Manufacture of pulp and paper products from wood and other fiber sources is one of the largest industries in the United States and the world. It depends in a major way upon chemical engineering for research, design, and management of a wide range of both organic and inorganic chemical processes in complex and integrated systems. The Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Maine pioneered the first program in the United States to study pulp and paper engineering and continues to provide instruction in the multidisciplinary application of engineering sciences to the varied and complex operations of the forest products industry. The modern and extensive paper industry of this state provides an exceptional opportunity for cooperative interaction of university-based programs with real life problems of industrial operations and development. More information about pulp and paper technology can be found on our web site www.umche.maine.edu/chb/.
Program Description
Students with a special interest in the pulp and paper industry can elect a four year BS program leading to the degree of Bachelor of Science in Pulp and Paper Technology. The curriculum is process-engineering oriented and is broadly similar to the regular chemical engineering program. However, specialized courses relating directly to the pulp and paper industry are substituted for some of the more general courses required in the chemical engineering program. The degree requires successful completion of 132 credits with a grade point average of at least 2.0.
Cooperative “Work-Experience” Program Option
Students with satisfactory academic standing at the end of their fourth semester may elect to participate in the “Co-Op” program. This fifteen month program, which is undertaken during the junior year, involves a combination of two fourteen week periods of supervised (paid) professional experience as a junior engineer separated by a regular academic term and either followed or preceded by a summer term at Orono. Participating students must register for six credits but, in general, these cannot be substituted for the courses required for the BS degree.
Employment Opportunities
Graduates of this program generally find employment in the pulp and paper industry where they fulfill many of the functions commonly performed by chemical engineers, including research and development, process design, control, operation and management of production facilities and technical sales.
Scholarships
More than half of the Pulp and Paper Technology undergraduates enjoy some degree of financial support from the Pulp and Paper Foundation. This ranges from $1,000 bursaries to first-year students to full (in state) tuition scholarships for sophomores and higher level students. In exceptional cases out of state tuition may also be covered. The scholarships are merit based and are restricted to students who intend to make their careers in the pulp and paper or related industries. Further information can be obtained from Peter Duncan, Executive Director of the Pulp and Paper Foundation, The University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469-5737 Phone (207) 581-2298, e-mail: woodcock@maine.edu.
Advanced Study in Pulp and Paper Management
Students with a BS engineering degree can program a fifth-year extension of their undergraduate curriculum to fulfill requirements for a Fifth-Year Certificate in Pulp and Paper Management. One half of the fifth year covers basic fiber science and the engineering technology of pulp and paper production. The other half involves an elective sequence to develop special interests in process engineering, systems engineering, environmental engineering, applied computer sciences, polymer science, process control, plant design, operations economics, engineering management, business administration, and others.
Students at the University of Maine who are enrolled in a BS degree program can undertake an integrated program where the requirements of the fourth year of their basic curriculum and the additional courses of the five-year option are distributed to reinforce each other over the last two years of the five year program. The BS degree and the certificate are awarded concurrently at the end of the fifth year.
Requirements for a Fifth-Year Certificate in Pulp and Paper Management include the successful completion of a minimum of 30 credits beyond the BS degree requirements. These credits must include the courses: PPA 465, PPA 466, PPA 473, PPA 474, PPA 695 and PPA 696 unless written permission is obtained from the faculty advisor. PPA 499 may be substituted for PPA 473 or PPA 474 but not for both. The remaining credits are to be taken in courses that constitute a minor field and are usually taken from outside the Department of Chemical Engineering. They are selected to enhance the career preparation of the student. A variety of elective course programs can be developed to meet individual needs of the student in consultation with and with approval of the faculty advisors so that requirements for the Fifth-Year Certificate in Pulp and Paper Management can be completed within one academic year beyond the BS degree.
The certificate program may be taken concurrently with some MS programs with consent of the academic organizations involved. However, the certificate program is a fifth-year extension of studies at the undergraduate level in those courses which are required, and courses taken for this certificate will not satisfy degree requirements for an MS program unless prior permission by the student’s graduate advisory committee has been obtained.
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