NanoEngineering (NANO)
[ graduate program | courses | faculty ]
BUSINESS AFFAIRS:
2803 Atkinson Hall, Warren College
STUDENT AFFAIRS:
2802 Atkinson Hall, Warren College
http://nanoengineering.ucsd.edu
Departmental Focus
The Department of NanoEngineering focuses on nanoscale science, engineering, and technology that have the potential to make valuable advances in different areas that include, to name a few, new materials, biology and medicine, energy conversion, sensors, and environmental remediation. Nanoengineering is a highly diversified and multidisciplinary field. The graduate research programs cover a broad range of topics, but focus particularly on biomedical nanotechnology, nanotechnologies for energy conversion and storage, computational nanotechnology, and molecular and nanomaterials. Undergraduate degree programs focus on integrating the various science and engineering disciplines necessary for successful careers in the evolving nanotechnology industry.
Degree and Program Options
The Department of NanoEngineering offers undergraduate programs leading to the B.S. degrees in NanoEngineering and Chemical Engineering. The Chemical Engineering Program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology (ABET/EAC). The Nanoengineering Program is newly introduced, but the program is designed using ABET accreditation criteria; the department will apply for accreditation once there are graduates to measure the program outcomes. These two degree programs have very different requirements and are described in separate sections.
Nanoengineering Program (NANO)
Program Mission and Objectives
The mission of the Nanoengineering Program is to provide a multidisciplinary education in nanoscale science and technology. The primary goals are
- Prepare students for a career in nanotechnology by providing them with a sound grounding in multidisciplinary areas of nanoscale science and engineering.
- Increase students' understanding of materials and their properties at the atomic and nanometer scales, including an understanding of the intimate relationship between the scale and the properties of materials. This is referred to as the third dimension in the periodic table, where elements, and combinations thereof, have properties and functions that depend on the material dimension, spanning from the nanoscale to macroscale.
- Prepare graduates who, while skilled in nanoscale science and engineering, will be qualified for jobs in traditional science-based industries and government laboratories and, as nanotechnologies mature, well positioned for jobs in this applied area. This program will be anticipating trends and providing students with integrated, cross-disciplinary scientific knowledge and professional skills.
- Educate a new generation of engineers who can participate in, and indeed seed, new high-technology companies that will be the key to maintaining jobs, wealth, and educational infrastructures as nanotechnology results in a new industrial revolution.
- Enable students to develop a range of professional, scientific, and computational skills that will enhance employment opportunities in a wide range of industrial and governmental institutions.
- Prepare students for the workplace through developing their ability to have effective communication skills, modern science and engineering skills, and contribute constructively to multidisciplinary teams.
- Form strong multidisciplinary educational links through joint team projects that cross the traditional areas of science and engineering.
The Undergraduate Program
The B.S. program in NanoEngineering is tailored to provide breadth and flexibility by taking advantage of the strength of basic sciences and other engineering disciplines at UC San Diego. The intention is to graduate nanoengineers who are multidisciplinary and can work in a broad spectrum of industries.
All NANO courses are taught only once per year, and courses are scheduled to be consistent with the curriculum as shown in the tables below. Under normal circumstance, students must follow the prescribed curriculum. Unavoidable deviation from the curriculum, for example, to participate in the Education Abroad Program, must be approved by the Undergraduate Affairs Committee prior to taking alternative courses elsewhere. Approvals are also needed for engineering courses not listed under the current selections for different engineering focus areas. Courses such as NANO 195, 197, and 198 are not allowed as a NanoEngineering elective in meeting the upper-division major requirements. NANO 199 can be used as a technical elective only under restrictive conditions. Policy regarding these conditions may be obtained from the department’s Student Affairs Office. All students are encouraged to visit the Student Affairs Office or visit the Department of NanoEngineering Web site for any clarification and updated information. To graduate, students must maintain an overall GPA of at least 2.0, and the department requires at least a C– grade in each course required for the major.
General-Education/College Requirements
For graduation each student must satisfy general-education course requirements determined by the student’s college as well as the major requirements determined by the department. The six colleges at UCSD require widely different general-education courses, and the number of such courses differs from one college to another. Each student should choose his or her college carefully, considering the special nature of the college and the breadth of general education.
The NANO curriculum allows for forty-eight units of humanities and social science (HSS) courses, which are sufficient to fulfill most but not all college requirements. Regardless the specific college, students must develop a program that includes a total of at least forty-eight units in the arts, humanities, and social sciences, not including subjects such as accounting, industrial management, finance, or personnel administration. Students must consult with their college to determine which HSS courses to take.
Major Requirements
To receive a B.S. in NanoEngineering, students must complete 192 units. The specific breakdown is as follows:
Humanities and social sciences (forty-eight units): This requirement is intended to fulfill the general-education requirements (GER) from respective colleges.
