NDSU graduates are especially sought after by coating and chemical industries, and are employed by major coatings, polymer, chemical and petroleum companies, with many graduates attaining upper management positions. At the undergraduate level, B.S. degrees in chemistry and mechanical engineering with a polymers and coatings option are offered, and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees are available at the graduate level. These programs attract many students who have numerous opportunities for undergraduate research. In recent years the field of polymers for coatings has expanded to the utilization of agricultural products and has become a substantial part of the department's research. The faculty includes individuals with long experience in the coatings and chemical industries and with theoretical and practical expertise in surface FT-IR spectroscopy, polymer characterization, polymer rheology, corrosion, coating design, surface chemistry, organic chemistry of reactive polymers and polymer synthesis.
Faculty members are in demand as consultants and speakers in the U.S., Europe and Asia.
In 1994, the 3M Company established NDSU's first professorship position in the Department of Polymers and Coatings. The department works closely with the coatings and chemical industries and with their suppliers and customers to assure relevance of the programs. An Industry Advisory Board composed of 29 prominent industry people meets annually for three days with staff and students. Its members critique the program and provide assistance ranging from technical information to job placement advice. Every year all students have opportunities to meet with the board members.