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What degree would help me get into nanotechnology?

Fointy

2

As I'm very interested in that.

Reply 1

hermaphrodite

15

Off the top of my head I would say Electronics and Electrical Engineering . . .thats just my opinion, it's a complete stab in the dark!!!

. .. check out the EEE forum . .

physics

I am really interested in nanoscience and nanotechnology too, and I'm going to read Chemistry with Molecular Physics in October. I think it's a good course for getting into nanoscience because it covers topics on the interface of chemistry and physics, especially in the later years.

I think you can't go wrong with a good course in Chemistry or Physics, but you might want to look for courses that have a significant element of chemical physics or molecular physics.

Reply 4

black_mamba

14

I do have a friend on a nanotech masters course. His classmates have done a variety of degrees prior including: mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, physics, chemistry (possibly) and materials engineering.

Reply 5

ukebert

13

Depends on what kind of nanotech you want to go into really... EEE would probably be the best, I know York does a course. A NatSci course would also be good I suppose. Materials would help, but since nanotech is an infant discipline and a multidisciplinary one, I would just work ut what you want to do within nanotech and choose a degree related to that.

Reply 6

ChemistBoy

16

Almost any science degree and chemical, materials and electronic engineering. Chem and Molecular Physics is the perfect degree for surface nanoscience (STM etc.) however nanoscience and nanotech is a very multidisciplinary area. Here in nottingham we have biologists, engineers, synthetic chemists, physical chemists, physicists and pharmacists conducting nanoscience research. Many people in nanosci and tech have PhDs in the research area.

PM me if you would like to know a bit more info about it (I am a researcher in the Nottingham nanoscience and nanotechnology centre).

Reply 7

Ben Dover the Lollipop Man

Physics of course.

York now offers a new undergrad course, Electronic Engineering with Nanotechnology. It's the only course of it's kind in the country i believe.

http://www.elec.york.ac.uk/ugrad/News/nanotechnology.htm

I'm at York doing Electronic Engineering with Music Technology Systems so feel free to PM me with questions about the department/course.

Reply 9

ChemistBoy

16

Kelv

Physics of course.

Why?

Reply 10

Abra

14

ChemistBoy

Why?

Why do you think it's in the physics department of Notts Uni?

Reply 11

Slick 'n' Shady

15

Physics,
Enginering,
Computer Science,
Maths,
Electronics,
Chemistry,

Probebly in that order.

Reply 12

ChemistBoy

16

Abra

Why do you think it's in the physics department of Notts Uni?

Well I have a degree in chemistry, a PhD in the chemistry department here at Nottingham and I am doing a postdoc in the physics department doing the same kind of stuff. Nanoscience is just a relabelling of an older subject called surface science which is actually far more widespread. Nanosci and tech is very multidisciplianary and the new nanosci and tech centre here at nottingham, whilst physically being in the physics building is going to be used by groups from chemistry, biology, pharmacy and engineering as well as the nanosci group here in physics.

Reply 13

ChemistBoy

16

Slick 'n' Shady

Physics,
Enginering,
Computer Science,
Maths,
Electronics,
Chemistry,

Probebly in that order.

Don't know a single nanotech or nanosci with a degree in maths or computer science. This isn't suprising considering the field is fundamentally experimental and technique based and neither maths or comp sci gives you any experimental skills. There is no 'order' for degrees to work in nanosci and tech it is generally experimental physical scientists and engineers but also biologists too to a lesser extent.

I would take maths and comp sci out of the list and add biochemistry and even pharmacy.

Reply 14

ukebert

13

ChemistBoy

Well I have a degree in chemistry, a PhD in the chemistry department here at Nottingham and I am doing a postdoc in the physics department doing the same kind of stuff. Nanoscience is just a relabelling of an older subject called surface science which is actually far more widespread. Nanosci and tech is very multidisciplianary and the new nanosci and tech centre here at nottingham, whilst physically being in the physics building is going to be used by groups from chemistry, biology, pharmacy and engineering as well as the nanosci group here in physics.

I agree, i mean obviously you would have to do some physics, but it's by no means essential yo have done a degree.

Reply 15

Abra

14

ChemistBoy

Well I have a degree in chemistry, a PhD in the chemistry department here at Nottingham and I am doing a postdoc in the physics department doing the same kind of stuff. Nanoscience is just a relabelling of an older subject called surface science which is actually far more widespread. Nanosci and tech is very multidisciplianary and the new nanosci and tech centre here at nottingham, whilst physically being in the physics building is going to be used by groups from chemistry, biology, pharmacy and engineering as well as the nanosci group here in physics.

Meh, at least Physics leaves you with more options than someone who did Electronic Engineering, incase Nanoscience isn't for you. There's Particle, Theoretical, Astrophysics, etc.

Reply 16

ChemistBoy

16

Abra

Meh, at least Physics leaves you with more options than someone who did Electronic Engineering, incase Nanoscience isn't for you. There's Particle, Theoretical, Astrophysics, etc.

Very true, physics, like any of the sciences, will give you more options in science. My advice for nanosci and tech is to do chemistry or physics and most people in nanoscience have one of these two degrees. However I do work with people with the other degree disciplines listed. In fact one of the guys in the group is a mechanical engineer!

Reply 17

Slick 'n' Shady

15

ChemistBoy

Don't know a single nanotech or nanosci with a degree in maths or computer science. This isn't suprising considering the field is fundamentally experimental and technique based and neither maths or comp sci gives you any experimental skills. There is no 'order' for degrees to work in nanosci and tech it is generally experimental physical scientists and engineers but also biologists too to a lesser extent.

I would take maths and comp sci out of the list and add biochemistry and even pharmacy.

How little you know...

Reply 18

ChemistBoy

16

Slick 'n' Shady

How little you know...

What experimental skills do you gain in either of those degrees? Please do enlighten me. Last time I checked Maths was maths and comp sci was heavily programming and theory orientated, I think the closest Comp Scis get to practical experiment is robotics, hardly nanotechnology. Computing may rely on the products of nanoscale science, but that doesn't make computer scientists nanoscientists. Like I said, as an active post-doctoral researcher in nanoscience and technology I have yet to meet someone in the field with either of those two degrees, I that is because it is a fundamentally experimental and practical field.

Reply 19

Scuttle

From what I have seen of graduate prospecti (I'm making up words as I go along here), most science, engineering and maths MScs/PhD are happy to consider someone from any of the "scientific" degrees. So any Engineering, Maths, Physics, Chem student etc etc has a fair shot at getting into any of the aforementioned disciplines if they demonstrate some knowledge of the area they are applying for.

Just to hi-jack this thread for a second, I'm taking Aero Eng and would like to perhaps diversify into a Nuclear/Nuclear Physics for my MSc. Would I have any chance of making this jump? Some things I read suggest I would be considered, others are less clear. If I were to demonstrate at interview that I actually actively read up on the subject in my spare time (as a hobby) and knew a fair bit, would I stand a chance or will my application be at the bottom of a bin upon receipt?

What degree would help me get into nanotechnology?

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