Nanotechnology (M.Sc.)
Nanotechnology (M.Sc.)
The Master’s degree program in Nanotechnology at FAU taught in English offers you an excellent education in an academic environment with a strong international orientation. As a graduate of this degree program, you will gain the skills and knowledge to develop and design innovative nanotechnology products. Whether you want to work in industry or in research institutions, this degree program will open up a wide range of career opportunities. What sets FAU’s Nanotechnology degree program apart from other universities is its strong engineering focus. While other programs focus mainly on physics and related subjects, FAU offers you the opportunity to specifically deepen your knowledge in nanotechnology and learn scientific working methods.
Fact Sheet
- Degree
- Master of Science
- Admission
- Qualification assessment
- Duration of studies
- 4 semesters
- Teaching language
- completely in English
- Faculty
- Faculty of Engineering
- Start of degree program
- Summer semester, Winter semester
- Number of students
- 150-250
- Special ways to study
- International degree program
- Special features
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Particularly talented and interested graduates with a Master of Science degree can continue their scientific education with a doctoral thesis and earn a doctoral degree in engineering (Dr.-Ing.). The doctoral thesis usually takes three to four years.
If you would like to brush up on your math or chemistry before starting your studies, you can do so in one of the offered voluntary pre-courses. These take place every winter semester shortly before lectures begin.
Program overview
What is the degree program about?
The consecutive Master’s degree program in Nanotechnology (four semesters) was established at FAU in winter semester 2011/2012.
Due to the strong engineering focus, the FAU degree program distinguishes itself from programs at other universities which tend to concentrate on physics and related subjects. A key role in the degree program is played by the Cluster of Excellence “Engineering of Advanced Materials”, which focuses almost exclusively on nanotechnology. It was established at FAU in 2007 as part of the Excellence Initiative of the German Federal Government.
The consecutive Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programs provide training in an academic environment with a strong international focus. Graduates are able to develop nanotechnology products and can work in the field of nanotechnology, both in industry and at research institutions.
In addition to the five compulsory nanotechnology modules, students take one core subject in materials science and two elective modules in natural sciences and engineering.
Compulsory modules
- Nanocharacterization
- Practical course synthesis / characterization
- Computational nanoscience
- Top-down nanostructuring
- Bottom-up nano-synthesis/ self-assembly
One subject from the following core subject modules
- General material properties
- Materials science and technology of metals
- Glass and ceramics
- Corrosion and surface engineering
- Polymer materials
- Materials in electronics and power engineering
- Materials in medicine
- Materials simulation
- Micro- and nanostructure research
Two scientific-technical elective modules
- Within the framework of the scientific-technical elective module, there is the possibility to take further subjects from the Materials Science and Materials Engineering (MWT) options, from the entire Faculty of Engineering and from the Faculty of Natural Sciences according to personal interest.
Further contents
- In addition to the core and elective subjects, the modules “Scientific project” (10 ECTS), “Soft skills” (5 ECTS) and “Master’s thesis with presentation” (30 ECTS) must also be taken.
- It is recommended to take all three modules in the core subject.
- The third semester is designed as a mobility window and provides the opportunity for a stay abroad (see General information on opportunities for a stay abroad in the Nanotechnology degree program).
- Renowned university with an interdisciplinary focus.
- Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programs with practical training.
- Intensive supervision by experienced professors.
- Attractive student life in an ecologically oriented city.
- Diverse recreational opportunities in the historic surroundings.
- Strong economic region with good career prospects.
- Short distances on campus and interdisciplinary cooperation.
The responsibilities of a nanotechnology engineer include:
- Development of new products with new properties
- Targeted manipulation of materials in the nm range
The most important industrial sectors in which nanotechnologists are needed are
- Energy technology: solar cells, hydrogen technology, fuel cells …
- Pharmaceutical industry
- Optics
- Media and entertainment technology: flexible displays …
- Microelectronics: new data storage, faster circuits, flexible electronics …
- Automotive and aerospace: high-temperature materials, propulsion technology, lightweight construction, coatings, energy storage …
- Medical technology: biomaterials, bone substitutes, nanoparticles for tumor control…
- Environmental technology: self-cleaning surfaces, corrosion protection, new catalysts …
- Textile industry: intelligent clothing, dirt-repellent materials, functional clothing …
- Governmental institutions, research institutes, large-scale research facilities and university institutes also offer a variety of fields of activity for nanotechnologists.
Application for a Degree Program
Admission Requirements and Application
Admission
- Master: Qualification assessment
Application deadline
- Winter semester: 31.05.
- Summer semester: 30.11.
Language skills
- English B2
- German language skills for international applicants: No DSH, English (level B2, CEFR)
Content related master requirements
Bachelor’s degreePrerequisite:
The prerequisite for admission to the master’s degree program is the possession of a recognized subject-specific Bachelor’s degree in Nanotechnology. Applicants with subject-related or non-equivalent degrees may be admitted to the master’s degree program under certain conditions.
Degrees recognized as subject-related are, in particular, bachelor’s or diploma degrees in materiaials science, chemistry, physics, as well as in courses of study with a broad nanotechnology focus, if and to the extent that the following minimum knowledge was acquired in them:
- at least 10 ECTS credits in mathematics,
- at least 20 ECTS credits in physics and chemistry,
- at least 10 ECTS credits in lab work and IT, and
- at least 20 ECTS credits in fundamentals of Nanotechnology.
Requirements:
Proof of English language skills at the level of at least B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL) through sufficient school or university knowledge or suitable language certificates.
An overall grade of the subject-specific or subject-related degree needs to be 2.50 (= good) or better or an average grade of 2.9 in the compulsory modules B6, B7 and B8 of the bachelor’s degree course “Materialwissenschaft und Werkstofftechnik” (MWT)
If you are a FAU bachelor student of Materials Science or Nanotechnology you need to have achieved 140 ECTS in fully completed modules by the time of your application for admission.
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