University Education

Choosing a course of study for work in nanotechnology? Will it be chemistry, physics, engineering, biology, IT or other technology fields?
I want people who are very deep in their discipline and can talk to each other.
Stan Williams, Director, Quantum Science Research, Hewlett Packard
Highly regarded researcher Stan Williams says that students often ask him what they should study to prepare for the field of nanotechnology. "I tell them to figure out what they like and get good at it and to take communications courses, whether writing or journalism," he notes. While nanotechnology is an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary field, Williams is concerned that students could pursue too broad an education and end up knowing a little about a lot of fields, but not enough in any one field to make significant contributions.
There are undoubtedly other opinions about education in nanotechnology, and it's a subject worthy of consideration as students plan their studies. Today, few universities offer degrees in nanotechnology, although a vast number of research universities offer courses in the field. Many universities also offer undergraduate experiences in interdisplinary centers.
Degrees in Nanotechnology

In conjunction with the University of Pennsylvania, an Associate Degree in Nanobiotechnology is now offered at community colleges in Pennsylvania.
Dakota County Technical College (Rosemount, Minn.) in conjunction with the University of Minnesota, Associate in Applied Science degree in Nanoscience Technology
City University of New York offers a Ph.D. in Nanotechnology & Materials Chemistry as part of the Ph.D. program in chemistry.
Louisiana Tech University offers a Bachelor of Science in Nanosystems Engineering, a Master of Science in Molecular Sciences and Nanotechnology, and an interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Engineering that focuses on micro/nanosystems.
Rice University offers a Professional Master of Science in Nanoscale Physics
University at Albany College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE), offers a Ph.D. and a MS in both Nanoscale Science and Nanoscale Engineering. It also offers two dual-degree "Nano+MBA" programs: MS in Nanoscale Science/Masters of Business Administration and MS in Nanoscale Engineering/Masters of Business Administration.
University of Washington, Ph.D. in Nanotechnology
North Seattle Community College offers an Associate of Applied Science-T degree in nanotechnology, soon to be joined by a certificate program.
Examples of Programs and Courses on Nanoscale Science and Engineering Offered in U.S. Colleges and Universities

Cornell University, Nanobiotechnology Course
Florida Institute of Technology, Nanoscience/Nanotechnology Lab Course
George Mason University, Graduate Certificate in Nanotechnology and Nanoscience
Kansas State University, Visual Quantum Mechanics
Michigan Technological University, interdisciplinary minor in Nanoscale Science and Engineering (Nanotechnology)
Normandale Community College, Associate in Applied Science Degree in Nanotechnology with emphasis in vacuum technology and surface science or semiconductor process technician.
Penn State University, Center for Nanotechnology Education and Utilization, Nanofabrication Manufacturing Technology (NMT) Capstone Semester, for two-year colleges
Purdue University, Graduate Level Courses in Nanoscale Science and Engineering
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Nanostructured Materials
Rice University, Introduction to Nanoscience
University of Central Florida, Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Track (B.S.) Liberal Studies Major
University of Maryland, Nano-related Courses at UMD
University of Texas at Austin's Doctoral Portfolio Program in Nanotechnology is a certification program which provides a formal mechanism for recognizing and rewarding students who obtain the broad educational background necessary to become leaders in nanotechnology after graduation.
University of Washington, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, the Joint Institute for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Intensive Courses in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
University of Wisconsin - Madison and other institutions collaborating with the UW Materials Research Science and Engineering Center on Nanostructured Interfaces, Nano-related Course Information and Syllabi
University of Wisconsin - Stout offers a Bachelor of Science in Applied Science with Nanoscience Concentration and Bachelor of Science in Engineering Technology with a Concentration in Nanotechnology. UW-Stout also offers four undergraduate courses in Nanoscience/Nanotechnology.
Other Resources:
Every summer, the National Nanofabrication Infrastructure Network hosts a Research Experience for Undergraduates Program (NNIN REU) from June to August. Engineering and science students with a genuine interest in nanotechnology are eligible if they are not graduating before the end of the program in August. Also, applicants must be Citizens or Permanent Residents of the United States. Minority and female candidates are especially encouraged to apply. For the full program information, please visit the NNIN REU Information Center.
Cornell University, Research Experience for Undergraduates at the Nanobiotechnology Center
Northwestern University, Research Experience for Undergraduates at the Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center
University of Central Florida, Research Experience for Undergraduates at the Nanoscience and Technology Center
See also
Careers in Nanotechnology, Scholarships, Fellowships, & Postdoctoral Positions
See: Teacher Resources• Links
K-12 Teacher Resources

