Programme content
The complementary Master's in Nanotechnology offers individuals holding a basic Master's degree an additional/advanced/ Master's course in the field of nanoscience and nanotechnologies (covering both the experimental and theoretical perspectives). It is aimed, on the one hand, at those who, not having received any teaching in the area, wish to specialise in it, or, on the other hand, at those who having previously taken an elective in the field during their basic Master's degree, wish to complete their training through a specialism in another nanotechnologies course.
The syllabus of the complementary Master's in Nanotechnology is organised around three options:
- nanoelectronics,
- nanomaterials,
- and nanobiotechnologies.
During the programme, which usually takes one year, students are introduced to the main approaches used in the field and thus made aware of the multidisciplinary dimension of nanotechnologies: knowledge of fundamental phenomena at the nanoscale, nanomanufacturing or the synthesis of nanostructures, the identification of nanostructures, in addition to digital stimulation or monitoring at the nanoscale.
In addition students are made aware of the societal impacts of nanotechnologies through interdisciplinary classes on ethics, economic issues, the applications of nanotechnologies, the toxicity of nanomaterials, etc.
A piece of research must be completed in one of the laboratories of our partner universities (UNamur, UCL, ULB, UMons or ULiège), active in the field of nanotechnologies.
The course syllabus is made up of 60 credits comprising:
- a common core of 30 credits made up of
- a piece of research (dissertation) (27 credits),
- interdisciplinary classes (3 credits)
- a specialised course (8 to 20 credits) comprised of four basic instructional classes in each of the four disciplines (fundamental phenomena, nanomanufacturing or nanosynthesis, identification of nanostructures et simulation at the nanoscale)
- options in the form of electives (10 to 22 credits).
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course students will be able to:
- adopt a multidisciplinary approach to research applied to the design and manufacture of a functional object between 1 and 100 nm in size and in particular be able to apply at least two of the following four skills: use of the notions of fundamental phenomena at the nanoscale with a view to designing objects and materials with new properties; the synthesis of nanomaterials or the manufacture of functional nanostructures in a laboratory; the identification of nanostructures in order to ascertain their structure and or/ any functional properties they might have; modelling or simulation digitally at the nanoscale, using unconventional tools, to predict properties of the object or material.
- apply the comprehensive research approach to the development of a functional object in one of the following domains: nanophysics, nanochemistry, nanoelectronics, nanomaterials, nanobiotechnologies;
- estimate the impact of nanotechnologies on the environment, health, economic development and employment;
- organise their research project, on a laboratory team, in order to successfully complete it and consequently: to draw up the specifications of the nanomaterial or nanodevice; to gather information and summarise current knowledge in the field of nanotechnology research; to draw up a summary report aiming to explain the new properties of the object, the material, its field of application; to communicate the results of their research orally and in writing (in the form of a scientific paper) to a team of experts in the field of nanotechnologies.