Polymer Engineering
Types of Degrees Polymer Engineering Majors Are Getting
The following table lists how many polymer & plastics engineering graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.
Education Level | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Bachelor’s Degree | 134 |
Master’s Degree | 93 |
Doctor’s Degree | 52 |
Graduate Certificate | 11 |
What Polymer Engineering Majors Need to Know
O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to polymer engineering and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.
Knowledge Areas for Polymer Engineering Majors
According to O*NET survey takers, a major in polymer engineering should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:
- Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
- Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
- Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
- Physics - Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub- atomic structures and processes.
- English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Skills for Polymer Engineering Majors
A major in polymer engineering prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
- Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
- Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Abilities for Polymer Engineering Majors
Polymer Engineering majors often go into careers where the following abilities are vital:
- Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
- Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
- Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
What Can You Do With a Polymer Engineering Major?
People with a polymer engineering degree often go into the following careers:
Job Title | Job Growth Rate | Median Salary |
---|---|---|
Architectural and Engineering Managers | 5.5% | $140,760 |
Engineering Professors | 14.7% | $101,720 |
Materials Engineers | 1.9% | $92,390 |
Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Polymer Engineering?
Racial-Ethnic Diversity
At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of polymer engineering majors is as follows:
Race/Ethnicity | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Asian | 11 |
Black or African American | 2 |
Hispanic or Latino | 4 |
White | 109 |
International Students | 1 |
Other Races/Ethnicities | 7 |
Geographic Diversity
Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Polymer Engineering. About 0.7% of those with this major are international students.
Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Polymer Engineering
Some careers associated with polymer engineering require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.
How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to polymer engineering have obtained the following education levels.
Education Level | Percentage of Workers |
---|---|
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 1.7% |
Bachelor’s Degree | 45.5% |
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master. | 5.1% |
Master’s Degree | 27.1% |
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level. | 2.9% |
Doctoral Degree | 12.8% |
Post-Doctoral Training | 4.9% |
Online Polymer Engineering Programs
The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.
Degree Level | Colleges Offering Programs | Colleges Offering Online Classes |
---|---|---|
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year) | 0 | 0 |
Certificate (1-2 years) | 1 | 0 |
Certificate (2-4 Years) | 0 | 0 |
Associate’s Degree | 0 | 0 |
Bachelor’s Degree | 6 | 3 |
Post-Baccalaureate | 0 | 0 |
Master’s Degree | 10 | 0 |
Post-Master’s | 1 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Research) | 8 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) | 0 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Other) | 0 | 0 |
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Majors Related to Polymer Engineering
You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to polymer engineering.
References
*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.
- College Factual
- College Scorecard
- National Center for Education Statistics
- O*NET Online
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
- Image Credit: By Cjp24 under License
More about our data sources and methodologies.