Courses / Department of Chemical Engineering

Master in Plastics and Sustentability

General Objectives of the Course

This Master aims to create a training offer in plastics and sustainability. Plastics are essential materials for modern life and can be found in everywhere. Currently, around 370 million tons of plastics are produced worldwide. Forecasts indicate that we will have to at least triple this production by 2050, and by then there will be an equivalent mass of plastic and fish in the oceans. There is therefore an urgent need to create a master's degree that approaches the topic of plastics and sustainability holistically, providing scientific knowledge from the synthesis of materials to possible end-of-life alternatives. Absolutely critical topics for this theme will also be addressed, such as life cycle analysis, circular economy, bioplastics, biotechnology, among others. The master is organized in a coherent way so that students end it with a global view of the problem and possible solutions.

Admission Requirements

Candidates will be evaluated and ranked based on the following aspects: academic path, professional path and competence. For this, a degree in Chemical Engineering, Polymer Engineering, Chemistry, Polymer Chemistry or other related areas will be considered, and a minimum professional experience of 5 years.

Candidates should check the admission requirements available on this site, in addition to the information provided here.

Professional Goals

A Master in Plastics and Sustainability graduated from the University of Coimbra has a solid, multidisciplinary, up-to-date preparation focused on resilience and creativity in facing new challenges. During the master's degree, the students will receive training in different areas such as polymer science, from the synthesis of materials, through characterization, processing and application. During their training, the students will receive technological training that involves reducing the CO2 footprint of the various processes. The training will be given in a holistic way, addressing the most relevant topics for a Master in Plastics and Sustainability to be able to design new products/processes that mitigate the environmental impact of the plastics sector. Due to the importance of the topic of Plastics and Sustainability for our daily lives, and given that plastics are everywhere, the employability of these new masters will be enormous in various sectors such as:
- Chemical Industry (e.g. involving the synthesis and/or handling of polymers);
- Food Industry (e.g. in the sector of creating more sustainable packaging);
- Environment (e.g. assessment of the environmental impact of products/processes involving plastics);
- Production of new more sustainable materials for high added value applications (e.g. healthcare, electronics);
- Innovation, research, and development of innovative polymer-based products.

Mode of Study

Face-to-face

Teaching / Evaluation language(s)

Portuguese and English

Examination Regulations, Assessment and Grading

The evaluation is a pedagogical activity that is inseparable from teaching. Its main objectives are to assess the skills and knowledge acquired by the students, their critical spirit, the ability to articulate and solve problems as well as their mastery of written and oral communications. The students are admitted to evaluation of the courses in which they are enrolled and registered in the corresponding examinations, when registration is required, according to the regulations of University of Coimbra. The evaluation elements may be as follows: written or oral exams, tests, problems solving, written or practical works as well as projects, carried out individually or in group, that may involve an oral presentation, and classroom participation. The evaluation of the courses may include one or more of the elements indicated above and students must be informed about the weighting of each component in the final evaluation of the curricular unit, following the regulations of University of Coimbra. The classification of each student, for each course, is expressed as an integer value between 0 and 20 points and the students are considered approved when they obtain a final mark at least of 10 points out of 20. The approval in the Dissertation in Plastics and Sustainability includes a public defense of the developed work before a jury composed of specialists in the field in which it is framed, according to the Academic Regulation of the University of Coimbra (RAUC).

Learning Objectives and Intended Skills

- Acquire knowledge in the area of synthesis and characterization of polymers.
- Understand the relationship between the structure of polymers and their characteristics.
- Acquire and understand fundamental concepts in the area of polymer processing.
- Development of skills in the area of life cycle assessment, circular economy, sustainability.
- Know and understand the issue of sustainability of plastics through a holistic view of the various factors involved.
- Apply the knowledge acquired in the master's degree to the development of new, more sustainable polymer-based materials.
- General competences: critical analysis, synthesis, teamwork, communication, autonomy, adaptation to new situations and values of honesty and ethics.

Recognition of Prior Learning

Recognition of prior learning is carried out in accordance with the Academic Regulation of the University of Coimbra, RAUC, under the terms set out in Decree-Law No. 74/2006, of March 24, in its current wording.

Qualification Requirements and Regulations

Decree-Law 74/2006 of 24 March, in its current wording

Graduation Requirements

In order to obtain the Master’s degree in Plastics and Sustainability, the student has to complete a total of 60 ECTS, i.e be approved in all curricular units of the study’s cycle, and successfully accomplish a public defense of a Master’s Dissertation (developed in an academic or industrial environment).

Access to Further Studies

Completion of this master's degree allows access to a third cycle course.

Study Programme

Plásticos e Sustentabilidade

Academic year
2023-2024

Course Type
2nd Cycle Studies - Lifelong Learning Master Programme

DGES Code: ME15

Qualification Awarded: Mestre

Duration: 2 Semester(s)

ECTS Credits: 60.0

Category: Lifelong training second cycle

Applications

Call for Applications

Accreditations

Agência de Avaliação e Acreditação do Ensino Superior: 2023-07-31 a 2029-07-30
Direcção Geral de Ensino Superior: Nº Registo: R/A-Cr 45/2023; 2023-07-22