Coordinator: Dr. Gary Scott
The paper and related industries (including pulp, mineral, chemical and machinery suppliers) continually seek knowledgeable and skilled employees. Each year, companies hire numerous graduates of chemical, mechanical and environmental engineering programs as well as chemists and other environmental professionals in addition to paper science and engineering graduates. Salaries for new hires are among the highest for all fields of study at the bachelor’s degree level. This minor gives students a thorough understanding of the paper industry that will allow them to apply their major field of study to this growth industry.
The paper science minor is available to all ESF undergraduate students (except students in the paper science and paper engineering programs) who maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.70 and who desire to develop greater knowledge of paper science and its related fields.
Interested students must submit an application form, with courses listed, to the Paper Science Minor Coordinator (205 Walters Hall) with approval of their academic advisor and the chair of their department. Students should declare the minor by the end of the sophomore year, but may get permission of their home department for enrollment at any time after that if course coverage is already in progress. Successful completion of the minor will be noted on the student’s transcript.
Eighteen credit hours (6 courses) are required to satisfy the minor.
Specified Courses:
PSE 200 - Introduction to Papermaking (3);
PSE 202 - Pulp and Paper Laboratory Skills (1);
PSE 370 - Principles of Mass and Energy Balance (3), or similar.
Directed Elective Courses:
At least eleven credit hours in paper science courses are required as directed electives courses from the following list:
PSE 350 Fiber Processing (3);
PSE 437 Troubleshooting and Maintenance (3);
PSE 465 Paper Properties (3);
PSE 466 Paper Coating and Converting (3);
PSE 467 Papermaking Wet End Chemistry (3);
PSE 468 Papermaking Processes (6).