International Master Degree in Nanostructured Materials for Nanotechnology Applications - NANOMAT

This official Master from Zaragoza University (Spain) has a duration of one academic year and comprises 60 ECTS credits. The course is suitable for graduates with science, engineering, medicine or related degrees keen to develop careers at the forefront of nanoscience and nanotechnology.

The course is multidisciplinary and aims to provide students with fundamental knowledge, practical experience, and skills in the fabrication and characterization of nanostructured materials and devices with applications in key areas of nanochemistry, nanophysics, and nano-biomedicine.

The Institute of Nanoscience and Materials of Aragon – INMA (CSIC-Universidad de Zaragoza) have exceptional materials preparation and characterization equipment, including some unique instruments in Spain and Europe.

The course is completely taught in English by highly qualified members of research and academic staff within the INMA and the Faculty of Science of Zaragoza University as well as by other national and international departments and industrial representatives.

The master comprises six mandatory modules (36 ECTS credits) which include lectures, tutorials, practical work in the laboratory, and case studies. In addition, the student will course two (10 ECTS credits) out of the four optional modules offered. The course also includes an individual research project (14 ECTS credits). The students will select the individual project in consultation with the Course coordinator. The project will be related to the student background degree and research or professional interests.

The modules are:

1. Fundamental Properties of Nanostructured Materials
2. Preparation of Nanostructured Materials
3. Assembly and Fabrication of Nanostructures
4. Characterization I: Physical-Chemical Techniques
5. Characterization II: Advanced Microscopies
6. Case studies for Industrial Applications
7. The student will choose two out of the four following modules:
A. Introduction to Research in Nanoscience and Nanotechnologies
B. Fabrication of Micro and Nanodevices
C. Multidisciplinary Joint Educational Project
D. Practical work in a Nanotechnology-related company
8. Master Research Project

The objective of this master is to provide high-quality University Multidisciplinary Education in the synthesis, assembly, properties and characterization of nanostructured materials as well as practical experience and skills in the fabrication of nanodevices. All modules are taught in English.

The Master consists of the following units:

• Lectures on fabrication, assembly and characterization of nanostructured materials.
• Training in advanced tools for Nanotechnology through laboratory practical work.
• Communication and management skills.
• Training projects: external industrial involvement, multidisciplinary joint educational project, individual research project working in interdisciplinary research groups.

This Master in Nanostructured Materials for Nanotechnology Applications is intended to meet the needs of all the following:

Graduates from Spain or overseas who are seeking further qualification in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology. These graduates must have a background in Chemistry, Physics, Materials Science, Engineering, Medicine, Biology, Pharmacy, or a related discipline.

Nanotechnology is a newborn discipline that seeks to understand, manipulate, control, and exploit novel properties of materials at the nanometer scale, the scale of atoms and molecules. Nanotechnology seems to have the answer to the growing need for the miniaturization of mechanical and electronic components with the aim of producing smaller, lighter, quicker, and more efficient devices.

Key to understand the unique power and potential of nanotechnology is that, in addition to the numerous advantages provided by this scale of miniaturization, quantum effects at this size range provide additional novel properties. Thus, with only a reduction in size, materials can exhibit new properties such as electrical conductivity, elasticity, greater strength, different colour and greater reactivity, which the same substances do not exhibit at the micro or macroscale.

Nanotechnology is a highly diverse and multidisciplinary field involving physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, and materials science, among other fields. Nanotechnology has the potential to create new devices with wide-ranging applications in medicine, electronics, energy production, environment issues, etc.

Nanoscience and Nanotechnology related projects are currently receiving vast amounts of research funding from governments and industries all over the world. Even modest predictions estimate an over 30% future average growth rate per year in nanotechnology. This growth potential is expected to create new jobs at different occupational levels in coming years: for researchers and scientists holding university and post-graduate degrees and also for a wide range of technicians. Education and training is essential to bring forward a new generation of researchers and other skilled workers with the interdisciplinary R&D approach that nanotechnology needs.