Master of Science in Plastics Engineering (STEM)

at University of Massachusetts Lowell USA

Information technology pervades every aspect of healthcare delivery today, providing access to rich and voluminous data. Those who can analyze and understand how data can best be used to improve healthcare outcomes are in high demand. The UMass Lowell Master of Science in Health Informatics and Management program, ranked the 16th best online master’s degree in this field in the country,* helps students advance their careers and, if they wish to, enter technical fields within the health care industry. Master’s-prepared employees in the field can earn more than $91,000 per year, according to Payscale.com.

While more technical or business-focused programs teach students how to crunch numbers in order to improve the bottom line, UMass Lowell’s program teaches these skills as ways to improve the quality of healthcare provided to patients in organizations that offer satisfying and rewarding work experiences to all staff members. Courses have been developed by faculty in the Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences Department of Public Health, while drawing upon the expertise of industry experts, through an organizational affiliation Health Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS). The program is fully online, offering working professionals flexibility.

Due to the breadth and long history of health-related academic programming, UMass Lowell has close connections with dozens of healthcare providers in Massachusetts and New England, including Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, Lahey Clinic, Lowell General Hospital, UMass Memorial Medical Center, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Kindred Healthcare, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, and Lowell Community Health Center.

The Master of Science serves several audiences, from the professional - with extensive industrial experience, to the recent graduate - aiming ultimately for an advanced research degree.

UMass Lowell’s computer science program offers theoretical grounding combined with an industry-influenced curriculum that sets our graduates apart. Alumni of the program work in companies like Amazon, Bloomberg, EMC, Facebook, Fidelity, Google, IBM, Microsoft, MITRE and Raytheon.

Graduates of the program work across industries, in large and small organizations. The Bioinformatics option graduates work primarily in the life sciences sector, improving people’s lives by making sense of the voluminous biological and health-care related data available today.

The BS in EE track provides a thorough grounding in the fundamentals of electrical engineering that would allow a graduate to function effectively in industry or continue on to graduate school. Students seeking admission into the BS Eng in EE program should be familiar with the admission and retention requirements of the College of Engineering – refer to the Office of Admissions.

The curriculum provides a sound foundation in math, science, and engineering as well as plastics specific courses. These courses, and the related laboratory experiences, focus on polymer materials, properties, processing and design. All levels of this curriculum foster communication, professionalism, ethics, safety, and environmental sustainability.

The department maintains the highest standard of academic excellence and a supportive environment for students from all backgrounds.

Students follow a sequence of mathematics, science, college writing, and fundamental engineering courses in their freshman and sophomore years. Plastics Engineering courses begin with the freshman-level Introduction to Plastics Engineering. Basic plastics materials, processing and design - with their hands on laboratories - are taught in the sophomore and junior years. The senior year includes advanced courses and a student-selected capstone project. Relevant clusters of humanities and social science courses are included with the context of engineering education to create well-rounded graduates.

The Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with an Entrepreneurship Concentration prepares students to be an "outside of the box" thinker and innovator in today's complex global economy. Using an interdisciplinary focus, students who complete the concentration will:

• Develop the management skills required to identify and launch new business ventures around innovative products, services and technologies.
• Develop an understanding of the concepts and activities associated with entrepreneurship and innovation.
• Understand the financial aspects of an entrepreneurial venture from start-up to "harvest".
• Discover their individual "entrepreneurial spirit" through experiential learning in interdisciplinary classes and the College's Venture Lab.

As a capstone experience in the entrepreneurship concentration, students will develop the essential components of a new venture/new opportunity business plan.

The required courses within the Entrepreneurship concentration consist of:

• Starting a New Venture
• Corporate Entrepreneurship
• Managing Innovation
• Finance for Emerging Business Enterprises

In this concentration, students learn how to write for an audience as a journalist, technical communicator, or a writer in other professional contexts. Students begin by taking Introduction to Professional Writing and continue with coursework that focuses on learning different aspects of professional writing. Journal and Professional Writing courses offer opportunities to learn about digital rhetoric, editing, publishing, grant writing, language and literacy, new media, reflective writing and visual rhetoric, just to name a few. All students in this track complete a portfolio that showcases their work in professional settings. That work often comes as part of an internship. Ultimately, the Journalism and Professional Writing concentration prepares students for writing situations and challenges beyond the classroom.

