University of Wisconsin–Madison

Master of Engineering: Polymer Engineering (Online)

polymer pieces
Advance your ability to design, analyze, and optimize polymer materials and processes.UW–Madison’s online Master of Engineering in Polymer Engineering is a 30-credit graduate program designed for engineers working in plastics, materials, manufacturing, or product development. Learn from faculty with industry expertise through flexible online courses while gaining the technical depth and applied skills needed to improve performance, reduce variability, and support innovation in polymer-based applications.

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Degree awardedMaster of Engineering in Engineering
Credits30 graduate credits
Format100% Online, part-time
Duration2-4 Years (part-time)
Tuition$1,100/credit Wisconsin residents receive an automatic $100 per-credit scholarship. Learn more.
StartFall / Spring / Summer
Application DeadlinesSpring: November 1 Summer: May 1 Fall: July 1

Is This Program Right for You?

https://youtu.be/P3ROPRBqD4k?si=GQuYhPeC9vmpheSC

Online by Design

Our courses blend applied activities, structured opportunities for interaction, and recorded instructor materials. This intentional design supports strong engagement, clear guidance, and meaningful results.

Advance your career in polymer engineering, polymer science, and materials processing through a flexible, online graduate program. Designed for working professionals, this degree supports engineers, career-changers, and those balancing professional and personal priorities.
  • Learn plastics processing and sustainability concepts used across biomedical, electronics, aerospace, and related industries
  • Participate in an interactive online learning experience built for working professionals
  • Network with peers, faculty, and industry professionals to extend learning beyond the classroom and grow your career
  • Apply what you learn to real-world challenges in plastics and manufacturing industries

How to ApplyRequest Info

Why This Program?

27 years

of delivering interactive online education, reflecting deep experience designing high-quality online programs for working professionals.

#11 ranking

Online Graduate Engineering Programs U.S. News & World Report, 2026

Enhance your AI skills

with an optional 9-credit graduate certificate in Artificial Intelligence for Engineering Data Analytics, available as part of your 30-credit program (no extra coursework needed).

Student Experience

This online polymer engineering master’s blends theory with application in areas like polymer processing, composites, and sustainability. You’ll gain expertise in design, materials analysis, and product development for careers in plastics, materials, and manufacturing.
  • Fundamentals of polymer science and materials characterization
  • Polymer processing and fluid dynamics
  • Sustainability and plastics recycling
  • Polymer coatings and advanced materials
  • Composite material design and analysis
  • Additive and injection molding manufacturing
  • Modeling and simulation for polymer systems
  • Applying engineering polymers in real-world design challenge
https://youtu.be/30vhAWjKqkQ?si=BqhMYCvkskSe2hTT
“The highlight of this program so far for me has been doing project-based classes. Getting to already start using this information conceptually for a project helps me orient myself for the workplace and the projects that I’m going to be doing there.” Kim Giannini
 

