Packaging Systems and Design Major
Explore the Packaging Systems and Design Degree
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Packaging Systems and Design Degree
The Department of Sustainable Biomaterials offers one of the few packaging systems and design degrees in the United States. Packaging is a field of boundless impact and steady market growth. It is ubiquitous in the global economy – every item that is manufactured needs to be moved. Packaging systems are providing solutions worldwide for the transport of items. It is a field where you can make a difference.
Packaging Systems and Design Focuses
The world of packaging is diverse and multifaceted. Packaging comes in many types and uses many materials. Some packaging companies make these materials, some convert materials into packaging, some fill packaging with products, and some provide consulting or logistics services. Students in the Packaging Systems and Design degree acquire the multi- and inter-disciplinary knowledge needed to be successful in these exciting careers.
This degree is intensively hands-on, with experiential learning being a core value.
All PSD students are required to complete a six-month, co-op assignment with one of our approved industry partners.
Our Program
Dr. Laszlo Horvath teaching class.
Learning
Small Class Sizes = Personal Connection
Our small class sizes provide an opportunity to our students to build more personal connections with our faculty. In addition, our unique mentoring program assigns a faculty member to every packaging student to provide industry connections and career guidance throughout their time at Virginia Tech.
Student talking to employer
Career Ready
Industrial Connections
Our close collaboration with industry allows our students to find internships, Co-ops, and employment after graduation. Our extensive network includes major packaging companies such as PCA, International Paper, Smurfit Kappa, Newell, and CHEP as well as packaging users such as Amazon, L'Oreal, Coca-Cola, and Tesla among many others.
Students getting hands on experience
Experiential Learning
Hands-On Experience
The best way to translate the knowledge obtained in class to real life is to use it to solve real-life packaging problems. All of our packaging students have a chance to be involved in hands-on packaging projects even during their freshman year, including working in our packaging research center, undergraduate research in one of our labs, internal summer internships, and industry sponsored senior design projects.