Sociologists study many different subjects: race and ethnicity, social policy, gender and sexuality, family and kinship, the nature of industrial capitalism, the effect of technology on modern society and interpersonal relationships. These are just a few of the many areas sociologists are interested in understanding. What draws these different areas together is the emphasis on understanding social life, both in our own society and cross-culturally.

The sociology major offers students the opportunity to learn about our social world. Courses cover a wide range of fields. As part of their program, students are encouraged to work in the Lowell community. Many students complete corporate or agency internships in which they work within a field setting to gain needed job experience.

Department members value the search for meaningful social change. Students who are interested in working in human services, social work, personnel management, urban planning, elder services, communications, law, education, research, community activism or full-time academic work might consider a major in sociology.   

Policy and Social Problems Concentration
Students may choose a concentration in Policy and Social Problems, which provides a pathway for those who want to focus specifically on applying analytical tools of sociological thinking to social problems and their solutions.

The B.F.A. degree prepares students for careers in studio arts and graphic design. Within these disciplines, students may choose to focus on photography, sculpture, painting, ceramics, animation, 3D modeling, drawing, printmaking or interactive digital media.

The art major is designed to develop a rigorous art practice. Students gain a deep knowledge of the technical and conceptual abilities needed to succeed in the professional world. The Art & Design Department offers the professional degree of Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.).

Through a broad, competence-building sequence of core courses, students are introduced to the language of several disciplines, various materials and techniques. They study the fundamentals of studio art along with a wide variety of skills including visual communication, critical thinking, problem-solving, oral communication and project development. In addition, they learn how to constantly adapt to new technology.

Assignments focus on self-expression, material/technical competencies, building a personal language and life practice. In addition to core studio courses, students can take advantage of courses in web design, motion graphics, interactive design, typography, art history, art theory, video, and the huge array of science and humanities courses available at the university.

High quality professors, rigorous and relevant curriculum and state-of-the art facilities create an environment that produces excellent student achievement.

The Studio Art concentration prepares artists for careers in animation, digital imaging, drawing, interactive-media, painting, photography, and sculpture. Graduates have built successful careers in photography, teaching, animation, gallery management and studio arts. The Studio Art concentration at UMass Lowell provides students with the tools necessary to reach their highest potential as creative practitioners.

The UMass Lowell American Studies Program offers both a major and a minor. It includes faculty from departments such as English, Cultural Studies, History, Psychology, Sociology and Political Science.

Graduates of the program have pursued careers in government and social services; others seek certification to teach elementary or high school. Having developed skills in writing and analysis, American Studies majors have become successful executives, public relations representatives, product managers, speech writers, press secretaries, and journalists. American Studies has proven a strong foundation for students continuing their studies in law or in library and information sciences.

American Studies is a vibrant interdisciplinary field practiced around the nation and world. It examines the intersection between such subjects as globalization and economics, music and politics, history and gender, race and environment, technology and art. This willingness to cross the boundaries of traditional disciplines allows for creative critical thinking and research.

The UMass Lowell American Studies Program offers both a major and a minor. It includes faculty from departments such as English, Cultural Studies, History, Psychology, Sociology and Political Science.

Graduates of the program have pursued careers in government and social services; others seek certification to teach elementary or high school. Having developed skills in writing and analysis, American Studies majors have become successful executives, public relations representatives, product managers, speech writers, press secretaries, and journalists. American Studies has proven a strong foundation for students continuing their studies in law or in library and information sciences.

American Studies is a vibrant interdisciplinary field practiced around the nation and world. It examines the intersection between such subjects as globalization and economics, music and politics, history and gender, race and environment, technology and art. This willingness to cross the boundaries of traditional disciplines allows for creative critical thinking and research.