Short Course Overview 

Cal Poly’s winter short course on polymers and coatings brings together
academic and industrial experts in the field. The one-week course
covers many aspects of coating technology with emphasis on liquid
coatings, both waterborne and solvent-based. Participants benefit from
discussions of VOC and air quality aspects of coatings by experts in both
industry and government regulatory agencies. Participants are expected
to have had some exposure to the coatings field along with working
knowledge in chemistry and other sciences. The course will convene at
8:00 AM on Monday and end at 12:00 noon on Friday.

Polymers & Coatings Winter Short Course
Registration Fees

Registration Fees Include: 

- Hard & Soft Copies of Handouts
- Daily Refreshments
- Lunch Monday-Thursday

Early Bird Registration is available until January 9, 2026. 

Early Bird Registration: $1,900
Regular Registration $2,000

Parking Permits are required on campus. Click here to purchase your parking permit: Parking Permit

Polymers & Coatings Winter Short Course
Daily Schedule*

Monday, February 16

• Coating Industry & Formulation Overview
• Resin Technologies (Overview, Solvent, 2K)
• Pigments and Fillers
• Resin Technologies (Waterborne. Opaque Polymers)

Tuesday, February 17

• Additives for coatings
• Characterization (MW, Spectroscopy, etc.)
• Coating Rheology & Rheology Modifiers
• Color and Appearance

Wednesday, February 18

• Modern Methods of Surface Analysis
• Thermal Properties, Film Formation & Curing
• Tour of Facilities

Thursday, February 19

• Polyurethane and UV/Radiation Cure Technology
• Pigment Dispersion
• Coating Rheology-Applications
• Colloid Characterization Methods
• Formulating for the Environment
• VOC/Air Quality-Regulations, Analysis and Measurement

Friday, February 20

• VOC Compliant Resin and Colorant Technologies
• Specialty Filters
• Coating Service Life Prediction
• Wrap Up and Evaluations

*Schedule is subject to change

Travel Accommodations

San Luis Obispo is in California's Central Coast region, 200 miles north of Los Angeles and 230 miles south of San Francisco. 

Participants who wish to drive from the Los Angeles or San Francisco areas should take Route 101. 

All major airlines offer services to San Luis Obispo Airport (SBP) with connecting flights from Dallas-Fort Worth, Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Francisco and Seattle. 

For lodging information and hotel recommendations, please visit the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce: Visit SLO. 

Lodging is not included in the program fee.