Nanoscale Science and Engineering (Nanotechnology) minor at Michigan Technological University upgrades your qualifications and strengthens your ability to achieve in research, development, and manufacturing across disciplines in public and private sectors.
The minor is designed to introduce you to the fundamentals of nanotechnology while encouraging you to explore courses beyond your major. You’ll gain a multidisciplinary perspective by studying physics, chemistry, biology, instrumentation, and applications that span across multiple industries. With a flexible structure, this minor is open to students from diverse majors who want to strengthen their expertise and expand their career and research opportunities.
As part of the program, you’ll select electives that let you both broaden your exposure to other disciplines and go deeper into your own areas of interest. Beyond the technical skills, you’ll also engage in critical discussions about the societal implications of nanotechnology—an important consideration as new technologies shape our future. Whether you’re passionate about research, interested in cutting-edge applications, or eager to set yourself apart in a competitive job market, this minor provides a strong foundation that complements any major.
By completing this minor, you’ll position yourself at the leading edge of these fields and enhance your flexibility in both career and educational pathways. If you’re ready to think big at the smallest scale, Michigan Tech’s Nanotechnology Minor can help you get there.
What Will I Learn?
Focuses on multi-disciplinary nanotechnology studies in emerging fields of science, engineering, and technology. The minor:
- introduces students to the basic issues and overall scope of the field.
- encourages them to pursue interdisciplinary work outside their major and beyond as careers and research interests develop
- emphasizes fundamental sciences, current and potential applications, modern instrumentation, and impact on society
Curriculum
The minor entails 8 credits of required courses and 10 credits of elective courses as well as nano-related Independent Study, Research, Co-op, or Enterprise.
Required Course Work
Electives
At least 10 credits of electives may be drawn from a wide variety of disciplinary areas, and students are required to choose at least 6 credits—not in their major—from the list. At least 6 credits from the electives list must also be at the 3000-level or higher.
- Students are encouraged, but not required, to take at least one elective course related to instrumentation.
- Other appropriate electives, including graduate-level, are chosen with written permission by the nanotechnology minor faculty advisor. Graduate-level courses may also require permission from the department or instructor.
- See Interdisciplinary Minor Audits for Nanoscale Science and Engineering (Nanotechnology, IMNT) in your minor audit year for details and course offerings.
Independent Study, Research, Co-op, or Enterprise
Students are required to complete 3 credits of approved independent study, research, co-op, or Enterprise experience. Past projects include:
- Fabrication and Raman characterization of bi-layer graphene
- Thin film InGaN-Si photovoltaic devices
- Generation and properties of polydopamine nanoparticles
- Nanoindentation studies of Nitric oxide-releasing polymers
- Nanoparticle dielectrophoresis and microdevices
Because of the minor’s diverse and flexible nature, students are advised to consult with their major advisor and the nanotechnology minor advisor as early as possible to lay out a cohesive study program.
What is Nanotechnology?
Find it in sunscreen, batteries, motorcycle helmets, water treatment, virus purification, and the nature of matter itself. Nanotechnology is the study and use of materials and structures at an incredibly small scale—between 1 and 100 nanometers, or thousands of times thinner than a human hair. Nanotechnology focuses on the tiniest of components—and holds big promise.
The idea of nanotechnology isn’t brand new; in 1959, physicist Richard Feynman first talked about the possibility of working directly with atoms. Later, the term “nanotechnology” was introduced in the 1970s and became more widely known in the 1980s, when scientists began imagining tools that could build new materials and devices at the atomic level.
Because it focuses on size, nanotechnology connects many different areas of science and engineering. It shows up in chemistry, biology, physics, energy research, and materials science, just to name a few. The applications are just as broad—scientists and engineers are using nanotechnology to create new medicines, stronger and lighter materials, faster electronics, better batteries, and even new ways to build at the atomic scale. For students, this means nanotechnology is a growing field full of exciting opportunities to make an impact on the world in areas ranging from healthcare to clean energy.
