Doctor of Philosophy in 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 R & D and government research labs.
Admission requirements are the same as home department programs. The home department in which the applicant intends to pursue graduate study must approve the application. Interested students should apply directly to one of the following departments via the regular university application process:
Biology
Chemical Engineering
Chemistry
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering
Physics and Astronomy
Systems Design Engineering
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 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 - Education website for further details at http://www.nano.uwaterloo.ca/education/index.html)
Admission Requirements
Admission requirements are the same as those for MASc and PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering. Please refer to the following web site:
http://ece.uwaterloo.ca/Graduate/PhD/
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 MASc program requirements are:
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at least five courses (0.50 unit weight) including two required core courses and three elective courses from the approved list,
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original Research Thesis, and
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Nanotechnology MASc Seminar Milestone
For the PhD program, students who are admitted with an appropriate master’s degree must complete:
- at least three courses (0.50 unit weight) 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:
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at least seven courses (0.50 unit weight) including two required core courses and five elective courses from the approved list,
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a PhD Comprehensive Examination,
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Nanotechnology PhD Seminar Milestone, and
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an original Research Thesis dissertation
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 have written examinations, as do all ECE graduate courses.
The two required core courses are:
- NANO 701A-F: Fundamentals of Nanotechnology (0.50 total unit weight).
Students must complete any two (0.25 unit weight) modules A-F.
- NANO 702A-F: 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.
Nanotechnology Seminar Milestone
This seminar is a forum for student presentation of research results or proposals. 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 over the course of the degree.
For the updated list of approved technical elective courses, click here.
For more information, please contact the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Graduate Studies Office (Wendy Boles: wboles@ece.uwaterloo.ca)
or
Lisa Baxter
Assistant to the Program Director
Nanotechnology Graduate Program
Email: lbaxter@uwaterloo.ca
(519) 888-4567 ext. 32019