Master in Polymer Science and Engineering

Master in Polymer Science and Engineering 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 in Polymer Science and Engineering at Montanuniversität Leoben is a two-year, 120 ECTS programme taught entirely in English. It leads to the Austrian engineering degree of Dipl.-Ing. The programme was recently redesigned to give you a lot of choice over what you study.

What you study

The first semester is compulsory and covers the basics of polymer science and engineering, plus sustainability and digital skills. After that, you build your own curriculum from a large set of electives. The page groups them into three areas:

• Chemistry and materials: engineering biopolymers, chemistry of bio-based materials, polymers in medical devices, coatings and adhesives, photoreactive polymers, recycling, and industrial polymer chemistry.
• Processing: injection moulding and extrusion technologies, additive manufacturing, and processing of composite materials.
• Performance and design: failures and functional integrity of polymer products, and lightweight design and optimisation.

In the fourth semester you write a master's thesis and learn good scientific practice.

How the programme is organised

The degree runs over four semesters. The first semester gives you the core. The second and third semesters are made up of your chosen electives, so you can focus on the topics you care about. The final semester is for the master's thesis. The programme director is Univ.-Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.techn. Clara Schuecker from the Chair of Designing Plastics and Composite Materials.

Who it suits

This master's is for students who want to specialise in polymers and have a say in what they learn. If you are interested in bioplastics, medical technology, recycling, or processing methods like injection moulding and additive manufacturing, you can shape the degree around that. It also suits people who like flexibility and want to combine chemistry, materials and engineering.

Admission, language and next steps

Teaching is in English. For admission, the programme page links to the university's general information on master's admission and the application for admission. There is no central application portal; you apply directly to Montanuniversität Leoben, and the institution's own page gives the application period. As a public university, Leoben charges no tuition to EU/EEA and Swiss students within the standard duration plus two semesters. Other students pay a fee per semester. Check the university's admission page for the exact requirements and deadlines.

With the completely redesigned master's programme, you now have maximum flexibility to choose your topics of interest. After some compulsory general courses in polymer science and engineering in the first semester, the programme offers complete flexibility in the other semesters with a wide selection of electives allowing you to build your own curriculum. In addition to established areas of polymer science and engineering, the range of electives, also covers current topics such as bioplastics, polymers for medical technology, or recycling and circular engineering.

There is no central application portal in Austria: you apply to the institution, here Montanuniversität Leoben. A public university sets the admission requirements and dates for this level, so read them on the programme page. 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.