Textile sciences and engineering programs prepare people to design and build systems that test and make fibers. Students use science and math skills to design new and improved fabrics. They also learn about strength and stress, weaves, and dyes.

Even in your birthday suit, you may be benefiting from textile science and engineering. That's because fibers and textiles are used for more than just clothing. They reinforce concrete. They are used to fabricate artificial blood vessels. They insulate your home.

When you study textile science and engineering, you learn the principles of chemistry and physics that make textiles strong and flexible. You also learn what makes them tear or fray. You study how spinning, dyeing, and weaving processes work. You apply math and science to solve problems such as how to make a fabric easier to clean. You learn how to find more efficient and less costly ways to perform existing processes.

There may be little difference between a science program and an engineering program. But one very clear difference is that a science program places more emphasis on theory and research. An engineering program emphasizes applying theory to solve problems.

With four years of full-time study beyond high school, you can earn a bachelor's degree in this field. That is good preparation for the job market. However, only a few colleges offer a bachelor's in textile science. And only a very few colleges offer an accredited engineering degree in this field.

For these reasons, you may find it more convenient to enter this field through a master's program. First, get a bachelor's in another field of science (such as chemistry) or engineering. Then, enter one of the 10 or so graduate programs in the U.S. in this specific field. Or specialize in fibers as part of a master's program in polymer and plastics engineering. In one or two years you can earn a master's degree.