Nanotechnology

The University of Waterloo offers the first MASc and PhD programs in Nanotechnology of its kind in Canada. The interdisciplinary research program, jointly offered by three departments in the Faculty of Science and four in the Faculty of Engineering, provide students with a stimulating educational environment that spans from basic research through to application. The goal of the collaborative program is to allow students to gain perspectives on nanotechnology from a wide community of scholars within and outside their disciplines in both course and thesis work.

The MASc collaborative program provides a strong foundation in the emerging areas of nano-engineering in preparation for the workforce or for further graduate study and research leading to a doctoral degree. Four key areas of research strengths have been identified: nanomaterials, nano-electronics design and fabrication, nano-instruments and devices, and nano-biosystems. The objective of the PhD program is to prepare students for careers in academia, industrial research and development, and government research labs.

Financial Support

All graduate students engaged in MASc and PhD studies at the University of Waterloo receive financial support. In addition, students admitted into the collaborative Nanotechnology graduate program are also eligible to apply for Fellowships in Nanotechnology, valued at CDN $10,000 each, through the Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology (WIN). Fellowship funding is on top of the Research Assistantship support from the supervising Faculty Member and can be held simultaneously with other graduate awards (subject to the requirements of other scholarships/awards).
(Visit the WIN - Fellowship Winners & Projects web page for further details).

Admission Requirements

Admission requirements are the same as those for MASc and PhD in Electrical and Computing Engineering. Interested students should apply online.

Degree Requirements

Note: It is possible that some students may need to take more courses than are prescribed by the home program in order to meet the specific course requirements of the collaborative program.

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering does not permit students to retake graduate level courses.

The MASc program requirements are:

• at least five half credit (0.50 unit weight) courses including two required core courses and three elective courses from the approved list,
• original Research Thesis, and
• Nanotechnology MASc Seminar Milestone

For the PhD program, students who are admitted with an appropriate master's degree must complete:

• at least three half credit (0.50 unit weight) courses including two required core courses and one elective course from the approved list,
• a PhD Comprehensive Examination,
• Nanotechnology PhD Seminar Milestone, and
• an original Research Thesis dissertation

Students admitted with an appropriate honours bachelor's degree or who transfer directly from a master's program to the PhD program must complete:

• at least seven half credit (0.50 unit weight) courses including two required core courses and five elective courses from the approved list,
• a PhD Comprehensive Examination,
• Nanotechnology PhD Seminar Milestone, and
• an original Research Thesis dissertation

The Department may recommend that graduate credit be allowed for credits awarded by other approved institutions. However, please be aware that any transfer credits granted toward the program for which you are requesting funding may count when determining the number of months of studies you have completed, as of December 31 of the year of application. Please refer to individual scholarship criteria for more detailed information.

Core Courses

Core courses are designed to provide the base knowledge and skill set required to prepare students for more specialized courses and to conduct interdisciplinary nanoscale research. Generally, students are required to take two core courses and complete the Nanotechnology Seminar. All core courses will have written examinations.

The two required core courses (PDF file) are:

• NANO 701 T1-T7: Fundamentals of Nanotechnology (0.50 total unit weight). Students must complete any two (0.25 unit weight) modules A-F.
• NANO 702 T1-T7: Nanotechnology Tools (0.50 unit weight) Students must complete any two (0.25 unit weight) modules A-F.

Core Course Exemptions

Students who have completed their BASc degree in Nanotechnology Engineering or Master's degree in Nanotechnology at the University of Waterloo are not obliged to take the two core courses as part of the minimum course requirement. Instead, they can choose all graduate courses from the prescribed list of electives to meet the total course credit requirement.

Technical Electives

The Nanotechnology Technical Electives document (PDF file) lists the courses which may be chosen as technical electives.

Nanotechnology Seminar Milestone

This seminar is a forum for student presentation of research results or proposals. Invited speakers from academia and industry will also present results of research from time to time. The range of topics that will be addressed in the seminar crosses all areas of research in the collaborative program. Each student is required to present at least one Nanotechnology research seminar.

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For more information, please contact the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Graduate Studies Manager.

or

Lisa Baxter
Assistant to the Program Director
Nanotechnology Graduate Program
Email: lbaxter@uwaterloo.ca
(519) 888-4567 ext. 32019