Paper Science and Engineering (BS)
To see more about what you will learn in this program, visit the Learning Outcomes website!
The Paper Science and Engineering curriculum prepares students for careers in the paper industry, which ranks as the fifth-largest manufacturing industry in the United States. Science, engineering, and mathematics form the basis for a multidisciplinary approach to understanding the fundamental aspects of materials science and engineering of these complex renewable materials. Students study the technology and engineering of wood pulping processes, chemical and energy recovery systems, and pulp bleaching. In addition, various papermaking operations, such as refining, sizing, coating, and drying are studied. These topics, along with the chemical and biological modification of wood, papermaking, and the physics of paper based materials form a fundamental set of core courses that all students in the curriculum take.
Two concentrations are available emphasizing the different engineering aspects of pulping and paper making. The Paper Science and Engineering concentration provides an extensive background in the pulp and paper manufacturing processes and elective credit hours for studies in chemistry, marketing, economics, management or other areas of interest to the student. Greater depth in general chemical engineering principles can be obtained from the Chemical Engineering Concentration. Students who have completed the Chemical Engineering Concentration in Paper Science and Engineering can, in cooperation with the College of Engineering and with an additional semester of study, earn a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering as a second degree.
Program Educational Objectives
Within a few years after graduation, alumni of the Paper Science & Engineering Program at NC State University will be:
- Effective engineers and leaders in the paper, chemical process, and related industries.
- Professionals who act in a safe and ethical manner.
- Learners who acquire, analyze, and apply new knowledge effectively.
Summer Internship
All Paper Science and Engineering majors are required to work one summer in a pulp or paper manufacturing facility. One hour of academic credit is granted after completion of 12 weeks of this work and presentation of an engineering report of professional quality. In addition, students are urged to work in manufacturing facilities the other two summers, as the work provides valuable practical experience. Departmental advisers assist students in locating summer jobs, which are found throughout the US and abroad.
Many Paper Science & Engineering students work at least one co-op rotation, in which they leave school for one semester and work in the industry. The resulting experience adds significantly to a student’s desirability upon graduation.
Accredited Program
The Paper Science and Engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, https://www.abet.org.
Regional Program
The Paper Science and Engineering curriculum is a regional program approved by the Southern Regional Education Board as the undergraduate program to serve the Southeast in this field.
Scholarships
Approximately 125 undergraduate academic scholarships worth approximately $380,000 are granted annually to new and continuing students by companies comprising the Pulp and Paper Advisory Board, and by alumni and supporters of the program.
Contact
Dr. M. V. Byrd
Director of Undergraduate Programs
919.515.5790
med_byrd@ncsu.edu
Plan Requirements
| First Year | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| E 101 | Introduction to Engineering & Problem Solving 1 | 1 |
| E 115 | Introduction to Computing Environments | 1 |
| CH 101 & CH 102 | Chemistry - A Molecular Science and General Chemistry Laboratory 2 | 4 |
or | ||
| General Chemistry I for Students in Chemical Sciences and General Chemistry Laboratory I for Students in Chemical Sciences | ||
| CH 201 & CH 202 | Chemistry - A Quantitative Science and Quantitative Chemistry Laboratory 1 | 4 |
or | ||
| General Chemistry II for Students in Chemical Sciences and General Chemistry Laboratory II for Students in Chemical Sciences | ||
| MA 141 | Calculus I 2 | 4 |
| MA 241 | Calculus II 2 | 4 |
| PY 205 & PY 206 | Physics for Engineers and Scientists I and Physics for Engineers and Scientists I Laboratory 2 | 4 |
| PSE 201 | Pulping and Papermaking Technology 1 | 3 |
| Acad Writing Research 1 | 4 | |
| Economics Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 32 | |
| Second Year | ||
| CH 221 & CH 222 | Organic Chemistry I and Organic Chemistry I Lab 1 | 4 |
or | ||
| Organic Chemistry I for Students in Chemical Sciences and Organic Chemistry Laboratory I for Students in Chemical Sciences | ||
| CH 223 & CH 224 | Organic Chemistry II and Organic Chemistry II Lab | 4 |
or | ||
| Organic Chemistry II for Students in Chemical Sciences and Organic Chemistry Laboratory II for Students in Chemical Sciences | ||
| MA 242 | Calculus III | 4 |
| PY 208 & PY 209 | Physics for Engineers and Scientists II and Physics for Engineers and Scientists II Laboratory | 4 |
| CHE 205 | Chemical Process Principles | 4 |
| PSE 212 | Paper Properties 1 | 4 |
| PSE 371 | Pulping Process Analysis 1 | 3 |
| Advised Electives | 3 | |
| Hours | 30 | |
| Third Year | ||
| MAE 201 | Engineering Thermodynamics I | 3 |
| PSE 322 | Wet End and Polymer Chemistry | 4 |
| PSE 332 | Wood and Pulping Chemistry | 3 |
| PSE 355 | Pulp and Paper Unit Processes I 1 | 3 |
| PSE 360 | Pulp and Paper Unit Processes II | 3 |
| PSE 370 | Pulp and Paper Products and Markets | 3 |
| PSE 211 | Pulp and Paper Internship | 1 |
| Engineering Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 23 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| PSE 415 | Paper Industry Strategic Project Analysis | 3 |
| PSE 416 | Process Design and Analysis | 3 |
| PSE 417 | Modeling & Simulation of Pulp & Paper Processes | 3 |
| PSE 465 | Process Engineering | 3 |
| PSE 472 | Paper Process Analysis | 3 |
| PSE 475 | Process Control in Pulp and Paper | 3 |
| PSE 425 | Bioenergy & Biomaterials Engineering | 3 |
| Advised Electives | 3 | |
| Hours | 24 | |
| Total Hours | 109 | |
- 1
A grade of C- or better is required.