Curriculum and Requirements

Complete 30 graduate credits, including  21 credits of required courses and 9 elective credits tailored to your goals.Live course web sessions are scheduled in the evening to accommodate working professionals. All other weekly assignments can be completed on days and times of your choice. Plan for roughly 3 to 4 hours of work per credit each week. For a 3-credit course, this usually means 9 to 12 hours, depending on the course and your professional background.
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Students must complete the following courses:
EPD 634 – Introduction to Polymer Chemistry
EPD 634 — INTRODUCTION TO POLYMER CHEMISTRY2 credits.Introduction to the chemistry of polymeric materials. Concepts of polymer chemistry and synthetic methods are introduced. Knowledge of introductory general chemistry and thermodynamics [such as CHEM 104] required.Requisites: Graduate/professional standing or declared in Capstone Certificate in Polymer Processing & Manufacturing
EPD 636 – Introduction to Polymer Physics
EPD 636 — INTRODUCTION TO POLYMER PHYSICS2 credits.Introduction to the physics of polymeric materials. Concepts of polymer physical properties are introduced; including molecular weight, chain conformation, solution thermodynamics, the glass transition, crystallinity, basic rheology and viscoelasticity. Knowledge of introductory general chemistry and thermodynamics [such as CHEM 104] required.Requisites: Graduate/professional standing or declared in Capstone Certificate in Polymer Processing & Manufacturing
EPD 637 – Polymer Characterization
EPD 637 — POLYMER CHARACTERIZATION3 credits.Basic principles used for both quantitative and qualitative characterization of polymeric materials, including both assessment of their synthesis and of their structural features at different length scales. Discussion of techniques such as NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) and GPC (Gel Permeation Chromatography), thermal characterization, rheological characterization, as well as scattering of various types of electromagnetic radiation. Introduction to characterization methods used in industry and polymer crystallography.Requisites: Graduate/professional standing or declared in Capstone Certificate in Polymer Processing & Manufacturing
EPD 639 – Plastics Recycling & Sustainability
EPD 639 — PLASTICS RECYCLING & SUSTAINABILITY2 credits.Examine sustainability and recycling practices for plastics and polymeric materials, including textiles. Analyze environmental impacts and plastic waste using life cycle assessment. Explore traditional and emerging recycling technologies, along with bio-based and degradable plastics. Critically evaluate media coverage to identify “greenwashing” and improve understanding of sustainability issues.Requisites: E P D 634 or 636
EPD 640 – Introductory Polymer Rheology
EPD 640 — INTRODUCTORY POLYMER RHEOLOGY3 credits.Introduction to polymer rheology. Concepts of continuum mechanics are introduced, specifically the fluid dynamics of non-Newtonian and linear viscoelastic fluids. Material functions, constitutive equations and rheometry and experimental methods for measuring material functions (rheometry) are discussed. Knowledge of linear differential equations [such as MATH 319 or 320] and fluid mechanics [such as M E 363] or momentum transfer [such as CBE 320] required.Requisites: Graduate/professional standing or declared in Capstone Certificate in Polymer Processing & Manufacturing
EPD 650 – Introduction to Polymers Processing
EPD 650 — INTRODUCTION TO POLYMERS PROCESSING3 credits.Introduction to the principles of polymer processing. Review of the basic techniques primarily in use by industry as well as foundational principles of polymer physics, viscoelasticity and rheology. Focus on understanding how design of process is used to achieve desired structure and properties. Includes introduction to topics such as 3-d printing and recycling of polymer waste in the context of reprocessing such materials.Requisites: E P D 636 and (E P D 640 or CHEM/​M S & E 421, or concurrent enrollment), or declared in Capstone Certificate in Polymer Processing & Manufacturing
EPD 652 – Quantitative Methods for Interdisciplinary Engineering
EPD 652 — QUANTITATIVE METHODS FOR INTERDISCIPLINARY ENGINEERING3 credits.Review of topics for engineering applications, including vector calculus, differential equations, linear algebra, complex analysis, Laplace and Fourier transforms, optimization, and numerical methods.Requisites: Graduate/professional standing
And one of the following courses:
EPD 522 – Generative Artificial Intelligence for Engineering Applications
EPD 522 — GENERATIVE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE FOR ENGINEERING APPLICATIONS3 credits.Comprehensive coverage of AI-powered chatbots, from understanding generative AI fundamentals to developing sophisticated chatbot applications. Hands-on experience with generative AI tools. Explore retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) techniques. Examine critical aspects such as security, privacy, and memory models. Knowledge of Python [such as COMP SCI 220 or E P D 455] strongly recommended.Requisites: Graduate/professional standing or declared in Capstone Certificate in Artificial Intelligence for Engineering Data Analytics
ISYE 516 – Introduction to Decision Analysis
ISYE 516 — INTRODUCTION TO DECISION ANALYSIS3 credits.Overview of modeling techniques and methods used in decision analysis, including multiattribute utility models, decision trees, and Bayesian models. Psychological components of decision making are discussed. Elicitation techniques for model building are emphasized. Practical applications through real world model building are described and conducted.Requisites: (STAT/​MATH 309, STAT 311, or STAT/​MATH 431), graduate/professional standing, member of Engineering Guest Students, or declared in Capstone Certificate in Artificial Intelligence for Engineering Data Analytics
ISYE 521 – Machine Learning in Action for Industrial Engineers
ISYE 521 — MACHINE LEARNING IN ACTION FOR INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERS3 credits.Principles, algorithms, and industrial engineering applications of machine learning. Predictive analytics, with a focus on combining data and models to improve decision-making. Methods include: statistics, linear regression, logistic regression, regularization, over-fitting, clustering, classification and regression trees, boosting, bagging, deep learning, and neural networks. Applications areas include: healthcare, transportation, and the public sector.Requisites: (COMP SCI 200, 220, or place into COMP SCI 300),(I SY E 323 or I SY E/​COMP SCI/​E C E 524), and (I SY E 210, STAT 311, 324, STAT/​MATH 309, or 431), grad/prof standing, member of Engr Guest Stdnts, or declared in Capstone Cert in AI for Engr Data Analytics

