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. It is recommended that a student enter the minor by the end of the sophomore year, but entry at a later date is possible if course coverage is already in progress.

Eighteen credit hours (6 courses) in paper science courses are required. 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); and directed electives courses (at least 11 credits): PSE 350 Fiber Processing (3);  PSE 437 Troubleshooting and Maintenance (3); PSE 465 Paper Properties (4); PSE 466 Paper Coating and Converting (2); PSE 467 Papermaking Wet End Chemistry (3); PSE 468 Papermaking Processes (6).