- 2
A grade of C or better is required.
| Code | Title | Hours | Counts towards |
|---|---|---|---|
| GEP Courses | |||
| GEP Humanities | 6 | ||
| GEP Social Sciences | 3 | ||
| GEP Health and Exercise Studies | 2 | ||
| GEP US Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion | 3 | ||
| GEP Interdisciplinary Perspectives | 5 | ||
| GEP Global Knowledge (verify requirement) | |||
| Foreign Language Proficiency (verify requirement) | |||
| Total Hours | 19 | ||
Acad Writing Research
| Code | Title | Hours | Counts towards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acad Writing Research | |||
| ENG 101 | Academic Writing and Research | 4 | |
| FLE 101 | Academic Writing and Research | 4 | |
| Transfer Sequence | |||
| ENG 202 | Disciplinary Perspectives in Writing | 3 | |
| ENG 1GEP | 3 | ||
Economics Electives
| Code | Title | Hours | Counts towards |
|---|---|---|---|
| ARE 201 | Introduction to Agricultural & Resource Economics | 3 | |
| ARE 201A | Introduction to Agricultural & Resource Economics | 3 | |
| EC 201 | Principles of Microeconomics | 3 | |
| EC 205 | Fundamentals of Economics | 3 |
Engineering Electives
| Code | Title | Hours | Counts towards |
|---|---|---|---|
| BAET 411 | Agricultural Machinery and Power Units | 4 | |
| CE 214 | Engineering Mechanics-Statics | 3 | |
| CHE 225 | Introduction to Chemical Engineering Analysis | 3 | |
| ECE 331 | Principles of Electrical Engineering | 3 | |
| MAE 206 | Engineering Statics | 3 | |
| MSE 201 | Structure and Properties of Engineering Materials | 3 | |
| TE 200 | Introduction to Polymer Science and Engineering | 3 |
Advised Electives
| Code | Title | Hours | Counts towards |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACC 200 | Introduction to Managerial Accounting | 3 | |
| ACC 210 | Concepts of Financial Reporting | 3 | |
| ACC 220 | Introduction to Managerial Accounting | 3 | |
| ACC 280 | Survey of Financial and Managerial Accounting | 3 | |
| ACC 310 | Intermediate Financial Accounting I | 3 | |
| ACC 311 | Intermediate Financial Accounting II | 3 | |
| ACC 340 | Accounting Information Systems | 3 | |
| ACC 411 | Business Valuation | 3 | |
| ARE 301 | Intermediate Microeconomics | 3 | |
| ARE 336 | Introduction to Resource and Environmental Economics | 3 | |
| BAE 425 | Industrial Microbiology and Bioprocessing | 3 | |
| BAE 525 | Industrial Microbiology and Bioprocessing | 3 | |
| BCH 451 | Principles of Biochemistry | 4 | |
| BUS 320 | Financial Management | 3 | |
| CH 315 | Quantitative Analysis | 3 | |
| CH 331 | Introductory Physical Chemistry | 4 | |
| CH 401 | Systematic Inorganic Chemistry I | 3 | |
| CH 431 | Physical Chemistry I | 3 | |
| CH 437 | Physical Chemistry for Engineers | 4 | |
| CHE 225 | Introduction to Chemical Engineering Analysis | 3 | |
| CHE 311 | Transport Processes I | 3 | |
| CHE 312 | Transport Processes II | 3 | |
| CHE 315 | Chemical Process Thermodynamics | 3 | |
| CHE 316 | Thermodynamics of Chemical and Phase Equilibria | 3 | |
| EC 301 | Intermediate Microeconomics | 3 | |
| EC 302 | Intermediate Macroeconomics | 3 | |
| EC 336 | Introduction to Resource and Environmental Economics | 3 | |
| ET 310 | Environmental Monitoring and Analysis | 3 | |
| ISE 311 | Engineering Economic Analysis | 3 | |
| MA 225 | Foundations of Advanced Mathematics | 3 | |
| MA 303 | Linear Analysis | 3 | |
| MA 305 | Introductory Linear Algebra and Matrices | 3 | |
| MA 325 | Introduction to Applied Mathematics | 3 | |
| MA 351 | Introduction to Discrete Mathematical Models | 3 | |
| MA 401 | Applied Differential Equations II | 3 | |
| MA 402 | Mathematics of Scientific Computing | 3 | |
| MA 403 | Introduction to Modern Algebra | 3 | |
| MA 407 | Introduction to Modern Algebra for Mathematics Majors | 3 | |
| MA 408 | Foundations of Euclidean Geometry | 3 | |
| MA 410 | Theory of Numbers | 3 | |
| MA 421 | Introduction to Probability | 3 | |
| MA 425 | Mathematical Analysis I | 3 | |
| MA 426 | Mathematical Analysis II | 3 | |
| MA 430 | Mathematical Models in the Physical Sciences | 3 | |
| MIE 201 | Introduction to Business Processes | 3 | |
| MIE 305 | Legal and Regulatory Environment | 3 | |