Complete 9 credits from the following:
EPD 416 – Engineering Applications of Statistics
EPD 416 — ENGINEERING APPLICATIONS OF STATISTICS3 credits.Provides knowledge and skills to apply statistics to many types of engineering problems. Focuses on developing statistically-based experimental techniques and tests for measures of validity, application of computer-based statistical tools, and approaches to distillation of data.Requisites: Graduate/professional standing or declared in Capstone Certificate in Artificial Intelligence for Engineering Data Analytics
EPD 605 – Fundamentals of Technical Project Management
EPD 605 — FUNDAMENTALS OF TECHNICAL PROJECT MANAGEMENT1 credit.Learn techniques to plan, execute, and deliver projects with desired scope on time and on budget. Document clear project objectives and goals, accurately estimate project time and costs, schedule and allocate time-critical resources, and establish feedback systems for optimal project control. Best paired with a work experience, such as an internship or co-op, where you can apply these project management skills.Requisites: Junior standing or declared in Capstone Certificate in Applied Engineering Management. Not open to students with credit for E P D 612.
EPD 606 – Learning & Managing Technical Teams
EPD 606 — LEADING & MANAGING TECHNICAL TEAMS1 credit.Key team management concepts, principles, and practices. Team dynamics, team roles, leading and facilitating teamwork, and managing team conflict in the context of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics)-related work.Requisites: Junior standing
EPD 611 – Engineering Economics & Management
EPD 611 – ENGINEERING ECONOMICS AND MANAGEMENT3 credits.Addresses principles and practices of interpreting financial information and performing engineering-related economic analyses. Focuses on the practical use of economic information for decision-making.Requisites: Graduate/professional standing or declared in Capstone Certificate in Applied Engineering Management
EPD 612 – Technical Project Management
EPD 612 — TECHNICAL PROJECT MANAGEMENT3 credits.Learn key principles and tools of project management applicable to a broad range of engineering projects. Covers techniques for project planning, scheduling, resource allocation, and project tracking, as well as the interface between projects and the organizations within which they are executed.Requisites: Graduate/professional standing
EPD 638 – Polymer Coatings & Adhesives
EPD 638 — POLYMER COATINGS & ADHESIVES3 credits.Introduction to coatings and adhesives, with a focus on the polymer science and chemistry underlying these materials. Topics include film formation, adhesion mechanisms, material characterization, application techniques, and the role of additives in common formulations.Requisites: Graduate/professional standing or declared in Capstone Certificate in Polymer Processing & Manufacturing
EPD 660 – Core Competencies of Sustainability
EPD 660 — CORE COMPETENCIES OF SUSTAINABILITY3 credits.Introduces real-world pragmatic skills and applications in sustainability competencies. Content reaches across engineering expertise, from chemical engineering to buildings to product design and energy. Modules cover ecological footprinting, lifecycle assessment, resource use and integrated engineering practice.Requisites: Graduate/professional standing
EPD 678 – Supply Chain Management for Engineers
EPD 678 — SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT FOR ENGINEERS3 credits.Examines concepts, management techniques, and current trends in the field of supply chain management with emphasis on topics relevant to engineers. Topics include global logistics, logistics engineering techniques, new product introduction process, purchasing strategy, managing transportation providers, distribution center technology and operations, outsourcing supply chain functions, and an introduction to supply chain information systems.Requisites: Graduate/professional standing
EPD 701 – Writing for Professionals
