Master's Degree in Sustainability and Plastics Management (SPM).

The Master's degree program in Sustainability and Plastics Management brings courses in sustainable plastics technology together with courses in business and management. Become a successful problem-solver and apply approaches in (plastics) engineering to tackle a variety of challenges facing industry, business, and our society.

The Master's degree program in Sustainability and Plastics Management (SPM) offered at the Johannes Kepler University Linz (JKU) is a combination of several disciplines, giving you a unique opportunity to build on - and hone - your problem-solving skills and address challenges in engineering and business.

The range of courses offered in technology, engineering, and management complement one another, preparing you to expand on innovative approaches that address challenges in industry, business, and sustainable development. The program provides you with the qualifications needed to pursue senior positions in the plastics industry, whether in Austria or abroad.
 

This English-language Master's degree program expands on the content of the JKU's Bachelor's degree program in Sustainable Polymer Engineering & Circular Economy.

 

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Key Facts

Degree

Master of Science (MSc)

Duration

4 semesters

ECTS

120 Credits

Language

English (Level B2)

Location

Linz

Program

Full-Time

What Makes the Master's Degree Program in Sustainability and Plastics Management Special

  • Alongside a well-balanced combination of courses in management and plastics engineering, there is also new course content in the area of "Transformative Changes", clearly demonstrating the cutting-edge role of plastics engineering as part of transformative processes.
  • The Master's degree program is international, consistently moving in a global direction.
  • International students not only have an opportunity to learn more about the European perspective toward technology and management, Austrian students and JKU faculty members can study and teach in a multinational environment that provides ample opportunities to address and contend with intercultural challenges.
  • The program is adjusted and updated continuously in an effort to effectively address sustainable technologies and sustainable development in the field of plastics engineering.
  • The program's flexible design allows students to individually choose their preferred degree of emphasis between management and plastics engineering.

JKU graduates talk about their professions in the plastics industry

Hannes Kaineder is currently pursuing a professional career as a global expert at Greiner Bio-One. See our JKU YouTube account, opens an external URL in a new window to watch more videos of what our graduates are doing!

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Program Structure for Sustainability and Plastics Management

Subject Area

ECTS Credits

Basics in Polymer Technologies (Bridge Subject) 0/17.5
Adavnced Polymer Technologies 24.5
Introduction to Management 12
Advanced Management 15
Advanced Electives in Sustainability and Plastics Management 29/11.5

Autonomous Coursework

12.5
Master's Thesis incl. Seminar and Examination 27
Total 120

The program includes either a bridging subject, “Fundamentals of Polymer Technologies”, or a different number of ECTS credits as part of the subject area “Advanced Electives in Sustainability and Plastics Management”, depending on your undergraduate degree.

The Curriculum and Course Catalog

The curriculum and the course catalog provide detailed information about the degree program requirements and mandatory courses.

The SPM Program's Main Areas of Focus

The Master's degree program in Sustainability and Plastics Management (SPM) not only conveys expertise in the following areas, but also hones your skills and abilities in:
 

  • testing and processing polymer materials, supporting polymer product engineering, managing sustainable development
  • providing an in-depth understanding of state-of-the-art science and technology by means of several elective courses and actively participating in research projects as part of your Master's thesis
  • applying an extensive skill set using experimental, empirical and computational methods across various facets of polymer engineering, business and technology management, and managing transformative change toward sustainable development
  • applying outstanding interpersonal skills to bridge and resolve engineering and business management issues.
  • effectively collaborating and communicating within an international industrial and scientific environment, facilitated in particular by internships within industry.
  • managing the supply chain effectively taking sustainability and circularity requirements within the polymer industry into consideration.

What you will learn at the university studying Sustainability and Plastics Management

Graduates holding a Master's degree in Sustainability and Plastics Management (SPM) are particularly well qualified to:
 

  • contribute significantly to developing and applying polymer materials, processes, and products within industry and administrative bodies
  • become skilled at flexibly adapting to changing market requirements and new technological and social developments
  • apply their expertise in selected areas of business and economics in a managerial role within the plastics industry


The curriculum's combination of engineering and management classes enable you to pioneer new approaches and successfully address the challenges of industry, business and sustainable development.