| MIE 330 | Human Resource Management | 3 | |
| MIE 335 | Organizational Behavior | 3 | |
| MSE 201 | Structure and Properties of Engineering Materials | 3 | |
| ST 311 | Introduction to Statistics | 3 | |
| ST 370 | Probability and Statistics for Engineers | 3 | |
| ST 371 | Introduction to Probability and Distribution Theory | 3 | |
| ST 431 | Introduction to Experimental Design | 3 | |
| ST 435 | Statistical Methods for Quality and Productivity Improvement | 3 | |
| ST 535 | Statistical Methods for Quality and Productivity Improvement | 3 |
Semester Sequence
This is a sample.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Hours | |
| CH 101 | Chemistry - A Molecular Science 1 | 3 |
| CH 102 | General Chemistry Laboratory 1 | 1 |
| E 101 | Introduction to Engineering & Problem Solving | 1 |
| E 115 | Introduction to Computing Environments | 1 |
| ENG 101 | Academic Writing and Research | 4 |
| MA 141 | Calculus I 1 | 4 |
| GEP Health and Exercise Studies | 1 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| CH 201 | Chemistry - A Quantitative Science | 3 |
| CH 202 | Quantitative Chemistry Laboratory | 1 |
| EC 205 | Fundamentals of Economics or Principles of Microeconomics or Introduction to Agricultural & Resource Economics | 3 |
| MA 241 | Calculus II 1 | 4 |
| PY 205 | Physics for Engineers and Scientists I 1 | 3 |
| PY 206 | Physics for Engineers and Scientists I Laboratory 1 | 1 |
| PSE 201 | Pulping and Papermaking Technology | 3 |
| Hours | 18 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| CH 221 | Organic Chemistry I | 3 |
| CH 222 | Organic Chemistry I Lab | 1 |
| CHE 205 | Chemical Process Principles | 4 |
| MA 242 | Calculus III | 4 |
| PSE 212 | Paper Properties | 4 |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| CH 223 | Organic Chemistry II | 3 |
| CH 224 | Organic Chemistry II Lab | 1 |
| PY 208 | Physics for Engineers and Scientists II | 3 |
| PY 209 | Physics for Engineers and Scientists II Laboratory | 1 |
| PSE 371 | Pulping Process Analysis | 3 |
| Advised Elective 1 | 3 | |
| GEP Health and Exercise Studies | 1 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| MAE 201 | Engineering Thermodynamics I | 3 |
| Engineering Elective | 3 | |
| PSE 211 | Pulp and Paper Internship | 1 |
| PSE 322 | Wet End and Polymer Chemistry | 4 |
| PSE 355 | Pulp and Paper Unit Processes I 2 | 3 |
| GEP Requirement | 3 | |
| Hours | 17 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| PSE 332 | Wood and Pulping Chemistry | 3 |
| PSE 360 | Pulp and Paper Unit Processes II | 3 |
| PSE 370 | Pulp and Paper Products and Markets | 3 |
| GEP Requirement | 3 | |
| GEP Requirement | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| PSE 415 | Paper Industry Strategic Project Analysis | 3 |
| PSE 417 | Modeling & Simulation of Pulp & Paper Processes | 3 |
| PSE 425 | Bioenergy & Biomaterials Engineering | 3 |
| PSE 475 | Process Control in Pulp and Paper | 3 |
| GEP Requirement | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| PSE 416 | Process Design and Analysis | 3 |
| PSE 465 | Process Engineering | 3 |
| PSE 472 | Paper Process Analysis | 3 |
| Advised Elective 1 | 3 | |
| GEP Requirement | 3 | |
| GEP Interdisciplinary Perspectives | 2-3 | |
| Hours | 17 | |
| Total Hours | 128 | |
- 1
A grade of C- or better is required.
Career Opportunities
Graduates of this curriculum find opportunities for challenging careers as process engineers, product development engineers, process control engineers, chemists, technical service engineers, quality control supervisors, and production supervisors. Design and construction engineering companies employ graduates as project engineers, and pulp and paper machinery/chemical companies use their education and skills for technical service and sales positions. Opportunities for managerial and executive positions are available to graduates as they gain experience.
The broad and intensive nature of this curriculum makes graduates attractive not only to the pulp and paper industry, but also to a variety of other major chemical process and bio-energy industries. This appeal is especially true for the dual degree in Paper Science & Engineering and Chemical Engineering.