Overview of the Study Program
Shaping the Future Responsibly with Plastics
Plastics and elastomers are exciting
Mountain Bike and Wind Turbine, Sports Shoe and Smartphone, Wing and Castle, Toothbrush and Prosthesis – Do you know of any other material that accompanies our lives as comprehensively and diversely as plastics? Whether at home or in industry, what application would still be imaginable without them?
Plastics make products lighter, more environmentally friendly, affordable, diverse in design, more durable – and often possible in the first place. New applications are constantly emerging or being improved through the use of plastics. This also applies to the field of "elastomers" – soft, rubber-like plastics that are found in numerous modern products today.
As an engineer in plastics and elastomer technology, you can actively shape the future with these innovative materials and pursue new ideas – creating modern everyday objects as well as complex high-tech products!
Plastics - the future for people and the environment?
What do you think when you follow the discussion in the media? That a world without plastic would be a better world? Or have you delved deeper into the facts? When we do, we realize:
- Plastics are actually indispensable for a sustainable future – but they must be used and recycled intelligently: This significantly reduces energy consumption in transport - half of today's aeroplanes are already made of plastic!
- Plastics are excellent insulators and reduce energy consumption in homes and heating.
- The modern medicine, safety technologies, wind energy generation, and many sports: All of these would no longer be conceivable without high-tech polymers.
- Even plastic packaging – the focus of today's discussions – is indispensable: It extends the shelf life of food, contributes to safe nutrition, and can be transported more cleanly due to its lightweight nature. The key is to advance disposal and recycling, biodegradability, and production from renewable resources (or directly from CO2!) so that plastics form a sustainable cycle and no longer end up in the environment!
Info videos about studying and the degree program
Students and lecturers answer the most important questions about the degree program
Professors provide insights into the world of plastics
Wide Range of Studies and Careers – with an Exclusive Focus*!
- Do you want to design lighter and environmentally friendly components for cars and aircraft?
- Or durable, innovative household appliances?
- Or would you prefer to package food in reusable and fresh ways?
- Or develop entirely new treatment methods for medical technology?
Hundreds of career paths are possible. You can work in international development teams or in medium-sized companies in your desired region. You can work in the laboratory, in production, as a project manager, in direct contact with customers – or you can research at the forefront and design the next generation of plastic applications. Today, countless new bachelor's degree programs with glamorous names and trendy topics are emerging throughout Germany. But what career prospects do they offer? It should not be overlooked that choosing a course of study and completing nearly four years of studying usually sets the course for the next 40 years of your professional life! The degree program "applied polymer engineering" can look back on a consistent, decades-long success of its graduates. For students interested in technology, this not only offers a vibrant, lively study experience but also opens up a particularly versatile field of work. And this applies already at the bachelor's level: The demand for corresponding positions is high and is expected to remain so in the foreseeable future, as even in economic crises, aspects such as weight reduction, recycling, or environmental considerations remain important. So, excellent prospects for an attractive professional future! Studying applied polymer engineering at THWS in Würzburg differs from similar programs at other universities because it is not just a specialization (e.g., in mechanical engineering) but a full-fledged study program that also includes modern elastomer technology as an essential component – uniquely nationwide. *Elastomers are the soft and rubber-like representatives of plastics. They are also found everywhere in everyday life today: tool and toothbrush handles, seals and cosmetic brushes, tires and sports equipment – almost nothing works without elastomers, and therefore, not without appropriately trained experts! In the study program at THWS, this group of materials is therefore explained vividly and with practical experience as a focus.
Christmas lecture - Chemistry is when it bangs and cracks and you make rubber out of droplets
((Photo: THWS / K. Bolza-Schünemann) In his 90-minute experimental chemistry lecture, Prof. Dr. Lotz demonstrates to his audience the role of chemistry in numerous everyday products. Spectacular experiments illustrate chemical processes and material properties, sparking interest in this important discipline within the study of plastics and elastomer technology.
The study program from the students' perspective
Maria Sauer studied Plastics and Elastomer Technology at the THWS. The programme's emphasis on practical experience through laboratory work, as well as application-oriented lectures and exercises, optimally prepared her for her professional future. You can learn more about her motivations for choosing this degree programme and her experiences by visiting the following link: One material - two sides / Something with technology (think-ing.de)
Videos Filmed by Students in the 6th Semester as part of their Project Work
Why Plastics Engineering?
In these videos, students talk about their motivation to study plastics and elastomer technology at THWS and discuss the specifics and their experiences in this program.
Plastics and Elastomer Technology course at the THWS| Technical University of applied siences Würzburg-Schweinfurt
Pleasant and successful studies thanks to a large practical component!
If you want to not only study theory but also gain practical experience, then applied polymer engineering at THWS is the right choice for you: The six academic semesters (divided into two semesters each of basic, main, and specialized studies) are interspersed with numerous practical sessions in modern equipped labs, allowing you to directly apply learned content in a team setting. This includes not only traditional and modern processing techniques but also many other innovative topics such as 3D printing of components, lightweight and durable fiber-reinforced plastics, computer-aided design, modern analytical methods, or techniques for enhancing plastic surfaces aesthetically and durably.
After the basic and main studies, in the fifth semester known as the practical semester, you will work externally in a company or institute of your choice. Here, you'll experience how knowledge is applied in practice and simultaneously gain insight into industrial daily routines. The practical semester is also ideal if you want to gain international experience. We are happy to assist you in finding a suitable company for this purpose.
Combined with the completion of a bachelor's thesis at the end of the program, this creates a diverse mix of knowledge, scientific creativity, and practical experience that keeps the program dynamic and makes graduates highly sought after in the industry.
Therefore, many companies also offer the option of a 'cooperative study program' in cooperation with THWS. This allows you to finance your studies and gain even more practical insights if you choose.
Around it
Certainly, it's not just about what you learn - the "stuff around your studies" also make studying with us enjoyable:
- No anonymous mass lectures, but a relaxed, personal supervisory relationship
- Lecturers who come directly from practice
- High practical training component with modern machines and equipment
- Earning money while studying is possible with a cooperative study program"
- Building on the bachelor's degree, you can directly pursue the plastics-oriented Master's program "Product and System Development" in three semesters
- Only men in technical lecture halls? - Not with us!
Due to the aforementioned points, the proportion of female students is regularly higher than in many other technical programs. - And last but not least: Würzburg is a lively, attractive city with a diverse student life!
Studying and Living in Würzburg
