Bachelor | Fachbereich Maschinenbau und Kunststofftechnik

Polymer Engineering (B.Eng.)

Course Outline

Plastics are an integral part of our everyday lives: they are found in smartphones, bicycles and shoes, and often fulfil several technical functions at once. Yet, how do plastics differ? How are products developed and manufactured from them? What about sustainability and recycling? And what machines and digital tools are needed?

In the six-semester bachelor‘s programme in Polymer Engineering, students acquire comprehensive basic engineering knowledge in this versatile field. The programme is oriented towards mechanical engineering and process engineering. The first year of study is closely interlinked with the Mechanical Engineering and Mechatronics study programmes, so that a change is possible. In projects, students learn to design processes and tools in a practical manner from the very first semester. Many core elective modules, such as 3D Printing, Recycling and Biopolymers, allow students to choose their own specialisations.

In addition, students improve their teamwork and language skills.The EUT+ university alliance and established non-European partnerships offer a wide variety of study abroad opportunities.

Study programme in brief

Semester	6 Semester
Study location	➔ Darmstadt
Start of studies	➔ summer and winter semester
Language	➔ German
Form of admission	➔ Without admission restriction
Dual/Cooperative	➔ yes
Study Programme+	➔ yes

Study Facts

Optimise your academic success: A mix of small groups, individual support and manifold learning formats offers ideal study conditions and prepares you most effectively for your career.

Professional experience as part of your studies: A practical semester and projects with real clients help you to establish contacts in the professional world at an early stage.

Benefit from the practical experience of our teaching staff: They come from the professional world, impart up-to-date knowledge and prepare you for the demands of the industry.

State University: Our study programmes are accredited and therefore quality-assured. As a state university we do not charge tuition fees.

Outstanding Place of Learning: According to UNESCO, h_da is an ‘Outstanding Place of Learning for Sustainable Development’.

“We have had close ties with the Faculty of Mechanical and Plastics Engineering at h_da for many years. As several of our employees – including myself – are graduates of the faculty, we enjoy working with the university. Graduates and students working on their bachelor‘s and master‘s theses are always welcome at our company.”

Julian Kremer
Dipl.-Ing, Managing Director, Kremer-Kautschuk-Kunststoff GmbH Co. KG

Entry Requirements

For this degree programme there's no restricted admission. It starts in the winter semester. The entry requirements include qualifications, such as:

general higher education entrance qualification (allgemeine Hochschulreife)
subject-specific higher education entrance qualification valid in Hesse (fachgebundene Hochschulreife)
technical college entrance qualification valid in Hesse (Fachhochschulreife)
vocational qualifications: h-da.de/studium-ohne-abi

Applications with a foreign certificate need to be made via uni assist.de/en.

The 8-week pre-study internship may be completed either before or while studying. Further information for the pre-study internship you can find here.

A detailed description of the admission requirements can be found in the Special Provisions of the Examination Regulations.

Course structure

In the first year of your degree, you will join the closely interlinked introductory phase with Bachelor’s degree programmes in General Mechanical Engineering and Polymer Engineering. This allows to switch between these programmes without any difficulty.

From the 3rd to the 6th semester follows the foundational and advanced studies programme. Besides compulsory modules, you can choose from numerous core electives in the 4th and 5th semesters.

The practical phase and Bachelor’s thesis in the 6th semester provides you with the best possible preparation for starting your career.

A detailed description of the admission requirements can be found in the module manual and Special Provisions of the Examination Regulations (BBPO).
An overview of the individual modules in the course structure can be found in the module diagramme:

This standard degree programme can also be undertaken as a dual study programme in partnership with a collaborating company, or as a study programme+ with additional practical component and modules.

To prepare students for their degree programme, h_da offers preparatory courses.

Career Prospects

Graduates of the Polymer Engineering degree programme work primarily in product development, design, manufacturing and sales, either at a technical level, in management positions or as a freelancer.

In global companies or regional SMEs, they work in the following sectors:

plastics manufacturing, processing and recycling
machine and tool construction
construction and building components
aerospace technology, automotive industry
medical technology, electrical and electronics industry
sports, leisure and consumer goods

More about the career path of a mechatronics engineer you can find in the following video:

Vom Studium zur Ingenieurin – Kunststofftechnik

Contact us

The first place of contact for most questions about studying is our student advisors, the Student Service Centre (SSC) or direct contacts from the faculty.

Head of degree programme