you have questions about the program? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

If you have a general question regarding the program, please email us at Continuing_Education@uml.edu or call (800) 480-3190.

For specific questions regarding these plastics courses and the plastics certificate program, email onlineplastics@uml.edu

 

Program Outline
Total Courses: 4; Total Graduate Credits: 12

Required Courses (2):
26.544 Advanced Plastics Materials - Available Spring 2008!
26.578 Advanced Plastics Processing - Available Spring 2008!

Elective Courses (Choose 2):
26.503 Mechanical Behavior of Polymers
26.506 Polymer Structure Properties Applications
26.518 Product Design
26.576 Advanced Mold Design - Available Spring 2008!
 

Course Descriptions

26.544 Advanced Plastics Materials
This course reviews the historical developments of polymeric material systems, commodity, engineering, and high performance thermoplastics. Topics include their synthesis, structure, properties, and applications and there is also an overview of typical additives that are used to modify the properties of plastics. Knowledge of general and/or organic chemistry is recommended as a pre-requisite for this course. (3 credits)

26.578 Advanced Plastics Processing
Fundamental principles of polymer processing, the conversion of polymeric materials into useful articles. Correlation between process variables, material characteristics and part design. (3 credits)

26.503 Mechanical Behavior of Polymers
Topics covered in this course include; linear viscoelasticity, creep, stress relaxation, dynamic behavior, hysteresis, stress-strain response phenomena, principles of time-temperature superposition, rubber elasticity, failure and fracture mechanisms for polymers, and the effect of additives on mechanical behavior. Real life design examples are used to demonstrate the topics and concepts as much as possible. (3 credits)

26.506 Polymer Structure Properties Applications
Relationships between polymer structure (chemical composition, molecular weight and flexibility, intermolecular order and bonding, supermolecular structure) and practical properties (processability, mechanical, acoustic, thermal, electrical, optical, and chemical) and applications.

26.518 Plastics Product Design
This course reviews the theoretical principles and the engineering practice associated with the development of new plastic products. The course focuses on design practices for products that will be produced by conventional and advanced injection molding processes. Topics include design methodology, plastic materials selection, design for manufacturing, computer aided engineering, mechanical behavior of plastics, structural design of plastic parts, prototyping techniques, experimental stress analysis, and assembly techniques for plastic parts. (3 credits)

26.576 Advanced Mold Design
This course provides an integrated approach to mold engineering which includes the interrelationships of polymeric materials, engineering principles, processing, and plastics product design. Major topics include cost estimation, mold layout and feed system design, cooling systems, structural design considerations, and ejector system design. Analytical treatment of the subject matter is given based on the relevant rheology, thermodynamics, heat transfer, fluid flow and strength of materials. (3 credits) Additional Info

Intensive Training in Plastics Manufacturing
UMass Lowell also offers a variety intensive noncredit training seminars in the latest plastics manufacturing processes. These one- to four-day seminars are held in the University's state-of-the-art facilities throughout the year, but many of them can also be offered onsite at your company. Visit http://continuinged.uml.edu/plastics for additional information!

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