Master of Applied Science (MASc) in Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering - Nanotechnology

The program information below was valid for the fall 2020 term (September 1, 2020 - December 31, 2020). This is the archived version; the most up-to-date program information is available through the current Graduate Studies Academic Calendar.

The Graduate Studies Academic Calendar is updated 3 times per year, at the start of each academic term (January 1, May 1, September 1). Graduate Studies Academic Calendars from previous terms can be found in the archives.

• Admit term(s) 
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Spring
• Delivery mode 
  • On-campus
• Program type 
  • Collaborative
  • Master's
  • Research
• Registration option(s) 
  • Full-time
• Study option(s) 
  • Thesis

• Minimum requirements 
  • The Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering requires either (i) a 75% overall standing in the last two years, or equivalent, in a relevant four-year Honours Bachelor's degree or equivalent or (ii) a 75% overall standing or equivalent, in a relevant four-year Honours Bachelor's degree or equivalent, as the minimum requirement for admission to a Master's program for applicants educated at a Canadian institution. A 75% overall standing or equivalent, in a relevant four-year Honours Bachelor's degree or equivalent is the minimum requirement for admission to a Master's program for applicants educated outside of Canada.
• Application materials 
  • Résumé
  • Supplementary information form
  • Transcript(s)
• References 
  • Number of references:  2
  • Type of references: 

    professors

• English language proficiency (ELP) (if applicable)

Thesis option:

The MASc program emphasizes high level independent research by candidates. The topic of the thesis and the choice of courses are decided by the student and their supervisor(s). Each student's program is subject to the approval of the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies. Candidates will participate in a research program generally involving either theory or experimentation, or both.

Graduate Academic Integrity Module (Graduate AIM)

Courses 

• Students must complete 4 one-term (0.50 unit weight) graduate level courses (or courses acceptable for graduate credit). A maximum of 1 500-level course may be counted for credit.
• Core courses:
  • NANO 701 Fundamentals of Nanotechnology
  • NANO 702 Nanotechnology Tools
• 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.
• Students who have completed their Bachelor of Applied Science (BASc) degree in Nanotechnology Engineering at the University of Waterloo will not be required to take the 2 core courses. Instead, they can choose all graduate courses from the list of technical electives.
• Technical elective courses:
  • (a) Micro/nano Instruments and Devices
    • BIOL 642 Current topics in Biotechnology
    • CHEM 720 Topic 13 Selected Topics in Analytical Chemistry: Biosensors and Nanotechnology
    • CHEM 750 Topic 17 Selected Topics in Physical Chemistry: Surface Science and Nanotechnology
    • CHEM 750 Topic 23 Selected Topics in Physical Chemistry: Processes at Micro-Nano Scales
    • CHEM 750 Topic 27 Selected Topics in Physical Chemistry: Nanotechniques
    • ME 738 Special Topics in Materials: Materials for NEMS and MEMS
    • ME 760 Special Topics in Thermal Engineering
    • ME 780 Special Topics in Mechatronics
    • SYDE 682 Advanced MicroElectroMechanical Systems: Principles, Design & Fabrication
    • SYDE 750 Topic 24 Topics in Systems Modelling: Modelling, Simulation and Design of MEMS
  • (b) Nanoelectronics Design and Fabrication
    • CHE 620 Applied Engineering Mathematics
    • CHEM 750 Topic 11 Selected Topics in Physical Chemistry: Bioelectronics
    • CHEM 750 Topic 19 Selected Topics in Physical Chemistry: Carbon Nanotube Electronics
    • ECE 630 Physics and Models of Semiconductor Devices
    • ECE 631 Microelectronic Processing Technology
    • ECE 632 Photovoltaic Energy Conversion
    • ECE 633 Nanoelectronics
    • ECE 634 Organic Electronics
    • ECE 635 Fabrication in the Nanoscale: Principles, Technology, & Applications
    • ECE 636 Advanced Analog Integrated Circuits
    • ECE 637 Digital Integrated Circuits
    • ECE 639 Characteristics & Applications of Amorphous Silicon
    • ECE 672 Optoelectronic Devices
    • ECE 676 Quantum Information Processing Devices
    • ECE 677 Quantum Electronics and Photonics
    • ECE 730 Topic 10 Special Topics in Solid State Devices: Advanced Technology for Semiconductor Processing
    • ECE 730 Topic 11 Special Topics in Solid State Devices: Physics and Modeling of Semiconductor Devices
    • ECE 730 Topic 19 Special Topics in Solid State Devices: Magnetism and Spintronics
    • ECE 730 Topic 26 Special Topics in Solid State Devices: MBE and Quantum Nano Devices
    • ECE 730 Topic 28 Special Topics in Solid State Devices: Physics of Nanoscale Devices
    • ECE 730 Topic 29 Special Topics in Solid State Devices: Computational Nanoelectronics
    • ECE 770 Topic 18 Special Topics in Antenna and Microwave Theory: Nanoelectronics for QIP
    • ECE 770 Topic 21 Special Topics in Antenna and Microwave Theory: Quantum Optics & Nanophotonics
    • PHYS 713 Molecular Physics
    • PHYS 731 Solid State Physics 1
    • PHYS 747 Optical Electronics
  • (c) Nano-biosystems
    • BIOL 608 Advanced Molecular Genetics
    • BIOL 614 Bioinformatics Tools and Techniques
    • BIOL 629 Cell Growth and Differentiation
    • BIOL 642 Current Topics in Biotechnology
    • BIOL 670 Photobiology
    • BIOL 678 Current topics in Neurophysiology
    • CHE 622 Statistics in Engineering
    • CHE 660 Principles of Biochemical Engineering
    • CHE 760 Special Topics in Biochemical Engineering
    • CHE 765 Research Topics in Biochemical Engineering
    • CHEM 737 Enzymes
    • ECE 730 Topic 25 Special Topics in Solid State Devices: Microfluidic & Nanobiotech Systems
    • PHYS 751 Clinical Applications of Physics in Medicine
    • PHYS 752 Molecular Biophysics
  • (d) Nanomaterials
    • CHE 610 Theory and Application of Transport Phenomena
    • CHE 612 Interfacial Phenomena
    • CHE 622 Statistics in Engineering
    • CHE 630 Chemical Reactor Analysis
    • CHE 640 Principles of Polymer Science
    • CHE 641 Physical Properties of Polymers (cross-listed with CHEM 771)
    • CHE 740 Special Topics in Polymer Science and Engineering
    • CHE 745 Research Topics in Polymer Science and Engineering
    • CHE 750 Special Topics in Materials Science: Thin Film Fabrications & Mechanical Properties
    • CHE 755 Research Topics in Electrochemical Engineering, Interfacial Engineering & Material Science
    • CHEM 710 Topic 17 Selected Topics in Inorganic Chemistry: Nanostructured Materials and Integrative Chemistry
    • CHEM 713 Chemistry of Inorganic Solid State Materials
    • CHEM 720 Topic 14 Selected Topics in Analytical Chemistry: Nanomaterials for Energy Conversion and Clean Environment
    • CHEM 750 Topic 17 Selected Topics in Physical Chemistry: Surface Science and Nanotechnology
    • CHEM 770 Principles of Polymer Science