EPD 701 — WRITING FOR PROFESSIONALS1 credit.Preparation to produce effective written communication that is suitable for inter-professional and inter-disciplinary audiences in a variety of workplaces. Apply these strategies and tools.Requisites: Graduate/professional standing or declared in Capstone Certificate in Applied Engineering Management
EPD 702 – Professional Presentations
EPD 702 — PROFESSIONAL PRESENTATIONS1 credit.Sharpen your ability to create, edit, review, and present information in an efficient, clear, and effective way for your audiences. Develop your presentation skills through a series of presentations related to your professional interests and work.Requisites: Graduate/professional standing or declared in Capstone Certificate in Applied Engineering Management
EPD 704 – Organizational Communication & Problem Solving
EPD 704 — ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION & PROBLEM SOLVING1 credit.Improve your problem solving within complex organizations, with a special emphasis on case studies and improving communication, using cross-disciplinary sources.Requisites: Graduate/professional standing or declared in Capstone Certificate in Foundations of Professional Development
EPD 706 – Change Management
EPD 706 — CHANGE MANAGEMENT1 credit.Provides emerging and practicing professionals foundational knowledge to develop a change management strategy and implement it using proven processes and tools. Become better prepared to deliver effective organizational performance. Applies contemporary concepts and methods in change management through student-selected projects.Requisites: Graduate/professional standing or declared in Capstone Certificate in Foundations of Professional Development
EPD 708 – Creating Breakthrough Innovations
EPD 708 — CREATING BREAKTHROUGH INNOVATIONS1 credit.Explore innovation and how design thinking is a driver of innovation. Learn to use various design thinking methods and tools for analysis and decision-making.Requisites: Graduate/professional standing or declared in Capstone Certificate in Foundations of Professional Development
EPD 710 – Foundations of Engineering Leadership
EPD 710 — FOUNDATIONS OF ENGINEERING LEADERSHIP2 credits.Build the foundations for developing, refining, and strengthening your effectiveness as a leader of engineering teams, projects, and organizations. Enhance your understanding of how to match your leadership style to a team’s focus, organization, and culture. Grow your understanding of your strengths and weaknesses as a leader using proven assessment tools. Develop a plan for growing your leadership competency.Requisites: Graduate/professional standing or declared in Capstone Certificate in Applied Engineering Management
EPD 711 – Strategic & Ethical Communication for Engineers*
EPD 711 — STRATEGIC & ETHICAL COMMUNICATION FOR ENGINEERS3 credits.Builds communication expertise in engineering practice by emphasizing items such as clarity, audience awareness, and ethical judgment in the exchange of technical and managerial decisions and information. Treats ethics as a foundational element of effective and responsible professional communication, integrating behavioral science, ethical reasoning, and professional codes to support transparency, trust, and sound decision-making. Develops communication problem-solving for common workplace communication challenges.Requisites: Graduate/professional standing
EPD/​GENBUS/​MHR 785 – Effective Negotiation Strategies
EPD/​GENBUS/​MHR 785 — EFFECTIVE NEGOTIATION STRATEGIES1 credit.Improves students’ negotiating skills, doing so by providing a theoretical underpinning that will help them to understand the sources of effective and ineffective approaches to negotiations.Requisites: Graduate/professional standing or declared in graduate Business Exchange program
ISYE 618 – Quality Engineering & Quality Management
ISYE 618 — QUALITY ENGINEERING & QUALITY MANAGEMENT3 credits.Strategic quality planning, change management, problem identification and solving, process improvement, and performance evaluation. Business and decision-making skills related to quality systems and process improvement.Requisites: Graduate/professional standing
ME 417 – OrTransport Phenomena in Polymer Processing
