Welcome to the Nanotechnology Engineering program at the University of Waterloo. Here, we use the smallest elements in the world to create big breakthroughs with the potential to improve life on a grand scale.
Our students learn about the nanoscale and its great potential from faculty who are immersed in industry- and government-sponsored research. During engaging classes, they bring fundamental concepts to life with anecdotes and experiences from their work solving real-world problems.
This past year alone, our faculty have used nanotechnology to create portable nanobiosensor-based diagnostic devices to help people get critical healthcare faster; small, long-lasting and quick-charging batteries to enhance our personal electronics; and the organic electronics and optoelectronics behind the newest iterations of gaming screens, among other fascinating, life-changing innovations.
The Nanotechnology Engineering curriculum is broad and deep. It includes chemical engineering, electrical engineering, chemistry, materials science, quantum physics and biotechnology. In the process of acquiring basic knowledge of multiple disciplines, our students gain a wide range of complementary abilities, including analysis, creativity and logical thinking, and hands-on experience with the state-of-the-art technology and instrumentation they’ll use in co-op work placements and post-graduation employment.
With their strong multi-disciplinary foundation, transitional skills and work experience, our graduates are ready for an exciting career in diverse fields ranging from batteries and wearable sensors to pharmaceuticals, biomedical, financial technology, consumer products, integrated circuits, and electronic hardware that enables AI and quantum computing.
The potential for exciting and rewarding careers is reflected in the achievements of our alumni. Working as engineers at IT and AI companies, professors at top universities, legal experts in law firms, scientists at research institutes and founders of startups. They are innovators and leaders who open new scientific and technological frontiers.
I am honoured to lead this outstanding program, working with innovative researchers and instructors to help train some of the brightest minds to use nanotechnology engineering to become a force for positive change in the world.
Please take some time to read about our program, the people who make it remarkable and our alumni’s exciting achievements.
Ting Tsui, PhD
Nanotechnology Engineering Program Director