    • CHEM 773 Topic 11 Selected Topics in Polymer Chemistry: Synthesis, Self-assembly and Materials Application of Inorganic Polymers

    • CHEM 773 Topic 14 Selected Topics in Polymer Chemistry: Living Polymerization Techniques

    • CHEM 773 Topic XX Selected Topics in Polymer Chemistry: Noncovalent Interactions & Supramolecular Chemistry

    • ME 632 Experimental Methods in Materials Engineering
    • ME 738 Special Topics in Materials: Materials for NEMS and MEMS
    • ME 738 Topic 8 Special Topics in Materials: Introductory and Advanced Nanomechanics
    • PHYS 701 Quantum Mechanics 1
    • PHYS 704 Statistical Physics 1
    • PHYS 706 Electromagnetic Theory
    • PHYS 773 Special Topics
• Additional Faculty regulations concerning Master's degree requirements are:
  • At least two-thirds of the courses used for credit in a candidate's program must be taken from the 600 and 700 series.
  • No more than half of the courses used for credit may be taught by the candidate's supervisor.
  • The candidate must obtain a pass in all courses credited to their program, with a minimum overall average of 70% (a grade of less than 65% in any course counts as a failure).
  • At least half of the courses used for credit must normally be Faculty of Engineering courses.

Link(s) to courses

• Mechanical Engineering (ME) courses
• Nanotechnology (NANO) courses

Graduate Safety Milestone

• The Graduate Safety Milestone must be completed by the end of the student's second registered term.

Nanotechnology 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 1 research seminar. To receive credit, students are expected to attend at least 8 seminars other than their own before completing their program.

Master’s Thesis

• Candidates are requested to give advance notice of their intention to submit a thesis approximately three months prior to submission. Two assessors will then be appointed to aid each candidate's supervisor(s) in evaluating the thesis. Normally, the assessors will be members of the Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering Department, one being external to the supervisor's research group.