"The Amazing Nano Brothers Juggling Show;” one of the highlights of Talking Nano-a just-released set of six professionally produced educational DVDs on nanotechnology from the Nanoscale Informal Science and Engineering (NISE) Network.
Talking Nano features leading researchers with a knack for communicating cutting-edge concepts with clarity and style. Professionally produced, richly illustrated, and suitable for museum, school, and home audiences.

Nanoscience and Technology Resources for Teachers
Teachers looking for help with nanoscience and technology curriculum can find assistance on the NanoEd Resource Portal . NanoEd is a “one-click resource” site for finding educational resources and showcasing work to facilitate collaborations within the Nanoscale Science and Engineering Education (NSEE) community.
Exploring the Nanoworld website, an offering of the University of Wisconsin - Madison Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) Interdisciplinary Education Group (IEG), is an excellent resource for teachers and students of all ages. Available on the site are movies, slide shows, kits and references (including the Lego® nanobricks booklet), and modules for K-12 teachers. See also UW's Educator Resources page from the Internships in Public Science Education program.
Research Experiences for Teachers
This is a program funded by the National Science Foundation for K-12 teachers and community college faculty. Located at a number of research universities, the program places teachers in engineering research facilities during the summer so that they can bring knowledge of engineering and technological innovation into their classrooms. A partial list of programs:
 University of Arkansas, Oklahoma University
Center for Semiconductor Physics in Nanostructures
 Columbia University
Center for Electron Transport in Molecular Nanostructures
 University of Massachusetts Amherst
Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC)
 Northwestern University
Nanoscale Science & Engineering Center (NSEC)
 Rice University
Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology
Northwestern University's Materials World Modules. This center has produced a series of interdisciplinary modules based on topics in materials science, including composites, ceramics, concrete, biosensors, biodegradable materials, smart sensors, polymers, food packaging, and sports materials. The modules are designed for use in middle and high school science, technology, and math classes and have been used by over 9,000 students in schools nationwide.
Nanotechnology Education Kits, experiential learning materials for middle and high school students, are available from NanoSonic, Blacksburg, Va. See also Nanoscience Education online.
Nanoscale Science Education Center at University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, shows middle and high school students how an atomic force microscope works and features experiments on live viruses. One of their partners is the Nanoscale Science Education Group at North Carolina State University's College of Education.
Penn State University's Center for Nanotechnology Education and Utilization offers resources such as Workshops for Educators and a video about "Careers in Nanofabrication" that you can view online or order a free copy. High school students from across Pennsylvania can attend a three-day summer “Nanotech Camp.” These nanotech camps provide secondary school students with an orientation to basic nanofabrication processes and applications, and the opportunity to observe these same nanofabrication processes in the Penn State Nanofabrication Facility.
The National Science Foundation's Nanoscience Classroom Resources provides a collection of lessons and web resources aimed at classroom teachers, their students, and their students' families.
The Nanotechnology Simulation Hub centered at Purdue University has online experiences in nanotechnology available.
The Nanobiotechnology Center located at Cornell University has special Teacher Resources, including online lesson plans for K-12 student activities and information about Montessori curriculum development.
NSF's National Science Digital Library provides online resources for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education.
See also NanoKids™, a project of Rice University's Tour Group. An overview of the program is online.
Interactive Nano-visualization in Science and Engineering Education (IN-VSEE) is a consortium of university and industry scientists and engineers, community college and high school science faculty and museum educators with a common vision of creating an interactive web site to develop a new educational thrust based on remote operation of advanced microscopes and nano-fabrication tools coupled to powerful surface characterization methods.
NANOPOLIS™ offers intuitive multimedia educational material on nanotechnology, a result of the collaboration with more than 200 research groups worldwide.
New programs to promote, educate and excite young people about the amazing world of nanotechnology are being designed under a partnership between the NanoBusiness Alliance and the National Science & Technology Education Partnership (NSTEP).