B.S. Packaging

Use your creativity and develop the technical knowledge to solve practical problems!
Degree Type Bachelor of Science
Careers & Salaries Annual Employment Report
Delivery On Campus

Packaging is a dynamic, multibillion-dollar industry in need of well-educated people. The projected demand for packaging professionals significantly exceeds the number of future graduates. Our specialized staff has developed a curriculum to prepare graduates to work with both traditional and emerging materials, manufacturing processes and technologies.

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100% of Graduates Are Employed or Continuing Education.

UW-Stout is one of only a few schools in the United States (and the only school in the UW System) that offer a B.S. in Packaging. The program combines general education with technical and professional studies. You will have an opportunity to apply theory to real problems. Through laboratory and co-op work experiences, you will apply the principles of science, mathematics and communications skills.

Your Packaging degree can lead to positions with local, national or international companies. / UW-Stout
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Program Overview

View the B.S. Packaging program plan which includes credit requirements and course descriptions.

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View the Dual Level program plan that provides students within the B.S. Packaging program the opportunity to apply to the M.S. Operations and Supply Management program and earn a Master’s degree.

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UW-Stout's Bachelor of Science degree in Packaging leads to interesting, challenging and rewarding careers in:

  • Package design
  • Business and sales
  • Package printing
  • Manufacturing and quality management
  • Food packaging
  • Research and development

Our packaging program has been developed to meet the needs of business and industry, and focuses on applying technical knowledge to solve practical problems. We offer:

  • Excellent employment rate and starting salaries
  • Required co-op experience
  • An active industry advisory board
  • Scholarships and design competitions

Areas of Emphasis:

  • Package Graphics Design
  • Manufacturing/Quality
  • Foods/Packaging
  • Business/Sales
  • Package Printing
  • Package Design, Research, and Development
  • Packaging Machinery
  • Plastics
  • Sustainability

Related Polytechnic Labs & Learning Spaces

Research & Development Prototyping Lab

Where hands-on experience allows ideas to take shape.
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Our program includes a highly successful cooperative education program and the Stout Technology Transfer Institute, a nationally recognized center that assists industry in solving problems. As you progress toward graduation, both will provide opportunities for you to gain on-the-job experiences while still enrolled at the university.

"The opportunities are endless here at UW-Stout. If you are consistent, work hard, and keep your priorities, you can achieve anything you want and have a blast at the same time."

-- Garrett Peterson
B.S. Packaging

STEM OPT Extension Advantage for International Students.

International students STEM Opt Qualifying program.

Use the Request Information form to receive a program summary and learn more about the Bachelor of Science degree in Packaging.

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Graphic Media & Print Management Minor

Build on your current creative, technical, business and management course skills to solve problems, analyze needs, and plan graphic projects.
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Preparing for Packaging

Industry's packaging problems are not only technical in nature. They are also social and economic. Packaging professionals must, therefore, have a broad education.

The first two years of the program includes English composition, speech communications, and other general education offerings as well as calculus, chemistry, physics, computer applications and foundation packaging courses.

As You Progress

The trend in the packaging industry is to hire employees who can function in more than one area at career entry. UW-Stout's Packaging program recognizes this trend by offering the student the opportunity to select an "emphasis" which includes course and lab work beyond the technical core of the program. Students can select from several emphasis areas; package graphic design, package printing, manufacturing/quality, business/sales, foods/packaging, or package design, research and development.

An off-campus co-op experience in the packaging industry of at least six months is strongly encouraged. Today's employers show a preference for the graduate who has completed at least one co-op.

Student professional organizations offer another opportunity to learn outside the classroom setting. The UW-Stout student chapter of the Institute of Packaging Professionals (IoPP) helps packaging program students begin "networking" with their professional colleagues.

Career Opportunities

Entry Positions

The packaging industry seeks qualified professionals with a broad-based career entry education. A B.S. degree in Packaging can lead to positions with local, national or international firms. Entry level is determined by several variables, including the emphasis selected, work experience, personal contacts, grade point average and economic cycles.

Typical Job Titles

  • Senior Packaging Engineer
  • Distribution Sales Manager
  • Sales Engineer
  • Design Department Manager
  • Structural Designer
  • Packaging Specialties Buyer
  • Package Cushioning Designer
  • Product Development Manager
  • Package Testing and Development Engineer
  • Technical Services
  • Customer Service/Package Engineer

Where Graduates Work

  • General Mills
  • International Paper
  • Snap-On Tools
  • Abbott Laboratories
  • Digital Computer
  • Medtronic
  • Bristol Meyers
  • Kell Container
  • Kohler
  • Helene Curtis
  • Hormel
  • Federal Express
  • Georgia-Pacific
  • IBM
  • H.B. Fuller
  • Baxter
  • GM-Delco
  • FRITO-LAY
  • 3M
Program Advisory Committee

Advisory Committee Members

Larry AndersonVP OperationsTEN-E Packaging
Tony BakerEngineering ManagerJohnson Controls
BrianBartsDirector-Career ServicesUW-Stout
ChrisBendelSTEMM College Assoc. DeanUW-Stout
TomBlanckVP Sales & MarketingPackaging Solutions Group
Min LiuDegrusonPackaging Program FacultyUW-Stout
DavidDingDirector, SOE and Associate DeanUW-Stout
DanDresselPackaging Engineer IIJohnsonville Sausage
MichelleDudaProject Packaging EngineerFedEx
MattEllwangerProject EngineerSyntegon
DanielFreedmanDean, College of STEMMUW-Stout
GarrettGriswoldLead Packaging Engineer - Personal CareKimberly-Clark Corp.
VanessaHinrichsSr. Supply Chain ManagerPolaris Industries
JonHunterVP of OperationsTeam Packaging Company
Greg JohnsonSales ManagerFoamCraft Packaging 
RobKaszubowskiPrincipal, Packaging OptimizationChainalytics
KyleKozlowskiR & D Package EngineerJohnsonville Sausage LLC
XiaojingLiuPackaging Program FacultyUW-Stout
LubsTonyDirector II, Global Packaging EngineeringEcolab
JakeMeicherPackaging Project EngineerKohler Company
MattMurphyTechnical Sales ManagerGreen Bay Packaging
Zach SchmidtknechtVP, General ManagerGreat Northern Corporation
EricSinzDirector of PackagingTarget
BrettSweeneyCommercial Optimization ManagerInternational Paper
ClaireThurbushR & D ManagerGeneral Mills
Jason Vande LooDirector of Strategic Business DevelopmentBelmark
TomWetschChief Innovation OfficerPregis LLC

Packaging

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Total package: Students earn two firsts, third in international sustainability challenges

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