高分子材料是当今世界发展最迅速的产业之一，高分子材料已广泛应用到电子信息、生物医药、航天航空、汽车工业、包装、建筑等各个领域。高分子材料与工程专业就是为了适应二十一世纪材料科学与工程的发展而设置的厚基础、宽方向、适应性强的材料类专业。
本专业建立于1957年，是我国最早的高分子材料专业之一。是我国首批高分子材料博士和硕士学位授予点，材料学科是上海市重点学科，是国家“211”工程建设的重点。本学科在多年发展的基础上，形成了自己的办学特色和研究方向，包括活性聚合、新材料的合成与开发、聚合物结构与性能、反应性加工、先进复合材料及应用、超细材料及纳米材料、生物材料、新型功能材料、化学建材和化学纤维等。
高分子材料与工程专业含原高分子材料、高分子化工2个专业方向。高分子材料方向以高分子材料的制备、加工、改性及结构和性能的研究为基础。高分子化工以高分子化合物的合成工艺与工程为主体，以聚合物的制备、聚合工艺开发、聚合设计和控制为方向。
本学科在多年发展的基础上，形成了自己的办学特色和研究方向，实行应用基础研究和工程开发研究相结合。多年来与国内外著名企业、公司建立了广泛的科研协作关系，在教学和科研中获得了多项国家和省部级奖项。
为提高本科生的竞争能力，本专业多年来精心设计课程体系，注重教学质量，制定并实施了面向21世纪教育培养计划，近年来在获得上海市优秀教学成果奖的基础上，建立了材料实验教学中心和高分子材料加工中心，使学生的专业能力和基本技能得到极大提高。另一方面，本专业重视学生文化素质和综合能力提高，鼓励学有余力的学生选修第二专业。学生在校学习期间，除学校和社会提供的各类奖学金外，一些国内外知名企业和个人还在本专业设置了“陈文士”奖学金、PPG奖学金、杜邦奖学金、罗门哈斯奖学金、巴斯夫奖学金、GE奖学金、陶氏奖学金、台橡奖学金、住友奖学金、ICI奖学金、汗高奖学金、LG奖学金等，重奖品学兼优的学生。同时，通过各种渠道获得资助，以帮助各类学生完成学业。
本专业的主要课程包括：邓小平理论概论、大学英语、高等数学、线性代数、概率论与数理统计、大学物理、基础化学、有机化学、物理化学、化工原理，以及社会学、经济学、体育和计算机等基础课程，机械工程基础、高分子化学、高分子物理、高分子材料成型加工、聚合过程原理等，以及专业实验等专业必修课程。本专业课程体系中还设置了材料学科公共平台课，如：材料概论及实验、材料表界面、材料研究方法，这些课程为学生在材料学科上的继续发展奠定基础。本专业还设有下厂实习、毕业设计和毕业论文等实践环节。
本专业培养德、智、体全面发展，掌握高分子材料合成、加工的基本原理以及工艺设计和机电综合知识，进行高分子材料合成和加工的研究与开发、质量管理和教学工作，并具有竞争能力的工程技术人才。本专业毕业生适合于高分子材料合成、复合材料、橡胶和塑料制品的企业以及研究单位和高等院校，主要面向化工、建材、医药、轻工、石油化工、航天、航空、环保、电子、家电、汽车、包装、机电、造船等行业。
Polymer Materials and Engineering
Research of Polymer materials has been prompt developing rapidly in the world. It has been widely used in many fields, such as electro-communication, biomedicine, aviation and aerospace, auto industry, packing, architecture, and so on. The deep (solid) basis , broad field and better adaptability in the specialty has been set up for the development of materials science and engineering in 21st century.
The specialty was founded in 1957, and was one of the earliest specialties in China. The PhD program in Polymer Material Science was one of the earliest such programs available in China. The discipline of Material Science has been accredited as a key discipline by Shanghai Municipality, and has also been placed on the “211” construction project. On the basis of the feature and developing trend of the discipline, there are some research programs in the fields of living/controlled polymerization, synthesis and development of new materials, polymer structure and property, reactive processing technology, advanced composites and application, ultrafine materials and nanomaterials, biomaterials, functional materials, chemical construction materials and chemical fibers in the specialty.
There are two major researches in the specialty, polymer materials and polymer chemical engineering. The polymer materials focus on preparation, processing and modification, structure and properties of polymer materials, and the polymer chemical engineering focus on polymer synthesis techniques and engineering, polymer manufacture, development of polymerization process, polymerization design and control.
After several years’ development, science research and engineering development have been integrated primely in this specialty, and the characteristic on teaching and research has also formed. In recent years, a favorable relationship with world renowned enterprises and companies on scientific research and cooperation has been built. Therefore, many teaching and research awards from national, provincial and ministerial level has been achieved in this specialty.
To enhance the ability of the undergraduate student, the elaborate curriculum system has been set up to ensure the quality of teaching in the specialty. The cultivation project facing the 21st century was also constructed and applied in the teaching. With the winning of the Shanghai excellent teaching awards in recent years, the materials lab center and polymer materials processing center for undergraduate have been built up in pursuit of perfection of our teaching. On the other hand, the increase of the diathesis cultivation and comprehensive ability of the undergraduate are also emphasized. Some students were encouraged to study more knowledge in the second major. There are some scholarship from University, society, famous companies and personal as encouragement for excellent students in this specialty, such as “Chen Wenshi”, PPG, Dupont, Rohmhaas, BASF, GE, DOW, TaiWan Rubber, Sumitomo, ICI, Henkel, LG and so on. Meanwhile, students could also get other sustentations to accomplish their school work.
The basic compulsory courses for all undergraduate students include Den Xiaoping theory, university English, higher mathematics, linear algebra, probability and statistics, university physics, basic chemistry, organic chemistry, physical chemistry and principles of chemical Engineering besides social science, economy, physical education and computer science. For undergraduate students majoring in Polymer Materials & Engineering, additional compulsory specialty courses include fundamentals of mechanical engineering, polymer chemistry, polymer physics, polymer material processing, principle of polymerization and specialty experiments. Furthermore, the polymer chemistry and polymer physics have been evaluated as the excellent course in Shanghai. There is also a series of platform courses for the material science and engineering, for instance, materials conspectus and experiment, materials surface and interface, materials research method. On the basis of the cultivation system, the students can obtain the well-knit basis for their continuing studying and progress. Meanwhile, the student can also get the practice in techniques design, practice in companies and dissertation for bachelor.
The students are cultivated for the all-around progress in morality, mentality and physical education. The fundamental principle of the synthesis and processing of polymer materials, and the knowledge of the technology design and the integration of mechanics and electricity should be commanded to the students. On all accounts, the students will obtain the fundamental training for the engineers and be able to undertake the competitive works in research and exploitation of the synthesis, processing, quality control and teaching of the polymer materials in chemical engineering, building materials, medicine, light industry, petroleum chemistry, aeronautic industry, environmental protection, electronic and electrical appliance, automobile, packaging, mechanics and electricity, ship building and so on. Indeed, the students can also be competent for the position of polymer synthesis, composite