Composite Materials Engineering
Bachelor's
PROGRAM SNAPSHOT
Learn the science behind advanced materials. Create products that are lighter, more durable, and better suited for the jobs they need to do. Turn engineering challenges into practical solutions.
What do satellites, farm equipment, prosthetics, wind turbine blades, and tennis rackets have in common?
They are all made with composite materials.
Why Study Composite Materials Engineering at Winona State?
Many of the products that we rely on every day need to be strong, lightweight, and durable.
Composite materials engineers help meet these demands by designing, building, and testing materials.
Composite materials combine 2 or more materials to make something that a single property may not offer on its own.
By understanding how these materials behave and how they can be manufactured, engineers can improve existing products and develop new solutions for industries around the world.
At Winona State, you’ll learn how to select, design, manufacture, and test composite materials for real-world applications.
As the only undergraduate degree of its kind in the nation, our Composite Materials Engineering program offers a unique path into this growing field.
You’ll gain hands-on experience in engineering labs, work with industry-specific equipment, and apply what you learn to team-based design projects.
Whether you’re interested in aerospace, renewable energy, advanced manufacturing, or sports technology, you’ll be ready to help shape what comes next.
This program is available through the Composite Materials Engineering (CME) Department.
available annually to Composite Materials Engineering students of all levels through the WSU Foundation.
The Composite Materials Engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET under the General Criteria as well as the Program Criteria for Materials, Metallurgical, Ceramics, and Similarly Named Engineering Programs.
What Will You Learn as a Composite Materials Engineering Major?
You’ll explore how materials behave, how products are made, and how engineers test their designs to make them better.
You’ll also:
- understand the science of materials. You’ll learn how different materials—like metals, polymers, ceramics, and composite materials—work together and how to choose the right materials for a product.
- design and build new products. You’ll use design tools and engineering software to develop product designs, solve problems, and plan how products will be made.
- test materials and analyze results. You’ll work with laboratory equipment to measure strength, durability, and other material properties. Then you’ll use that data to understand materials’ performance and improve your designs.
- explore modern manufacturing. You’ll learn how composite materials are made and processed, from shaping and molding polymers to manufacturing products with fibers and other materials.
Composite Materials Engineering students can also benefit from completing a minor or taking elective classes in a non-scientific subject.
Check out Winona State’s many options in Business Administration, Communication Studies, English, Marketing, and Sales to further refine your ability to communicate your ideas.
Student Success Stories
Luis made the most of his time at Winona State by leading student clubs and landing key internships.
His journey in Composite Materials Engineering began with his brother Julian ’22 and ended with a job in aerospace.
A graduate of Winona State’s Composite Materials Engineering program, Max credits his success to the close-knit learning environment.
The program’s real-world projects and dedicated faculty mentors also set him on a path to advanced studies in engineering.
Anders continued his family’s legacy by graduating from the Composite Materials Engineering program, which his grandfather helped establish at Winona State.
Through hands-on activities and industry connections, Anders built a strong foundation for his future career.
Program Highlights
As a Composite Materials Engineering student, you’ll get experience managing multiple design projects and watching them come to life.
In your 2 capstone classes, you’ll work within a team to turn a product idea into a fully functioning prototype.
These products satisfy a specific market demand, incorporate composite materials, and are constructed in Winona State’s campus labs.
Previous CME students have designed a lightweight tree climbing stand for hunters, an improved cornhole lawn game, a sidecar for transporting cargo and passengers, and more.
Explore the CME Department YouTube Channel to see other senior design projects.
Our program partners with numerous companies to ensure our curriculum meets real-world industry demands.
Winona-based partners include Coda Composites, Designs by Natural Processes, PlastiComp, and Wenonah Canoe.
Other program partners in the surrounding area include Advanced Fiber Products (Onalaska, WI), Miken Sports (Caledonia, MN), PlastiCert (Lewiston, MN), and Trane Technologies (La Crosse, WI).
Some of these same companies have hired several of our graduates in the past.
Before graduation, all Composite Materials Engineering students will complete the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam.
This is generally the first step in the process of becoming a licensed professional engineer (PE).
The exam is administered by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering & Surveying (NCEES), and it consists of 110 questions and takes about 6 hours to complete.
Want to meet other students who also like composite materials engineering?
Get involved in campus organizations that share your passion, like the Society of Plastic Engineers.
You might also want to explore the Physics Club and Women in Computing & STEM.
With over 100 clubs and organizations, there’s something for everyone.
High-Tech Learning Spaces
As a Composite Materials Engineering student, you’ll take most of your classes in Stark Hall, which is part of our Science Laboratory Center (SLC).
Winona State also offers state-of-the-art labs and equipment that are routinely updated to ensure CME students get quality experience in the field before graduation. You’ll have every tool needed to manufacture, test, and analyze your projects.
Check out our Composite Materials Engineering lab spaces:
The Composite Materials Engineering Department also operates the Composite Materials Technology Center (COMTEC).
Since its beginning in 1987, COMTEC has successfully undertaken hundreds of projects for many local and national companies within and beyond the composites industry.
Under the supervision of the COMTEC Director, CME students get valuable experience providing the following services to industry partners:
- design and analysis, material characterization, testing, and prototype manufacturing.
- workshops on topics of interest to industry.
- customized training designed to satisfy the specific needs of industry customers.
Contact COMTEC
Get in touch with the Director of the Composite Materials Technology Center.
COMTEC Mailing Address
Stark Hall 201
Winona State University
P.O. Box 5838
Winona, MN 55987
COMTEC Shipping Address
Stark Hall 201
Winona State University
175 West Mark Street
Winona, MN 55987
Hear from Alumni
Careers & Outcomes
A degree in Composite Materials Engineering can open doors across a wide range of industries.
You could help create lighter aircraft parts, develop more durable sporting goods, improve manufacturing processes, or test materials used in medical devices and renewable energy systems.
Picture yourself in the field by learning more about possible job titles, employers, and salaries with this degree:
Salaries
Project Lead the Way (PLTW) is the nation’s leading provider of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs for pre-K–grade 12 students.
If your high school offers Project Lead the Way, you can receive credit for a Composite Materials Engineering course if you take 2 PLTW classes.
Program Admission
You’ll need to meet the following admissions criteria to enroll in the Composite Materials Engineering bachelor’s degree.
Admissions Criteria
To apply for this program, you must be admitted to Winona State as an undergraduate student.
You then need to complete all prerequisite courses at Winona State (or course equivalents at another institution) prior to starting the program.
These prerequisites are outlined in the Pre-Engineering and General Education Program for Engineering Majors course sequences. Some classes may count toward both course sequences, which can save you time and money.
You must earn a grade C or better in all classes and have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5.
Completing Prerequisites at Other Institutions
If you decide to complete any Composite Materials Engineering prerequisite courses at another institution within the Minnesota State Colleges & Universities System, you must use eServices to confirm whether an institution offers course equivalents that Winona State will accept.
If you choose to complete any of these prerequisites at an institution outside the Minnesota State Colleges & Universities System, you can use Transferology to understand how your credits may transfer to Winona State.
You can also meet with a counselor who specializes in transfer admissions to make sure you’ve got your bases covered.
Application Process
To begin completing the prerequisite courses, declare Pre-Engineering as your major using Winona State’s Declaration/Change of Major/Minor online form.
Once you meet the admissions criteria, submit this same form again and declare Composite Materials Engineering as your new major.
Declaration/Change of Major/Minor FormHave Questions?
Email: cme_dept@winona.edu
Bachelor's, Transfer Pathway
Bachelor's