HISTORY

The Polymer Science and Engineering Program dates back to 1975, when Dr. John A. Manson applied to Dean Stout of the Graduate School, requesting authorization to institute a graduate degree program in polymers. The program has developed and matured over the years, and today, the degree program requirements reflect the increased number of polymer faculty, courses, and students, and new developments in the field of polymers. The current program is laid out in the 1996-1997 Lehigh University Catalog. This program is now part of the Center for Polymer Science and Engineering.

The Center for Polymer Science and Engineering was developed with the intention of providing a quality and in-depth education in the field of polymers at the graduate level. Courses, examinations, and research programs are developed with these goals in mind. Both the M.S. and Ph..D. degrees are offered in Polymer Science and Engineering.

The following paragraphs will outline requirements, with emphasis on timing and student development. It assumes that the student has been accepted by one of the cooperating departments (currently Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Physics), and has arrived on campus with an interest in polymers.