ME 417 — TRANSPORT PHENOMENA IN POLYMER PROCESSING3 credits.Description of the physical, thermal, mechanical, and rheological properties of polymeric materials relevant to their processing behavior. Review of the basic transport phenomena equations: mass, momentum, and energy. Analysis of various processing operations for the manufacture of polymeric articles, with particular emphasis on: extrusion, injection molding, blow molding, thermoforming, compression molding and additive manufacturing. Discussion of plastics recycling and environmental issues.Requisites: Senior standing or member of Engineering Guest Students
ME 418 – Engineering Design with Polymers
ME 418 — ENGINEERING DESIGN WITH POLYMERS3 credits.Implications for plastics part design of polymer classification, structure, melt rheology, mixing, polymer blends, anisotropy, solidification, mechanical behavior, failure. Plastics design for electrical, optical, acoustic and barrier properties.Requisites: Senior standing, declared in Capstone Certificate in Polymer Processing & Manufacturing, or member of Engineering Guest Students
ME 419 – Fundamentals of Injection Molding
ME 419 — FUNDAMENTALS OF INJECTION MOLDING3 credits.All major aspects of injection molding with emphases on materials, design, processing, process physics, computer-aided engineering (CAE), troubleshooting, and advanced molding processes.Requisites: M E 310, M S & E 331, CHEM/​M S & E 421, member of Engineering Guest Students, declared in Capstone Certificate in Polymer Processing and Manufacturing, or graduate/professional standing
ME/​CIVENGR/​EMA 508 – Composite Materials
ME/​CIVENGR/​EMA 508 — COMPOSITE MATERIALS3 credits.Physical properties and mechanical behavior of polymer, metal, ceramic, cementitious, cellulosic and biological composite systems; micro- and macro-mechanics; lamination and strength analyses; static and transient loading; fabrication; recycling; design; analytical-experimental correlation; applications.Requisites: (E M A 303 or M E 306), graduate/professional standing, or member of Engineering Guest Students
ME 514 – Polymer Additive Manufacturing
ME 514 — POLYMER ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING3 credits.A quantitative and qualitative study of additive manufacturing processes. Emphasis on proper additive manufacturing technique selection for optimized final product design and properties, as well as presentation of emerging additive manufacturing techniques.Requisites: Senior standing and (M E 310 or 313), graduate/professional standing, member of Engineering Guest Students, or declared in Capstone Certificate in Polymer Processing and Manufacturing
ME/​EMA 570 – Experimental Mechanics
ME/​EMA 570 — EXPERIMENTAL MECHANICS3 credits.Experimental methods for design and analysis of mechanical components, structures and materials. Electrically and optically recorded stress, strain and deformation data; computer acquisition/reduction/presentation techniques; applications to static and transient events, sensors, transducer design, NDT, fracture and residual stresses.Requisites: Senior standing and (M E 306, E M A 303 or 304) or graduate/professional standing, or member of Engineering Guest Students
ME 699 – Advanced Independent Study
ME 699 — ADVANCED INDEPENDENT STUDY1-3 credits.Directed study projects as arranged with instructor.Requisites: Consent of instructor
ME/​EMA 722 – Introduction to Polymer Rheology
ME/​EMA 722 — INTRODUCTION TO POLYMER RHEOLOGY3 credits.Formulation of constitutive equations using embedded base vectors. Viscosity, normal stress differences, stress relaxation, elastic recoil. Polymer rheology; homogeneous strain history. Knowledge of differential equations [such as MATH 320] strongly encouraged.Requisites: Graduate/professional standing
Up to 6 credits from other College of Engineering subjects with Advisor approval*Students cannot apply both E P D 711 and E P D 712 to satisfy requirements.Students in this program may not take courses outside the prescribed curriculum without faculty advisor and program director approval. Students in this program cannot enroll concurrently in other undergraduate, graduate or certificate programs.

