Paper Science & Engineering Degrees

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Paper Science & Engineering (PSE) is an applied engineering discipline related to chemical and process engineering.   Its original purpose was to provide specialized training for chemical-type engineers in the specific science, terminology, technology, and engineering principles related to the production of pulp and paper.  The paper industry is one of the largest and most successful chemical process industries in North America.  The PSE program at NC State has an outstanding reputation, and graduates from the program enjoy some of the highest salaries and placement rates of all the programs at NC State.

See our video of how incoming students compete in an orientation activity to design and fabricate various paper pulp sculptures.

Degrees

B.S. in Paper Science & Engineering

This curriculum leads to a single B.S. degree in Paper Science & Engineering.  Fully accredited, this degree permits students to enter the paper industry and many related industries.  In addition to one engineering elective, students are required to take three advised electives in some area of interest and proficiency, such as chemistry, math, statistics, business, or environmental technology.
Semester-by-Semester Curriculum

This video can give potential students an idea about what exactly Paper Science and Engineering.

B.S. in Paper Science & Engineering / B.S. In Chemical Engineering

This curriculum is similar to that for the single degree in Paper Science & Engineering.  However, all electives are replaced by courses in Chemical Engineering.  Students complete the B.S. in PSE in eight semesters and then come back for one final semester to complete the B.S. in Chemical Engineering.  The combination of degrees gives students access to jobs with an almost unlimited number of companies, including paper, petrochemicals, and pharmaceuticals.
Semester-by-Semester curriculum

PSE Program Educational Objectives

Our goal is to ensure that graduates of the NC State PSE program:

  • Have mastered the fundamentals of physical, mathematical and engineering sciences, analytical problem solving, engineering, experimentation and design and information technology.
  • Demonstrate the ability and confidence to grasp and apply engineering and scientific principles and procedures in order to solve complex, real-world problems.
  • Have an understanding of the economic, social and environmental implications of their decisions.
  • Communicate effectively to various audiences and for various purposes.
  • Know how to participate in intra-group and cross-functional teams to solve technical, non-technical and broader business issues.
  • Have a wide perspective of the paper industry and its relationship to society.
  • Possess a strong sense of professional responsibility, ethics, environmental stewardship and an awareness of people’s needs.
  • Are committed to continuing their education and maintaining their technical skills.
  • Have benefited from our non-technical education designed to further enhance their job skills and aspects of their personal lives.

Program Philosophy

We believe strong process engineers are produced by combining a teaching of the theory of engineering (mass transfer, thermodynamics, fluid flow, unit operations) with intensive, hands-on applications in the lab, the pilot plant and the field. For this reason, almost all of our courses have a strong lab component: PSE students work with the same pumps, piping, valves, pilot-scale machinery, instruments and controls they can expect to encounter on the job upon graduation.

We also believe that, in order to be successful, engineering students must be accomplished in three different areas:

  • Academics: good grades and a comprehension of material are always important in engineering.
  • Experience: nothing can take the place of field-based experience. We encourage our students to seek multiple summer internships and semester co-op work experiences. Many of our students graduate with over one year of professional experience.
  • Personal and Professional Development: engineering students must develop as young leaders, critical thinkers, and lifelong learners. They must work on their resume, their interview style, and their oral and written communication skills. A student with proficiency in all three of these areas will have many more employment options at graduation and will be better fit to practice the discipline.

History of the PSE Program

Early in the 20th century, as the paper industry was growing in size and influence in the United States, it began to hire large numbers of chemical engineers. However, most of them were trained primarily in the theory associated with petrochemical operations. It often took these engineers a few years after being hired to learn the unusual science, terminology, technology and engineering principles associated with paper production. In order to better prepare its new hires, the industry began to establish regional pulp and paper technology programs in different areas of the US. The goal of these programs was simple: take young engineers interested in chemical and process engineering and provide them with more specific training in pulp and paper production. Eight such schools were established in the U.S.

In 1954, a few years after the Department of Wood & Paper Science was created, the paper industry established a pulp and paper program at NC State in 1954, in part to help man a pulp and paper industry boom in the southern U.S. Students in this program were able to receive a B.S. degree in Pulp & Paper Technology (PPT). But the students could also stay for one additional semester and receive a second B.S. in Chemical Engineering, a program feature then not available at any of the other schools offering paper science degrees. With strong regional support, an outstanding scholarship endowment, and this unique dual degree program, the NC State program began to establish itself as a dominant program in the US. In 2004, this program became jointly administered by the College of Natural Resources and the College of Engineering, and its name was changed to Paper Science & Engineering. In 2005, the program became ABET accredited.

With over 50 years of history and over 1,900 alumni, the Paper Science & Engineering Program continues to enjoy strong enrollment and its graduates continue to enjoy outstanding success in their careers.

Our Success Story

Students enrolled in the PSE program are highly valued by companies in the industry as summer interns and semester co-ops.  Even freshmen are sought after for internships during their first summer.  Companies do not ask PSE students to go to the NCSU Career Center and compete with other engineering students on campus for these positions – instead, the companies come to the PSE building and interview only PSE students.  Frequently, companies will sponsor dinner and an informal information session the night prior to interviews.

Because of the outstanding reputation of the PSE program, 80-100 %  of graduates will have one or more job offers at the time of graduation – regardless of the state of the economy or the industry.    Starting salaries and signing bonuses are among the highest for any graduates from NC State. 

Dual-degree students will find that they are highly-prized by not only paper and related companies, but also by petrochemical, chemical, and other major industrial companies.

For over 50 years, graduates from the PSE program have gone on to make significant contributions to the paper industry, other chemical process industries, and many other professional arenas.  Our alumni include vice-presidents, mill managers, technical managers, research directors, consultants, sales personnel, business owners, professors, teachers, lawyers, doctors, and clergymen.    With a long history of outstanding student care and thorough engineering education, the PSE program has much of which to be proud.

 

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