By Department of Nanoscale Science & Engineering, University at Albany
Master of Science in Nanoscale Engineering Become the Future of Engineering Push the boundaries of traditional science to design solutions to complex everyday challenges by earning a master’s degree in nanoscale engineering at UAlbany. As a student in our unique industrial research and development ecosystem, you’ll prepare for a transformative career in emerging high technology industries. Think nanoelectronics, photonics, nanomedicine, health sciences, and sustainable energy, all fields where nanoengineers are in high demand. Through our research focused curriculum, you can also pursue a career as a scientist in pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, agriculture, forensics or government, or continue on to a competitive doctoral degree program in current and emerging engineering fields. Program of Study Because nanoscale engineering is highly interdisciplinary and our students come to the program from a range of science disciplines, all students enroll in a sequence of foundational courses that provide the core competencies necessary for success in nanoscale engineering and science fields. You’ll earn the rest of your credits through master’s level research, seminars and other nanoscale science and engineering courses, which are determined in part by which of seven tracks you choose to pursue. Foundations of Nanotechnology Course Sequence - Chemical Principles of Nanotechnology - Foundations of Nanotechnology I, II, III & IV Nanoscale Engineering Courses Six credits relevant to your selected track as advised. Master’s Level Research - Research in Nanoscale Science OR - Thesis in Nanosciences and Nanoengineering Seminar or External Courses Three credits as advised. Tracks Nanoelectronics Engineering and Technology Design, processing, fabrication, testing and integration of nanoelectronic structures and devices for incorporation in emerging gigascale and terascale integrated circuit systems and architectures. Development of integrated process modules for novel nanoelectronics materials. Optoelectronics and Photonics Nanoengineering Nanoengineering design, fabrication, testing and integration of integrated optoelectronic and photonic device structures using compound semiconductors. Testing and hybridization of optoelectronic/photonic devices in system-on-a-chip (SOC) and nano-electro-mechanical system (NEMS) architectures. Spintronics Nanoengineering Design, fabrication, testing and integration of spintronic device structures. Testing and hybridization of spintronic devices, including incorporation in system-on-a-chip (SOC) and nano-electro-mechanical system (NEMS) architectures. NanoSystem Engineering and Technology Design, fabrication, packaging and testing of nano/micro-electrical and nano/micro-opto-electrical mechanical components and nano/micro-fluidic components for incorporation in SOC architectures and systems. Nanoengineering in Energy & Environmental Technologies Development of nanotechnology engineering concepts for new and emerging applications in energy and environmental areas including fuel cells, solar cells, superconductors, sensors, power electronics, and supercapacitors. Nanolithography Engineering and Technology Design, development and engineering of nanolithography systems, components and processes. Development and engineering of materials and metrologies for nanolithography. Nanobiology Engineering and Technology Design, development and engineering of nanobiological systems, components and processes. Development and engineering of biomaterials and nano-bio-systems for SOC, nanomedicine and health applications. Research and Facilities As a student in the master’s in nanoscale engineering program at UAlbany, you’ll have access to the Albany NanoTech Complex, the most advanced nanotech center in North America. Gain hands-on experience inside an unmatched 1.65M square foot facility that houses a powerful ecosystem for education, development, tech acceleration, business incubation and prototyping. Available internship and research opportunities, many of which happen in cooperation with Albany NanoTech’s numerous onsite corporate partners, including IBM, GlobalFoundries, Samsung, Applied Materials, Tokyo Electron, ASML and Lam Research, can lead to exciting career opportunities. In addition to the Albany NanoTech Complex, UAlbany’s College of Nanotechnology, Science, and Engineering (CNSE) is also home to other research labs and programs: - The Advanced Cybersecurity Research Lab, a hub for investigating cybersecurity, machine learning, and autonomic computing approaches. - The New York State Data Center, a partnership between the New York State office of Information Technology and New York State Office of General Services that’s dedicated to making government IT operations and services more efficient and reliable. - The Center for Advanced Semiconductor Power Electronics Research (CASPER), an organization working to advance power electronics based on wide bandgap materials. Career Outcomes With a master’s in nanoscale engineering degree, you’ll be prepared for fast-growing nanoengineering fields that have transformed industry, from agriculture, food and medicine to automotive, environmental management and transportation. Through our research-focused curriculum, you’ll graduate equipped for a career as an engineer or scientist in areas like pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, agriculture, forensics and government. Or follow in the footsteps of past UAlbany nanoscale engineering master’s students and pursue doctoral studies at UAlbany or another prestigious U.S. or international institution. Job titles held by alumni of our nanoscale engineering programs: - Advanced Manufacturing Technician - Application/System Engineer - Business Intelligence - Characterization Engineer - Data Scientist - Device Engineer - Engineering Data Systems Developer - Optical Engineer - Packaging / Integration Engineer - Process Engineer - Production Engineer - Project Engineer - Research Scientist - Senior Engineer Complex Analysis - Senior Manufacturing Operations Engineer - Senior Test Equipment Engineer - Software Developer - Software Engineer International Students This degree is designated as a STEM program. International students maintaining F-1 status are allowed to apply for up to 12 months of post-completion Optional Practical Training (OPT) following completion/graduation from their degree program. Currently, this degree program is also designated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as an eligible degree for the F-1 STEM OPT work authorization extension; students who secure qualifying employment may be eligible to apply for the STEM OPT extension for a cumulative total of up to 36 months of F-1 OPT work authorization. Admissions Requirements Deadlines Departmental Assistantship Consideration Fall: February 1 Spring: October 1 Financial support for Masters students is dependent on availability of funding. No Departmental Assistantship Consideration Fall: February 1 Spring: October 1 Applications received after these dates will be reviewed on an individual basis. Required Application Materials - Transcripts from all schools attended - Three academic or professional letters of recommendation - Personal Statement - Resume - GRE General Test score is strongly recommended but not required. The department evaluates all aspects of the application, therefore a minimum score is not identified. Student Learning Objectives Learning objectives that UAlbany students are expected to attain through their course of study within their academic program. Master of Science Depending on the chosen track, students will be able to: - Identify, formulate and design solutions for engineering problems arising from nanoscale and quantum phenomena. - Design solutions for technological challenges utilizing nanoscale and quantum phenomena, such as quantum tunneling, plasmonic effects and quantum confinement. - Develop appropriate characterization and metrology methodologies necessary for quality control of processes and manufacturing where nanometer-scale features and design requirements are present. - Communicate, both written and orally, to professional audiences.