Basic sciences and mathematics (fifty-nine units): This lower-division requirement includes twenty-four units of mathematics (Math. 20A–F), sixteen units of physics (Phys. 2A–D), fifteen units of chemistry (Chem. 6A–C, 6BL), and four units of biology (BILD 1).
Engineering preparation (sixteen units): This requirement covers basics in computer programming, circuit analysis and circuits lab (ECE 15, 35, 45, 65).
Nanoengineering core (thirty-seven units): This requirement is constituted of a one-unit seminar (NANO 1) and nine core courses (NANO 101 to 104, 110 to 112, and 120A-B).
Nanoengineering electives (eight units): This requirement must be chosen from among the upper-division NANO courses offered by the department.
Engineering focus (twenty-four units): Students are recommended to select all six engineering electives from within one single major to constitute an engineering focus. However, to allow for unforeseen class scheduling conflicts and to comply with the prerequisites of some Bioengineering courses, students are required to take only four of the six courses in one major, with the other two outside their chosen engineering focus. Preapproved accepted courses of each of the four focuses are listed below.
- Bioengineering:
BENG 100, 101, 103B*, 109, 110, 112A, 112B, 122A*, 130, 186A
*BENG 103B requires CENG 101A and 122A requires MAE 140. Both prerequisites are accepted as part of the twenty-four-unit bioengineering focus. - Chemical engineering:
CENG 100, 101A, 101B, 101C, 102, 113, 120. - Electrical engineering:
ECE 103, 107, 109, 134, 135A, 135B, 136, 136L, 138L, 139, 183, 187. - Mechanical engineering:
MAE 20, 101A, 101B, 101C, 105, 113, 110A, 130A, 130B, 131A, 143A, 143B, 160, 161, 166, 168. - Materials science:
NANO 108, 140, 148, 150, 156, 158, 161, 164, 168.
All students follow the same basic science preparation and core set of classes in NanoEngineering during the first two years.
| Fall |
Winter |
Spring |
|---|---|---|
Freshman Year |
||
Math. 20A |
Math. 20B |
Math. 20C |
Chem. 6A |
Chem. 6B |
Chem 6C |
ECE 15 |
BILD 1 |
Phys. 2A |
HSS |
HSS |
HSS |
NANO 1 |
||
Sophomore Year |
||
Math. 20D |
Math. 20F |
Math. 20E |
Phys. 2B |
Phys. 2C |
Phys. 2D |
Chem. 6BL |
NANO 101 |
ECE 25 |
HSS |
HSS |
HSS |
After the sophomore year, students must choose an engineering focus. Sample programs of the five choices are shown below. Students must keep in mind that the NANO courses are only offered once a year.
Recommended Course Sequence—Bioengineering Focus
| Fall |
Winter |
Spring |
|---|---|---|
Junior Year |
||
NANO 102 |
NANO 103 |
NANO 104 |
CENG 101A |
BENG 130 |
BENG 100 |
ECE 35 |
ECE 65 |
NE Elective |
HSS |
HSS |
HSS |
Senior Year |
||
NANO 110 |
NANO 111 |
NANO 112 |
BENG 101 |
BENG 109 |
BENG 103B |
NE Elective |
NANO 120A |
NANO 120B |
HSS |
HSS |
HSS |
Recommended Course Sequence—Chemical Engineering Focus
| Fall |
Winter |
Spring |
|---|---|---|
Junior Year |
||
NANO 102 |
NANO 103 |
NANO 110 |
CENG 100 |
CENG 102 |
CENG 113 |
ECE 35 |
ECE 65 |
NE Elective |
HSS |
HSS |
HSS |
Senior Year |
||
NANO 110 |
NANO 111 |
NANO 112 |
CENG 101A |
CENG 101B |
CENG 101C |
NE Elective |
NANO 120A |
NANO 120B |
HSS |
HSS |
HSS |
Recommended Course Sequence—Electrical Engineering Focus
| Fall |
Winter |
Spring |
|---|---|---|
Junior Year |
||
NANO 102 |
NANO 103 |
NANO 104 |
ECE 35 |
ECE 65 |
ECE 134 |
ECE 103 |
NE Elective |
ECE 136 |
HSS |
HSS |
HSS |
Senior Year |
||
NANO 110 |
NANO 111 |
NANO 112 |
ECE 135A |
ECE 135B |
ECE 139 |
NE Elective |
NANO 120A |
NANO 120B |
HSS |
HSS |
HSS |
Recommended Course Sequence—Mechanical Engineering Focus
| Fall |
Winter |
Spring |
|---|---|---|
Junior Year |
||
NANO 102 |
NANO 103 |
NANO 104 |
NANO 108 |
MAE 130A |
MAE 131A |
ECE 35 |
ECE 65 |
MAE 130B |
HSS |
HSS |
HSS |
Senior Year |
||
NANO 110 |
NANO 111 |
NANO 112 |
CENG 101A |
NANO 120A |
NANO 120B |
MAE 105 |
NE Elective |
NE Elective |
HSS |
HSS |
HSS |
Recommended Course Sequence—Materials Science Focus
| Fall |
Winter |
Spring |
|---|---|---|
Junior Year |
||
NANO 102 |
NANO 103 |
NANO 104 |
ECE 35 |
ECE 65 |
NANO 148 |
NANO 108 |
NE Elective |
NANO 150 |
HSS |
HSS |
HSS |
Senior Year |
||
NANO 110 |
NANO 111 |
NANO 112 |
NANO 158 |
NANO 120A |
NANO 120B |
NANO 161 |
NE Elective |
NANO 168 |
HSS |
HSS |
HSS |
Policies and Procedures for Undergraduate Students
[In this policy section, much is in common with the Chemical Engineering major. Duplicate sections will be consolidated in the final catalog edition.]