The multidisciplinary, English-language program has been designed to help you acquire the skills needed to work collaboratively across disciplines as well as communicate effectively on an international level with regard to the entire spectrum of sustainable polymer technologies and management.

"Did you know that...?"

The LIT Factory network at the JKU is your educational, learning, and research factory focusing on smart polymer processing and digitalization.

Your Career Prospects

As a graduate with a degree in Sustainability and Plastics Management, you are ideally qualified to pursue a wide range of professional responsibilities at companies looking to hire highly qualified experts who possess outstanding technical and business skills. There are countless career opportunities open to you:
 

  • In the plastics industry (including plastics manufacturing and processing companies as well as machinery and product suppliers in the plastics industry)
  • Within industries utilizing plastics and polymeric materials, such as packaging, construction, the automotive industry, electronic accessories and electrical engineering, sports and recreation equipment, the aerospace industry, power generation, medical technologies, etc.
  • At agencies and regulatory bureaus regulating the use of polymer materials and products (such as certifying agencies, government ministries, patent offices, etc.)

    Today's economic environment would be unimaginable without products and technologies that are based on polymer materials. Their innovative potential is truly unlimited. In line with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), graduates of the MPT degree program can also pursue the following career opportunities:
     
  • Professional careers in academia, or at public or private research institutions (also in combination with a Ph.D. earned in Austria or abroad)
  • Launching a start-up company in the production sector, as a service provider, or serving as a qualified consultant

On average, graduates in this field are able to find a job approximately one month after successfully completing the program. After 3 years on the job, their average monthly gross salary is € 4.189.

„We believe a great future does not solely lie in technology, but rather in our ability to master it!“
Univ. Prof. Dr. Zoltán Major
[Translate to Englisch:] Univ.-Prof. Dr. Zoltàn Major

Register to Enroll

Prerequisites

In order to be admitted to the Master's degree program, you must fulfill the following requirements.

  • Language certification proving a B2 level of proficiency in English
  • The Master's degree program expands on content from the JKU's Bachelor's degree program "Sustainable Polymer Engineering & a Circular Economy". Graduates from this Bachelor's program are eligible for admission to the Master's program with no restrictions.
  • Graduates from the undergraduate degree programs in Mechanical Engineering, Medical Engineering, Chemistry, and Mechatronics Bachelor's programs may be admitted and subject to a small number of conditions.
  • institution in Austria or abroad may be admitted to this Master's degree program providing their studies are similar to the JKU's Bachelor's degree program in Sustainable Plastics Engineering and a Circular Economy in scope and content. Students may be required to take supplementary examinations (a maximum of 40 ECTS credits) by the end of the second semester of the Master's program to make up for any subject-specific disparities.

Still have questions?

Then contact us!

Department

Admissions Office

Location

Bank Building

Frequently Asked Questions

The Master's degree program in Polymer Engineering & Sciences builds on the Bachelor's degree program, preparing you to become an interdisciplinary, technical and scientific expert capable of solving problems in industry and science, whereas the Master's degree program in Sustainability and Plastics Management focuses on socio-economic, political, and macrosocial skills, educating you as a transdisciplinary expert capable of addressing social challenges by means of technical (plastics) solutions.

Sustainability and Plastics Management (SPM) involves a well-rounded approach to balancing courses in management and plastics engineering with the opportunity to individually prioritize between the two. Polymer Engineering and Science (PES), on the other hand, focuses primarily on technical subject areas.

Still Have Questions?

Do you need help registering or do you have questions about the program? Contact the JKU's Office of Student Information and Academic Advising (SIBS)!

Advanced Degree Programs

After completing your graduate degree, you can continue your education by pursuing an advanced degree:

 

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