Master in Polymer Engineering and Science

Master in Polymer Engineering and Science is one of 24 English-taught Engineering programmes at master’s level in the register, offered by 13 institutions. 24 of them list an annual fee for students from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland, from EUR 727 to EUR 1,453; this programme lists EUR 1,453 a year. 16 are at a public university, where EU, EEA and Swiss students pay no tuition within the standard duration plus two semesters.

The Master's degree in Polymer Engineering and Science (PES) at Johannes Kepler University Linz is taught in English and takes four semesters (120 ECTS). It builds on the JKU Bachelor's degree in Sustainable Plastics Engineering & a Circular Economy and turns you into a technical expert in plastics: sustainable development, design, production, application and recycling of plastics and plastic components.

What you study

The programme has mandatory subject areas worth 63 ECTS: Polymeric Materials and Testing, Polymer Product Engineering, Polymer Processing, and Scientific and Future Skills. You then choose 18 ECTS from elective subject areas: System Monitoring and Data Science, Chemistry and Chemical Technology, Physics of Materials and Materials Science, Process Technologies and Modelling, Computational Engineering, Mechanical Design and Engineering, Management and Business Administration, and Polymer Industry and Sustainable Development. A further 12 ECTS are free electives. The Master's thesis, including the seminar, is 25 ECTS, and the Master's examination is 2 ECTS.

The questions driving the programme are practical. How do you design recyclable plastic products? How can simulation and data science optimise processing and recycling and cut the carbon footprint? How do you adapt testing methods for bioplastics and recycled materials? Which recycling methods (mechanical, chemical, thermal) suit which plastics? Which plastics support sustainable energy technologies? You also look at the management skills that help you start a career.

How the programme is organised

It runs over four semesters in Linz. Teaching is in English, and the admission requirement is English at level B2. The programme is linked to the LIT Factory network at the JKU, a learning and research factory focused on smart polymer processing and digitalisation. You can spend one semester abroad; the JKU offers support services for this optional study-abroad semester. The curriculum and course catalog list the required courses.

Who it suits

It suits graduates of the JKU Bachelor's in Sustainable Plastics Engineering & a Circular Economy, who are admitted without further requirements. Graduates in Mechanical Engineering or Medical Engineering can be admitted with bridging subjects of up to 18 ECTS, bypassing the mandatory electives. Applicants with similar degrees from recognised institutions in Austria or abroad may be admitted if their degree is comparable in scope and content to the JKU bachelor's; they may need supplementary examinations of up to 40 ECTS before the end of the second semester to close gaps.

If you want a technical, science-focused master's in plastics, this is it. The related master's in Sustainability and Plastics Management is more socio-economic and political; PES stays mainly on technical subjects.

Admission, language and next steps

You apply directly to the JKU; there is no central portal. The programme page gives the application period and links to the Admissions Office and the Office of Student Information and Academic Advising (SIBS). Bring a B2 English certificate. At a public university, EU/EEA and Swiss students pay no tuition within the standard duration plus two semesters; other students pay a fee per semester. Check the JKU page for the exact application period and any supplementary examination requirements.

Besides in-depth understanding of polymer materials and polymer testing, plastics processing, polymer product engineering, polymer chemistry and chemical engineering, and lightweight construction/structures students will acquire expertise in state-of-the-art science and technology.

There is no central application portal in Austria: you apply to the institution, here Johannes Kepler University Linz. A public university sets the admission requirements and dates for this level, so read them on the programme page. Entrance examination, as the register states it: No. Entry requirements and language tests are set by the institution, so start from the official programme page. Our guides cover tuition fees, the student residence permit and housing.