Master of Science in Biology (Nanotechnology)
Please note that applicants interested in working with cross-appointees to the Biology Department should NOT apply through Biology, but instead apply through the home department of the potential supervisor.
The University of Waterloo offers the first MSc and PhD programs in Nanotechnology of its kind in Canada. The interdisciplinary research programs, 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 programs 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 MSc degree collaborative program provides a strong foundation in the emerging areas of nano-science or 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. Students from Science and Engineering will work side-by-side in world class laboratory facilities namely, the Giga-to-Nano Electronics Lab (G2N), Waterloo Advanced Technology Lab (WatLAB) and the new 225,000 gross sq. ft. Nano-Quantum Center expected to be completed in early 2011.
There are nearly 50 faculty members involved in nanotechnology research at the university with many who are internationally renowned leaders in their fields. Among them are seven Canada Research Chairs and two NSERC Industrial Research Chairs.
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
Admission Requirements
Admission requirements are the same as those for MSc and PhD in Biology. Please refer to the following website:
http://uwaterloo.ca/biology/graduate-studies/admissions
Degree Requirements
Students must fulfill the minimum requirements of their home department including any thesis proposal and research seminar milestones specific to their department. It is possible that some students may need to take more courses than are prescribed by the home program requirements in order to meet the specific course requirements of the nanotechnology program.
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 are:
NANO 701: Fundamentals of Nanotechnology (0.5 credit) - course descriptions (pdf)
NANO 702: Nanotechnology Tools (0.5 credit) - course descriptions (pdf)
Exemptions
Students who have completed their BASc degree in Nanotechnology Engineering at the University of Waterloo will not be required to take the two core courses. Instead, they can choose all graduate courses from the prescribed list of electives.
Technical Electives
Approved technical elective courses (pdf)
Research Seminar
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 research seminar. To receive credit, students are expected to attend at least eight seminars other than their own before completing their program.
Faculty Advisors/Thesis Supervisors
Please contact individual supervisors directly to discuss possible thesis research topics:
http://uwaterloo.ca/biology/research-areas/faculty-research-areas
For more information, please contact:
Jennifer Collins
Email: jecollin@uwaterloo.ca
(519) 888-4567 ext. 36392