Build expertise in plastic materials to advance manufacturing efficiency and your career with UMass Lowell's four-course online Graduate Certificate in Plastics Materials.
With plastics materials growing increasingly complex, upskilling with our 100% online graduate certificate will give you and your organization an edge. This program is designed for individuals who have a Bachelor's in Engineering or science and want to gain a competitive advantage through advanced knowledge of plastics materials. All credits earned may be applied to UMass Lowell's Master of Science in Plastics Engineering. The Plastics Engineering Department at UMass Lowell is an internationally recognized leader in plastics education.
"UMass Lowell is among the nation's leading centers for plastics technology, and its Plastics Engineering program. is helping to push new boundaries of how these versatile materials are used, produced and processed."— The Boston Globe
UMass Lowell offers several graduate certificate programs that can be counted towards UMass Lowell's Master of Science in Plastics Engineering.
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.
26.202 pre-re or Grad Career.
Physical, mechanical, and thermal properties, preparation, and testing of polymer blends, alloys, and multiphase systems. Thermodynamic theories and experimental determination of miscibility of polymer blends. Structure property relationships for multiphase systems and interpenetrating networks.
This course covers the fundamentals of polymer foaming, processing methods, recent technologies, foam characteristics, and applications. Fundamentals cover the cell nucleation and growth mechanisms in foaming and the role of thermodynamics and kinetics. Batch foaming, extrusion foaming, foam injection molding, and bead foaming are discussed as the common processing methods. The characteristics and performance of polymeric foams, process-structure-property relationships, and the relevant applications in various industries also are presented.
Adhesive joining of engineering materials. Surface chemistry, theories of adhesion and cohesion, joint design, surface preparation, commercial adhesives, Rheology, equipment, testing, service life, and reliability.
This course reviews the basic principles of design and formulation of water-borne, high-solids and powder resins used for the development of solvent-less "green" coatings and the use of bio-derived resins, mostly based on soybean oil and other renewable raw materials. The mechanisms and methods of curing and of polymerization for polymers used as coatings will also be covered. The basic principles of formulation of coatings will be introduced. Permission of instructor for Plastics Engineering Undergraduates seeking to take course as technical elective.
Polymerization and compounding of the commercial elastomers. Properties and test methods.Leading applications and methods of processing.
This course reviews the historical developments of polymeric material systems, commodity, engineering, biodegradable, 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 prerequisite for this course. .
CSCE Graduate Restrictions
This course investigates the waste management solutions for different types of plastics. Both traditional and emerging recycling methods will be highlighted. Accumulation of plastic waste in the natural environment and the toxicology of plastics as well as their additives will be discussed, Further, analysis methods and instrumentation to characterize recycled plastics, and the differences in virgin polymers and recycled polymers will be introduced. Potential degradable, biodegradable or biobased alternatives will be reviewed along with the concepts of life cycle assessment and Green Chemistry for designing the most sustainable plastic materials.
Students enrolled in graduate certificate programs through UMass Lowell must complete all courses indicated in the curriculum outline. Students may complete the certificate program at their own pace by registering for and successfully completing one or more courses each semester, depending upon his/her personal time constraints. Students are required to maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.000 with no more than one course grade below B to receive the certificate.
Online courses meet throughout the year during the Fall, Spring and Summer semesters (see Calendar for details). Online students generally log into their online course website one or more times per week to retrieve lectures and assignments or to participate in a chat session. Online students should expect to spend 6 to 10 hours per week engaged in course-related activities for each course. For more information on online courses, visit our online program home page .
Graduate certificate courses must be completed within a five-year period with a minimum 3.000 grade point average and no more than one course with a grade below B. Once all courses for a graduate certificate have been completed, students must complete and submit the Graduate Certificate Clearance Form. Students must submit their clearance form to their coordinator. The coordinator will apply them in SIS, Graduation Tracking.
Tuition at UMass Lowell is typically half the cost of private colleges, and our online tuition is among the lowest in the nation. Tuition for online programs offered through the Division of Graduate, Online & Professional Studies is the same whether you live in-state, out-of-state or outside of the U.S.
*Tuition is priced on the listed credit hour unless the contact hour is different. Tuition is then based upon the listed contact hour.
