COURSE CURRICULUM

Students pursuing the thesis option must complete four one-term courses, each worth 0.50 units. These include NANO 600 Introduction to Nanotechnology, one nanotechnology elective course, one core physics course chosen from PHYS 701 Quantum Mechanics 1, PHYS 704 Statistical Physics 1, or PHYS 706 Electromagnetic Theory, and one additional graduate-level or approved 300- or 400-level undergraduate course. Undergraduate courses require prior approval from the student’s supervisor, the Associate Chair of Graduate Studies in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, and the Associate Dean of Science for Graduate Studies before enrollment. The nanotechnology electives offer foundational knowledge and skills essential for interdisciplinary nanoscale research, including courses such as NANO 601 Characterization of Nanomaterials, NANO 602 Structure and Spectroscopy of Nanoscale Materials, NANO 603 Nanocomposites, NANO 604 Nanomechanics and Molecular Dynamics Simulations, NANO 605/SYDE 683 Design of MEMS & NEMS, NANO 606/SYDE 682 Advanced MicroElectroMechanical Systems: Physics, Design & Fabrication, and NANO 707 From Atoms to Crystals, Quantum Wells, Wires and Dots. Students who have completed their Bachelor of Applied Science in Nanotechnology Engineering at the University of Waterloo are exempt from taking NANO 600 and may instead select any one course from the nanotechnology elective list. This curriculum is designed to equip students with both theoretical understanding and practical research skills necessary for advanced study and interdisciplinary work in nanotechnology.