View full course descriptions

Tuition and Financial Aid

$1,100 per credit, payable at the beginning of each semester. Wisconsin residents receive an automatic $100 per-credit scholarship.* Students are responsible for paying their tuition bill in full by the due date. The scholarship is credited to their student account after the semester’s drop deadline and before the start of the next semester. There is no lump-sum payment plan.*Wisconsin resident tuition scholarship does not apply to students with tuition waivers.See Tuition & Fees for more information.
Employer Support Many students receive some financial support from their employers. Often, students find it beneficial to sit down with their employer and discuss how this program applies to their current and future responsibilities. Other key points to discuss include how participation will not interrupt your work schedule.Federal Loans Students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents are eligible to receive some level of funding through the Federal Direct loan program. These loans are available to qualified graduate students who are taking at least four credits during the fall and spring semesters, and two credits during Summer. Private loans are also available. Learn more about financial aid.

Admissions and Events

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All applicants must:
  • Have a Bachelor of Science in engineering or a related STEM field from an accredited institution.
  • Have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 on the last 60 semester hours of coursework.
  • Submit evidence of English language proficiency, if applicable. See the Graduate School Requirements for more information.
  • GRE is not required. Applicants who have taken the test are encouraged to submit their scores.
The admissions committee considers exceptions to standard requirements on an individual basis.

For complete application details visit UW–Madison’s Guide 

Application Deadlines by Term:

Summer 2026May 1, 2026
Fall 2026July 1, 2026
Spring 2027November 1, 2026
Online Graduate Programs Overview Tuesday, September 8, 2026 5-5:30 PM CTJoin program staff for a conversation about our online graduate programs, including curriculum, application process and career impact.Register Now
Program Overview: Engineering: Polymer Engineering MEng Thursday, October 8, 2026 12-12:30 PM CTGet more information about the Engineering: Polymer Engineering MEng including curriculum, application process and potential career paths.Register Now
Online Graduate Programs Overview Tuesday, October 13, 2026 12-12:30 PM CTJoin program staff for a conversation about our online graduate programs, including curriculum, application process and career impact.Register Now
Watch anytime on YouTube:Program Overview: Polymer Engineering Program Director Nicole Zacharia and Graduate Student Advisor Karene Cary discuss the Polymer Engineering program, including curriculum, application process and potential career paths.Alumni Spotlight: Polymer Engineering Learn from Experts: Polymer Engineering

Faculty and Staff

Nicole Zacharia, PhD Program Director

Nicole Zacharia Email Nicole

Karene Cary Graduate Student Advisor

Email Karene

Tim Osswald, PhD
Kristoffer Stokes, PhD
Lih-Sheng Turng, PhD

FAQ

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A: Yes. The MEng in Polymer Engineering is 100% online and designed for working professionals.

A: Most students finish in about two to four years while working full time, typically taking 1 to 2 courses per semester.

A: Tuition is charged per credit. See Tuition & Fees for more information.

A: Yes. Courses are designed for part-time study alongside a full-time job.

A: No. The diploma awarded is a UW–Madison graduate degree and does not reference online delivery. Courses are taught and assessed under the same academic standards used across UW–Madison graduate programs. The mode of instruction does not change the credential earned.

A: Submit your application through the Graduate School. See Admissions for details or click here.

Ready to lead with confidence? Advance your career with UW–Madison’s online MEng in Polymer Engineering.

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