Application for Admission to the Major
Admission to the department as a NANO major or minor, or to fulfill a major in another department that requires NANO courses, is in accordance with the general requirements established by the Jacobs School of Engineering. The admission requirements and procedures are described in detail in the section on “Acceptance to Departmental Majors in the Jacobs School of Engineering” in this catalog. Applicants who have demonstrated excellent academic performance prior to being admitted to UC San Diego will be admitted directly to the engineering major of their choice. These directly admitted students and all students are expected to complete lower- and upper-division courses, as suggested in the curriculum tables, in a timely fashion in the sequences outlined.
Academic Advising
Upon admission to the major, students should consult the catalog or NanoEngineering Web site (http://nanoengineering.ucsd.edu) for their program of study or their undergraduate advisor if they have questions. The program plan may be revised in subsequent years, but revisions involving curricular requirements require approval by the undergraduate advisor or the Undergraduate Affairs Committee. Because some course and/or curricular changes may be made every year, it is imperative that students consult with the department’s undergraduate advisor on an annual basis.
As aforementioned, NANO and CENG courses are offered only once a year and therefore should be taken in the recommended sequence. If courses are taken out of sequence, it may not always be possible to enroll in courses as desired or needed. If this occurs, students should seek immediate departmental advice. When a student deviates from the sequence of courses specified for each curriculum in this catalog, it may be impossible to complete the major within the nominal four-year period.
In addition to the advising available through the Student Affairs Office, programmatic or technical advice may be obtained from faculty members. A specific faculty mentor is assigned to each student. All students are required to meet with their faculty mentor at least once a quarter.
Program Alterations/Exceptions to Requirements
Variations from or exceptions to any program or course requirements are possible only if the Undergraduate Affairs Committee approves a petition before the courses in question are taken. Petition forms may be obtained from the Student Affairs Office and must be processed through this office.
Independent Study
Students may take NANO 199, Independent Study for Undergraduates, under the guidance of a NANO faculty member. This course is taken as an elective on a P/NP basis. Under very restrictive conditions, however, it may be used to satisfy upper-division technical elective course requirements for the major. Students interested in this alternative must identify a faculty member with whom they wish to work and propose a two-quarter research or study topic. After obtaining the faculty member’s concurrence on the topic and scope of the study, the student must submit a Special Studies Course form (each quarter) and NANO 199 as Technical Elective Contract form to the Undergraduate Affairs Committee. These forms must be completed, approved, and processed prior to the add/drop deadline. Detailed policy in this regard and the requisite forms may be obtained from the Student Affairs Office.
Transfer Students
The undergraduate engineering curriculum is designed to integrate four years of college educational experience. It is not easy for transfer students to complete the major requirements in only two additional years beyond their junior college work. Students should consult their advisor for a transition program compatible with their junior college preparation.
Requirements for admission as a NANO major or into NANO courses are the same for transfer students as they are for continuing students (see section on “Acceptance to Departmental Majors in the Jacobs School of Engineering” in this catalog). Accordingly, when planning their program, transfer students should be mindful of lower-division prerequisite course requirements, as well as for meeting collegiate requirements.
Students who have taken equivalent courses elsewhere may request to have transfer credit apply toward the department’s major requirements. To receive transfer credit, complete a Student Petition form and submit it to Student Affairs. For mathematics, chemistry, and physics, the respective department determines transfer equivalencies. An Undergraduate Student Petition must be submitted to each department from which you are requesting transfer credit.
The following courses are strongly recommended for all engineering transfer students for success in their major.
- Calculus I—for Science and Engineering (Math. 20A)
- Calculus II—for Science and Engineering (Math. 20B)
- Calculus and Analytic Geometry (Math. 20C)
- Differential Equations (Math. 20D)
- Linear Algebra (Math. 20F)
- Complete calculus-based physics series with lab experience (Physics 2A-B-C)
- Chemistry 6A (except computer science and computer engineering majors)
- Highest level of introductory computer programming language course offerings at the community college*
- Community college equivalent courses can be found at: http://www.assist.org
*Refer to the UC San Diego General Catalog to select major prerequisite recommendations for computer language courses.