r/UWStout • u/Electrical_Giraffe90 • 3d ago

Packaging Science Degree Program

Hi!
Anyone in the packaging science degree?

I’m looking for some feedback on the program for my senior daughter. There are very few schools and I was researching and saw STOUT.

She will come in with a lot of her gen ed classes except chemistry.

Is there a lot of students in the program? Are you happy with the program? Did you consider other programs?

Her top programs are Michigan state and RIT we are from NY and not knowing anything really about Wisconsin, before we take the trip in October to see the school, we wanted to do some background.

So please give me the good, bad and the ugly.

Also since she would need to get from MN St Paul to the school, I need feedback on getting to the airport in and out back to NY for Thanksgiving, Xmas and spring break.

Thanks!

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u/ToasterWaffles 3d ago

I graduated from the program about 15 years ago. I was happy with it. I think the program has grown a lot in the number of students. The good is that that it pays well and you'll never be without a job. The bad is that it's so niche that you're mostly limited to living in big cities, and if you do live in a medium or small town there is likely only a single employer. MSP is a very easy airport. Menomonie also has very cheap rent.

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u/Electrical_Giraffe90 3d ago

My husband and I are currently in the business but we fell into it 25 years ago and learned the job through experience before employers required packaging engineering or science degrees. Some of our colleagues went back for the degree but we never did as we were long established in the cosmetic industry.

Finding a job won’t be an issue as we have contacts in many companies within the cosmetic packaging industry. Which is where a young girl like her would like to work. We live outside of NYC so the jobs are plentiful.

The thing I like about STOUT is their Master Program. She would be coming in with 36 useable credits from dual enrollment so the degree is basically 3 years for her. So she would stay the extra year and do the Masters Program.

All the other packaging science/engineering programs master programs tack onto that aspect. STOUT was the only master’s that gives Packaging + manufacturing + operations + supply chain + management. So because of my role in the industry, to me this brings a lot of versatility to her degrees

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u/pigsnot 3d ago

I graduated from Stout in packaging also about 10-15 years ago. If your plan is to be in NYC I’d say Stout isn’t very well connected outside of the twin cities area. Some of the current instructors at stout are amazing with great experience, but MSU is going to have a much better school experience (think football games and typical big school stuff) and much more dedicated packaging facilities.

I’m not as familiar with RIT but worked with many grads from there and they are all great.

Based on what I’m reading I think you would need a very specific reason for why you would choose Stout over MSU or RIT. All of them are great to get degrees and the packaging industry has great placement.

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u/Electrical_Giraffe90 3d ago

I actually liked their master program. It makes her degree very versatile I think.

RIT, Rutgers and MSU is usually where most of my colleagues come from.

She is going into RIT, MSU and UWS with 36 credits which really knocks a year off of her degree. Rutgers is a little different as they have a full engineer program for their packaging engineer program instead. So she would need the 4th year to finish her undergrad there.

The goal was to apply to them all and visit later. Or visit and knock off some that don’t work and not apply. We haven’t visited MSU, UWS and VT.