Polymer and plastics engineering programs prepare people to develop and design plastics. Students learn to blend compounds to create lightweight materials. They also learn to use math and science to study the use of liquid and solid polymers.

In Mike Nichols's 1967 classic film "The Graduate," a famous and funny scene occurs when an older man advises the hero (played by Dustin Hoffman) to go into the field of plastics. Humorous as the scene was, the production of plastics and polymers has indeed become a significant component of our economy.

Polymers are molecules made up of long chains of atoms. You are familiar with polymers in plastic bags and bottles. But they are used in many other products: bulletproof vests, artificial limbs, and motor oil additives, to name just a few. Manufacturers use polymers when they make computer chips. There's a good chance you are looking through a polymer right now: your contact lenses, or your eyeglasses, or your computer display.

When you study polymer and plastics engineering, you build on a foundation of a lot of chemistry. You also study physics and mathematics. Then, you learn how to apply these kinds of knowledge to solve engineering problems. What polymer has the most useful properties for a certain application? What are the limits of this polymer, where it starts to fail? Does it release toxins when it breaks down, or as part of the fabrication process? How can the polymer be fabricated most cheaply? Can it be recycled?

About ten colleges offer a bachelor's degree program in this field. This normally requires four years of study beyond high school, and it is often all you need to start your career. A few colleges may offer a five-year program that leads directly to a master's degree.

Or you may get a master's after studying some other branch of engineering, or perhaps chemistry. About 15 graduate schools of engineering in the U.S. offer a master's program in this subject.