A polymer engineer uses polymers, or macromolecules, to design, produce, and manufacture products. Although most companies may prefer that you have a master's degree in engineering, the minimal degree required to become a polymer engineer is generally a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering. Due to the low number of schools that offer degrees specifically in polymer engineering, many companies usually accept a chemical engineering degree. Licensing is not always required but may be if you are seeking employment as an engineer with a government agency. In addition to a formal education, you may be required to have at least two or three years of experience in the field before you can become a polymer engineer.
Although you may not be able to pursue a specific degree in polymer engineering, many universities offer a chemical engineering degree program that concentrates on polymer sciences. Some of the general courses you may need to take before advancing to polymer coursework may include chemical engineering systems, kinetics of environmental processes, and chemical engineering thermodynamics. Depending on the university, you should be able to enroll in field-related courses which could include introduction to polymer science and engineering, morphology of polymers, viscoelasticity, and polymer properties. Field-related courses that are accompanied by laboratory work can also help to prepare you to become a polymer engineer.
Internships may vary depending on the company or the school but most of these experience opportunities last at least 12 weeks and focus on various tasks performed by polymer engineers. Some internships may be strongly based on intensive research projects and you may work with a team throughout your internship. School-designed internships take frequent trips to relevant local companies and provide the students a chance to work with a small team. These teams work to develop a project and present research outcomes at the conclusion of the course. If you choose to apply to internships with companies as opposed to on-campus opportunities, you may perform additional tasks to research including laboratory work and assisting with the production process.
Due to the importance of experience in this profession, you may want to consider participating in several internship opportunities to become a polymer engineer. Once you become a polymer engineer, you may want to seek employment with automobile companies, wire and cable manufacturers, and plastic-based product manufacturers.There are variety of engineering trade magazines that may offer employment ideas as well as the Internet, which can be an excellent resource for employment in this field.
