Master's Program - Thesis and Non-thesis Options
Master of Science in Engineering Degree Programs (M.S.E.)
In 2005, the Department of Plastics Engineering restructured its MSE Degree Program. Plastics Engineering MSE graduate students accepted into the program must follow either the "Thesis Option" Curriculum or the "Non-thesis Option" Curriculum described in the following sections. For the 30-credit hour thesis option, the student performs supervised research, prepare a written thesis manuscript, and defend the work during an oral presentation. The 33-credit hour non-thesis M.S.E. is designed for part-time graduate students working full time jobs as practicing engineers.
Note: Graduate students enrolled in the Thesis Option MSE Program prior to the Fall of 2005 may elect to follow either the new "thesis" or "non-thesis" program requirements described below, or those in effect at the time they were accepted into the degree program.
Note: Students in the Plastics Engineering B.S./M.S. program should see the requirements listed with the B.S. program.
Admissions Requirements and Prerequisites
Admission to the program is open to candidates with a B.S. in Plastics Engineering or a related engineering or science field. The pre-requisite math requirements include Calculus II and Differential Equations. Applicants must also provide two recommendation letters, an Official Transcript, and a Statement of Purpose as per the UMass Lowell Graduate Admissions Policy. This program no longer requires official GRE scores. You can apply online and see all the requirements at Graduate Admissions.
Non-matriculated students (with an appropriate B.S. Degree) may begin taking courses without application to the M.S.E. Plastics Engineering Program. It is recommended, however, that students apply to the M.S.E. Program as soon as possible (i.e. prior to taking too many course credits) since there is no guarantee of acceptance into the M.S.E. Program. In addition, no more than 12 credit hours taken as a non-matriculated student can be transferred into the M.S.E. Program upon acceptance.
Students may transfer as many as 12 science or engineering graduate course credits from other universities provided they are approved by the Plastics Engineering Department's M.S.E. program coordinator. (For University regulations regarding transfer credit and other regulations, visit the Graduate Policies in the on-line catalog.)
The foundation "Plastics" courses required in previous years are no longer required. Students who have taken these foundation graduate courses in the past can receive some graduate course credit for these courses as outlined above.
Co-op Option in Engineering
The Department of Plastics Engineering participates in the Graduate Master's Co-op Option in Engineering. For detailed information about the Co-op Program and curriculum requirements, please see the Graduate Catalog Engineering Co-op page.
Degree Pathways:
Thesis Option
Students who have enrolled in the thesis option Plastics Engineering M.S.E. program must complete at least 24 course credits and 6 thesis credits as outlined in the program requirements section below. Graduate students enrolled in the Thesis Option M.S.E. Program prior to the Fall of 2005 may elect to follow the either new program requirements (thesis or non-thesis program described below, or those in effect at the time they were accepted into the degree program.
Students may transfer as many as 12 science or engineering graduate course credits from other universities or from courses completed when in non-degree status at UMass Lowell provided they are approved by the Plastics Engineering Department's M.S.E. program coordinators. (For University regulations regarding transfer credit and other regulations, see Graduate Polices in the on-line catalog.) The thesis option M.S.E. degree and appropriate Graduate Certificate (the area of specialization) will be awarded upon the satisfactory completion of 30 credit hours of study as outlined below.
Thesis Committee
Degree pathway for Thesis Option
Non-thesis Option
Students enrolled in the non-thesis M.S. Plastics Engineering option must complete a total of 33 course credits as outlined in the course requirements section below.
Degree Pathway for Non-Thesis Option
Graduate Student Advising:
Non-thesis students: The M.S.E. Coordinator will be the academic advisor for students enrolled in the non-thesis M.S.E. Plastics Engineering Degree Program. The coordinator will help the student remedy deficiencies in prerequisites, select electives of most value, and plan the overall study program efficiently.
Thesis students: One of the graduate coordinators will be the academic advisor for students enrolled in the non-thesis M.S.E. Plastics Engineering Degree Program. The advisor will help the student remedy deficiencies in prerequisites, select electives of most value, and plan the overall study program efficiently. The thesis advisor will be the chairperson of the thesis advisory committee that will guide the student in the thesis research and supervise the completion of the thesis requirement. Once an advisor is selected, the student and advisor should complete the Departmental Advising Form, indicating the thesis topic. Both the student and advisor must sign this form before the student can register for thesis credits. This form is available in the Plastics Engineering Department Office (B204) and should be submitted to the graduate program coordinator.
Full Time vs. Part Time Status
Both the Thesis and Non-thesis Option M.S.E. Plastics Engineering Programs are open to full-time and part-time students. Many of the courses required for these programs are offered at night so that engineers working at local companies can take advantage of the programs. Students taking fewer than nine credits in a semester are considered part time, while those taking nine or more credits are considered full time students. Graduate students must maintain full-time student status in order to be eligible for research assistant positions (R.A.).
Funding Policy - Plastics Engineering Graduate Students
Research Assistant Positions (R.A.) positions, either "full time" or "half time", are awarded by individual faculty who conduct funded research. Accepted students must correspond with the individual faculty to inquire about R.A. positions. Faculty research interests are listed in the Faculty section of the department web site. It is recommended that applicants interested in obtaining R.A. funding should send a letter and resume to those faculty having similar research interests.
Updated 11/21/24