Packaging Science
Department of
Packaging Science
Overview
RIT’s packaging science program, established in 1972, is one of the most unique and respected in the country. One of only a handful in the nation to offer the program, the discipline provides students exposure to laboratory experience and real-life problem solving. Embedded into the program is the required full-time co-op with a company, and RIT is the only institute in the country that requires all packaging science students to experience this opportunity. This allows students to develop their professional skills, expand their real-world experience, and, most importantly, broaden their industry contacts. RIT's relationship with industry leaders and the skills students obtain in development, sales, and purchasing results in professional careers within this multi-billion dollar industry. This relationship, along with the faculty being packaging professionals, ensures that students acquire the most current technological knowledge base.
200+
Real industry student projects each year
8+
Possible focus areas: sustainable packaging, packaging design, biopolymers, shock and vibration, pharmaceutical, medical products, and food packaging
1
International Safe Transit Association Certified Packaging Dynamics and Research Lab
Latest News
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October 31, 2019
![Group of five students and professor pose with glass award.]()
RIT students place second in national packaging design competition
Team Pacman, a group of undergraduate students from Rochester Institute of Technology, placed second among 54 entries from competing universities in the recent Paperboard Packaging Alliance’s national Student Design Challenge.
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April 29, 2019
![Four men and women stand holding star-shaped glass awards.]()
College of Engineering Technology highlights alumni rising stars during campus ceremonies
Five alumni from RIT’s College of Engineering Technology were honored with Rising Star awards during a campus reception last month. Given to alumni who graduated from CET within the past five to 10 years, the awardees were recognized for outstanding achievements early in their careers, for significant public service contributions and in helping to advance the careers of new professionals.
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April 23, 2019
![Students and professor stand around pallet with boxes.]()
Packaging solutions improve product shelf life and sustainability
Images of plastic bags and bottles clogging beaches and oceans have some calling for a ban on all such products. But packaging experts say it’s not that easy to eliminate a highly effective material. Instead, researchers at RIT are looking to strike a balance: Find a way to produce plastics that retain their best qualities and yet are more environmentally friendly.
Featured Work
Excellence in Design
RIT student team
Four of eight student design teams from RIT that were entered in the national Paperboard Packaging Alliance competition were awarded top placements for excellence in design. The Misfit Burst took...
Collaborative design
Karen Proctor
Karen Proctor, professor of packaging science, worked with faculty from graphic design and industrial design to provide students with a unique opportunity for collaborative design. Through these three...
Undergraduate Programs
With a faculty committed to excellence, our undergraduate program provides a significant theoretical background coupled with extensive design and project experiences throughout the curriculum. Cooperative educational work is the hallmark of an RIT education, and the packaging science undergraduate program includes at least two of these experiences combined with faculty research opportunities.
Mathematics and the physical sciences are introduced in a just-in-time fashion while technical courses are incorporated every semester. Students are introduced to the multidimensional packaging field each semester. Progressing through the curriculum, projects become larger and design experiences more intense. By the final year of the program, students participate in realistic project-based design challenges as they ready themselves to be self-sufficient in the workplace.
Graduate Programs
The Master of Science degree in packaging science is designed to educate packaging professionals to become experts in the packaging development process. Students learn how to select raw materials, design, and create packaging to withstand environmental hazards during transportation, and to create aesthetically pleasing packages to pique consumer interest. Through a combination of theoretical and application-focused learning experiences, students gain comprehensive knowledge related to packaging design, package testing, product marketing, project management, and quality control.
Minors and Immersions
Student Resources
The Packaging Science Department offers a variety of resources for our students such as:
- Academic Advisors
- Student Clubs and Organizations
- Technical Information and Support
- Software Help
Visit our Student Resources page for more information.