Clemson University offers both undergrad and graduate degrees in Packaging Science. For those of you designers interested to learn more about packaging, but who don't want to go back to school, I've just learned that Clemson has licensed their curriculum out to The Packaging School, an online learning venture.

The Packaging School offers certificate tracks, but you can also take courses a la carte, for edification's sake. I looked at what courses they offer in the design space, and they're as follows:

Introduction to Corrugated Design

$599

This is a fundamentals course, created by structural package designer Jane Scates because she couldn't find anyone else offering a discrete course on how to design for corrugated. If you already have an ID degree, some of this might remind you of sophomore year, but Scates goes a bit deeper:

Enter a caption (optional)

Solidworks for Packaging | Basic

$149

Pretty self-explanatory; you'll learn to generate assemblies and create simulations in Solidworks to test out package designs. And no, it doesn't come with the software, you'll need your own license.

Enter a caption (optional)

Human Factors in Packaging Design

$399

This course focuses on understanding perception, cognition, appeal, and decision-making vis-à-vis consumers.

Enter a caption (optional)

Augmented Reality for Packaging

Free!

This course, which looks pretty cutting-edge, covers over 20 existing AR packaging examples and teaches you how to work up your own AR packaging development storyboards. And you can't beat the price.

Enter a caption (optional)

Diecutting 101

$299

This one isn't from Clemson, but is a collaboration with the International Association of Diecutting and Diemaking. This course is pretty technical, covering:

"Platen: hard anvil diecutting, platen: soft anvil diecutting, cylinder-rotary hard anvil diecutting, cylinder-rotary soft anvil diecutting, rotary pressure cutting, and rotary crush cutting. Within these lessons we will cover the setup, processes, tools, and types of cutting required for each diecutting technology. We will then get into the converting process—covering cutting, creasing, scoring, perforating-serrated cutting, embossing, and debossing. We will conclude this course with an interactive lesson on the 'sins' of diecutting—key variable converting failure characteristics."

The intro video for this one isn't embeddable; click here to watch it.

Package Printing

$399

The 2D stuff never seems as fun to me, but if you want to learn about flexography, lithography, gravure, screen printing, and digital printing, this looks pretty informative.

Enter a caption (optional)