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Graduate Certificate Program in Plastics Design

Expand your skills and career opportunities with UMass Lowell's four-course online Graduate Certificate in Plastics Design.

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UMass Lowell's Online Graduate Certificate in Plastics Design

Gain new skills and grow your marketability with our 100% online Graduate Certificate in Plastics Design. This program is ideal for students who have attained a degree in engineering and want to build skills and knowledge in plastics design to broaden their capabilities and grow their value to employers. All credits earned in the certificate 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.

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Complete in 9 Months

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One of the Most Affordable Tuitions in the Nation

Career Outlook

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"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

  • Learn about linear viscoelasticity, creep, dynamic behavior, hysteresis, stress-strain response phenomena, rubber elasticity, the effect of additives on mechanical behavior and more
  • Gain an understanding of the theoretical principles and the engineering practice associated with the development of new plastic products
  • Master design practices for products produced by conventional and advanced injection molding processes
  • Master design practices for products that will be produced by conventional and advanced injection molding processes

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

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.5060 Polymer Structure Properties & Applications (3cr)

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.

Requirements:

26.202 pre-re or Grad Career.

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.5760 Advanced Mold Design (3cr)

This course provides an integrated approach to mold engineering which includes the interrelationships of polymeric materials, engineering principles, processing, and plastics product design. Major topics include cost estimation, mold layout and feed system design, cooling systems, structural design considerations, and ejector system design. Analytical treatment of the subject matter is given based on the relevant rheology, thermodynamics, heat transfer, fluid flow and strength of materials.

Requirements:

CSCE Graduate Restrictions

PLAS.5990 Rapid Prototyping (3cr)

Survey of the rapidly expanding technology field of rapid prototyping. Technologies to be considered include stereolithography, laminated object manufacturing, selective laser sintering, fused deposition modeling, and solid ground curing.

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.

Fall 2025 Tuition

Cost Per Credit Cost Per 3-Credit Course*

Graduate

Online $610 $1,830
Online Engineering1 $625 $1,875
Online HyFlex $750 $2,250
Select On Campus courses2 $610 $1,830
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 courses with the following prefixes: BMBT, BMEN, CHEN, CIVE, EECE, ENGN, ENGY, ENVS, IENG, MECH and PLAS excluding online hyflex 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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Applying into a Graduate Certificate Program

You can apply anytime. There are no deadlines. Applications are accepted throughout the year.

All applicants must submit:
  • An application
  • An application fee ($75)
  • Official transcripts
  • Official test scores
    • GRE not required
    • If English is NOT the national language in your home country, please submit one of the following English proficiency tests:
      • TOEFL: minimum acceptable score is 79
      • IELTS: minimum acceptable score is 6.5
      • Duolingo: minimum acceptable score is 115
      • ASC English: minimum acceptable level is 6
      • PTE: minimum acceptable score is 53

Admission Requirements

  • Bachelor of Science from an accredited institution

Additional Information

F1 student visas are not issued for this program.

You may apply to more than one certificate program but can only take 12 credits maximum before enrolling in an advanced degree.

Certificates must be completed within 5 years.

Official transcripts can be sent to us directly from your previous institution either electronically or mailed to:

Graduate Admissions
University of Massachusetts Lowell
839 Merrimack St., Floor 2
Lowell, MA 01854-5104

We cannot accept previously opened transcripts, photocopies, PDF email attachments or faxed transcripts.

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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!

Complete Your Online Graduate Certificate Program in Plastics Design from an Award Winning Public University.

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