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Graduate Certificate Program in Medical Plastics Design and Manufacturing

Gain the expertise to meet the complex and evolving demands in the design and manufacture of plastics for medical use with this accelerated online graduate certificate program.

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Alarm Clock Next Start Date: January 21

UMass Lowell's Online Certificate in Medical Plastics Design and Manufacturing

As the use of plastics in medical products and medical devices has rapidly increased, there is a growing demand for professionals skilled in the design and manufacture of medical plastics. Our 100% online four-course graduate certificate was created to prepare medical professionals, engineers and technologists to thrive in this burgeoning and dynamic field. Upon program completion, you will gain the knowledge needed to develop new engineering-intensive medical products that involve complex material compositions, designs and manufacturing processes.

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Complete in 9 Months

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One of the Most Affordable Tuitions in the Nation

Career Outlook

A Graduate Certificate in Medical Plastics Design and Manufacturing will advance your career in the medical products industry, opening significant career opportunities with medical plastics manufacturers, medical sales and design firms.

14,290
Jobs (2022)
+1.8%
% Change (2022-2023)
$152.4K/yr
Median Earnings
1,261
Annual Openings
Source: Lightcast (2023) Target Occupations in New England
"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

Key Takeaways

  • Develop a systematic approach to inventing new medical devices
  • Discover the process of validating medical needs, including market assessment, the evaluation of existing technologies, basic FDA regulations and early prototyping
  • Present and prepare a medical device proposal
  • Understand the historical, current and future applications of biomedical devices
  • Learn research techniques to analyze different classes of biomaterials

One Success Leads to Another

Apply credits from lower credentials to higher ones. Our programs are designed to build upon themselves:

UMass Lowell offers several graduate certificate programs that can be counted towards UMass Lowell's Master of Science in Plastics Engineering.

Curriculum Outline

- 4 Courses / 12 Credits

Course Descriptions

BMBT.5000 Introduction to Biomedical Engineering & Biotechnology (3cr)

Team-taught introductory course that emphasizes a multidisciplinary approach to current topics in the range of academic disciplines and gives students their first exposure to faculty research areas. The course, as mucha as possible, will involve faculty from within Biomedical Engineering and Biotechnology. The course, as much as possible, involves faculty from all participating campuses. Speakers from industry are also invited to present topics of contemporary importance.

PLAS.5030 Mechanical Behavior of Polymers (3cr)

Topics covered in this course include linear viscoelasticity, creep, stress relaxation, dynamic behavior, hysteresis, stress-strain response phenomena, principles of time-temperature superposition, rubber elasticity, failure and fracture mechanisms for polymers, and the effect of additives on mechanical behavior. Real life design examples are used to demonstrate the topics and concepts as much as possible.

Requirements:

Pre-Reqs: MECH.2110 Engin. Mechanics, MECH.2150 Plastics Process Engin. Lab I, MATH.2340 Diff Eq.s or MATH.2360 Engin. Diff Eq. or Grad. career students. (Pre-reqs are enforced only for undergrad plastics engineering students).

PLAS.5180 Plastics Product Design (3cr)

This course reviews the theoretical principles and the engineering practice associated with the development of new plastic products. The course focuses on design practices for products that will be produced by conventional and advanced injection molding processes. Topics include design methodology, plastic materials selection, design for manufacturing, computer aided engineering, mechanical behavior of plastics, structural design of plastic parts, prototyping techniques, experimental stress analysis, and assembly techniques for plastic parts.

Requirements:

26.211 Engineering Mechanics, 26.218 Introduction to Design or Graduate career students. (Pre-requisites are enforced only for undergraduate plastics engineering students).

PLAS.5530 Medical Device Design I (3cr)

A systematic approach to inventing new medical devices. The class details the process of validating medical needs including market assessment and the evaluation of existing technologies; basics of regulatory (FDA) and reimbursement planning; brainstorming and early prototyping for concept creation. Course format includes expert guest lecturers and interactive practical discussions with faculty. Students will prepare a medical device proposal and presentation.

PLAS.5550 Medical Device Processing (3cr)

Critical analysis of current methods of medical device manufacturing, focusing on processing and performance considerations. Includes discussion of different production methods, material selection considerations, biocompatibility, leachables and extractables, device sterilization, and sterile packaging.

PLAS.5750 Biomaterials in Medical Applications (3cr)

A comprehensive study of the history, current and future rents within biomedical devices and their applications. Students will be introduced to research techniques used to analyze the different classes of biomaterials. An overview of typical host reactions such as inflammatory response and their evaluation will be touched upon.

Graduate Certificate Requirements

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 .

Completing a Graduate Certificate Program

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 & Fees

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.

Spring 2025 Tuition

Cost Per Credit Cost Per 3-Credit Course*

Graduate

Online $600 $1,800
Online Business1 $655 $1,965
Online HyFlex $750 $2,250
Select On Campus courses2 $600 $1,800
All other On Campus courses3 View Here
*Tuition is priced on the listed credit hour unless the contact hour is different. Tuition is then based upon the listed contact hour.
1Applies to ACCT, BUSI, ENTR, FINA, MGMT, MKTG, MIST and POMS courses.
3Applies to graduate on campus courses excluding select courses

Additional Costs

Cost
Term Registration Fee $30
Returned Check Fee $30
Graduate Engineering and Business Degrees and Certificate Applications $75

Please note: Tuition and fees are subject to change.

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Looking for Financial Assistance?

UMass Lowell offers a variety of financial aid and scholarship options.

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For Graduate Certificate Programs, Please Submit:

  • An application
  • An application fee*
  • An official transcript indicating a completed bachelor's degree. If your bachelor's degree is from outside the United States, you may be required to take the TOEFL examination.
  • No Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is required for graduate certificate programs

F1 student visas are not issued for this program. Applications can be completed and submitted at any time during the year. Your application will be processed as soon as all admission materials have been received. You may apply to more than one certificate program but can only take 12 credits maximum before enrolling in an advanced degree. Learn more about specific application requirements for your program of interest.

*There is a $75 application fee to apply to this graduate program.

Count Your Graduate Certificate Toward a Master's Degree

Credits earned from a graduate certificate may be used toward a related graduate degree.

Graduate Program Admissions Requirements

Admission to all graduate programs at UMass Lowell is contingent upon successful completion of a bachelor's degree. In many cases, applicants may register for a course before formally applying to the program; however, students requiring financial aid may want to wait until they have been formally accepted into the program to ensure that their course(s) will be covered. Contact UMass Lowell's Office of Graduate Admissions if you have questions about the application process.

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Graduate Application Questions

Please check your application status emails. Still have questions? Contact Graduate Admissions at Graduate_Admissions@uml.edu or 800-656-4723. International students: Please call 978-934-2390.

For General Assistance:

For general questions about registering for courses or to find out who the advisor is for your graduate program, call 800-480-3190. Our admissions and advising teams are here to help!

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