Prospective Students
UMass PSE Graduate Program
Our interdisciplinary PhD program provides students with a broad education, spanning core principles in synthetic chemistry, physical chemistry, materials science, and engineering—defining the frontiers of polymers and soft materials through research, scholarship and community.
Why PSE?
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Academic Excellence
Top-notch research and education are the central value of PSE.
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Conte Community
PSE is a family—We offer multiple mentoring and networking opportunities.
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Beyond Ph.D.
Graduate placement and outcomes after PSE program are outstanding.
Research Groups
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Reika Katsumata Group Intro
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Kenneth Carter Group Intro
Explore Our Program
PSE is a dynamic and inclusive department with an international reputation for defining the frontiers of polymer science and engineering research. Our primary mission is to educate the future leaders in our field, through impactful research programs and teaching endeavors.
PSE by the Numbers
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88%
Ph.D. graduation rate
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4.9yrs
Average time to degree
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18
Active faculty
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762
PhDs since 1966
Student Voices
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Bachir Messikh, Carter Research Group
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Autumn Mineo, Katsumata Research Group
Alumni Stories
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Hyunki Kim
I [soon] realized that PSE offers a wide range of state-of-the-art research facilities, a huge amount of resources, and a highly collaborative culture, all important for studying the interdisciplinary fields comprising polymer physics, polymer chemistry, mechanics, and engineering.
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Sarah Ward
The skills I learned at PSE—technical knowledge of polymer science and engineering, how to write manuscripts and grant proposals, how to communicate science with laymen, and (most importantly) how to learn and understand new things even if only I have a beginner's grasp of the fundamentals— are invaluable to me as I shift from benchwork to technology transfer.
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Shruti Rattan
At PSE, I was trained in implementing advanced characterization methods that help exceed the expectation of our customers at DuPont by resolving product performance issues with new scientific solutions. In addition to the rigorous course curriculum, the people of PSE including faculty members, staff, fellow and senior graduate students were very approachable, making it a nurturing place to build my scientific career.
Contact Us
For further information about the PSE Program, please email Graduate Program Manager, Lisa Groth at psegraduate@umass.edu or call (413) 545-0433.
Department of Polymer Science and Engineering
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Silvio O. Conte National Center for Polymer Research
120 Governors Drive
Amherst, MA 01003-9263