Gain further qualifications with a master’s degree in Plastics and Textile Technology

Students have to decide for themselves whether to embark on their professional career immediately after completing their bachelor’s degree, or whether to go on and acquire a further qualification in the form of a master’s degree. Those opting for a master’s degree will find an exciting range of industry and research-based study curricula at IKV. Those who graduate successfully will not only have acquired extended knowledge and skills but will also qualify for admission to a doctorate course.

As with the bachelor’s course, the subjects of plastics technology and textile technology are taken together for the “Master’s in Plastics Technology and Textile Technology”. Within this course, students once again specialise in either plastics technology or textile technology.

The master’s degree course is more scientifically oriented and also geared to current research to a greater extent than the bachelor’s course. The course also includes a large number of key factors that are important for imparting a comprehensive and holistic understanding of plastics processing.

Key topics covered in the master’s course:

  • Design
  • Simulation
  • Quality assurance
  • Control and optimisation of plastics processing methods 

In addition, the extensive range of elective subjects offers students a great deal of scope for pursuing their specific interests and selectively expanding their individual skills. Lectures on subjects including design and layout, extrusion, composites, microsystems technology and medical technology, etc. qualify graduates for precisely those areas of the plastics industry that they plan to pursue a career in.

Completing a master’s degree not only means obtaining a clearly higher qualification level, but also makes for better career prospects than a bachelor’s degree. A master’s degree is even compulsory for a large number of positions. Students can also only go on to study for a doctorate if they have completed a master’s degree. 

Patrick Stolz, M.Sc.

Study support +49 241 80-93809 studienbetreuung@ikv.rwth-aachen.de

Do you have any questions on studying plastics technology? Just call me or send a message.

Admission requirements for the master’s degree course

Students must fulfil a number of admission requirements for taking up a master’s degree course at RWTH Aachen (proof of a practical training period, educational requirements in the context of the bachelor’s course, etc.). The specific admission requirements are posted on the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering’s web pages.

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Master’s degree courses in Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Engineering

Mechanical Engineering

The course curriculum for those specialising in plastics technology in Mechanical Engineering is divided into three sections:

  • The interdisciplinary compulsory section is the same for all students on the “Plastics and Textile Technology” master’s degree course and takes in the subjects of “Modelling and Simulation in Plastics and Textile Technology” and “Fluid Mechanics II”.
  • In the plastics technology compulsory section, students learn about the physical chemistry of polymers and the joining and forming of plastics. The “Plastics Processing III” module continues on from the series at bachelor’s degree level (Plastics Processing I and II), tackling this subject in considerably greater depth.
  • In the compulsory elective section students have a choice of more than 30 subjects. They must acquire 30 credit points here. The compulsory elective section thus accounts for the same number of points as the compulsory section and allows students to configure their studies in a highly individualised manner, in line with their specific interests.

Industrial Engineering

The course curriculum for the master’s degree in Business Administration & Engineering with the plastics technology specialisation is similarly divided into three sections:

  • The engineering science compulsory section includes the following modules: transport phenomena I and II, rubber technology and plastics processing III.
  • In the engineering science compulsory elective section, students can choose from more than 50 subjects, for which they can acquire up to 30 credit points depending on the faculty in which they complete their master’s thesis.
  • The third focal area is the economic science compulsory elective section. Here too, the number of credit points (between 28 and 43) will depend on whether the master’s thesis is completed in mechanical engineering, economic science or on an interdisciplinary basis.