Skip to main content

Degree Requirements, Qualifying Courses, Curriculum

Degree Requirements

The Fiber and Polymer Science Ph.D. degree requires 72 credits for graduation. All students are required to complete two semesters of FPS 801 and four qualifying courses as described below: 

  • FPS 770 Advances in Polymer Science (Fall)
  • TMS 762 Physical Properties of Fiber Forming Polymers (Spring)
  • Two more courses from the list of approved Qualifying Courses (see below)

Students must also successfully defend a critical literature review and research proposal (Preliminary Exam) and a final dissertation defense (Final Exam).

Qualifying Courses

All four qualifying courses (below) must be taken by the end of the 3rd semester with a grade of B or better in each of the four qualifying courses chosen.  All students must take: 

  • FPS 770: Advances in Polymer Science (Fall)
  • TMS 762: Physical Properties of Fiber Forming Polymers, Fibers and Fibrous Structures (Spring)
  • Plus two additional courses selected from the following:  

Polymer Science 

  • TC 771: Polymer Microstructures, Conformations and Properties (Fall)  

Fiber Science 

  • TC 704: Fiber Formation: Theory and Practice (Fall) 
  • TMS 761: Mechanical and Rheological Properties of Fibrous Material (Fall) 
  • TMS 763: Characterization of Structure of Fiber Forming Polymers (Fall) 

Coloration and Wet Processing 

  • TC 706 and 707: Color Science (Fall)  
  • TC/FPS 710: Textile Wet Processing (Fall) 
  • TC 720: Dye Synthesis (Fall) 

Formation and Properties of Textile Products 

  • FPS 750: Advances in Fabric Formation, Structure, and Properties (Spring) 

Curriculum

In addition to the following core courses, students can take any 500 or 700 graduate courses from the Wilson College of Textiles or other colleges on campus to support their research. Students need to consult with their major advisor for course selection. 

  • FPS 710/TC 710 Science of Dye Chemistry, Dyeing, Printing and Finishing   
  • FPS 750/TTM 750 Advances in Fabric Formation, Structure, and Properties   
  • FPS 770 Advances in Polymer Science   
  • TMS 762 Physical Properties of Fiber Forming Polymers, Fibers and Fibrous Structures  
  • TC 771 Polymer Microstructures, Conformations and Properties  
  • TC 704 Fiber Formation: Theory and Practice  
  • TMS 761 Mechanical and Rheological Properties of Fibrous Material  
  • TMS 763 Characterization of Structure of Fiber Forming Polymers  
  • TC 706 and 707 Color Science    
  • TC / FPS 710 Textile Wet Processing   
  • TC 720 Dye Synthesis  
  • FPS 792 Special Topics in Fiber Science 
  • FPS 801 Seminar (1 credit hour)  
  • FPS 830 Independent Study 
  • FPS 876 Special Project in Fiber and Polymer Sciences  (1-9 credit hours)  
  • FPS 885 Doctoral Supervised Teaching  
  • FPS 893 Doctoral Supervised Research (1-9 credit hours)  
  • FPS 895 Doctoral Dissertation Research (1-9 credit hours)  
  • FPS 896 Summer Dissertation Research (1 credit hour)  
  • FPS 899 Doctoral Dissertation Preparation