Nanoscale Engineering

Bachelor of Science Degree

The College of Nanoscale Engineering and Technology Innovation is part of the Colleges of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) on the Albany site of the SUNY Polytechnic Institute. The CNSE offers two undergraduate approved majors, nanoscale engineering and nanoscale science. Information pertaining to the nanoscale science major can be found in the catalog section for the College of Nanoscale Science. The CNSE undergraduate curriculum in the interdisciplinary field of nanoscale engineering is designed to provide SUNY Poly undergraduate students with a well-rounded education of the highest quality. The curriculum provides students with the analytical tools necessary to explore, discover, and innovate, while cementing fundamental knowledge in nanoengineering. The program imparts a broad-based, basic and applied, scientific understanding of atomic scale phenomena, behaviors, and properties of matter in order to achieve deliberate control over nanometer-scale atomic and molecular systems. The program also enables a quantitative mastery of the fundamental nature of nanoscale interactions that can be effectively used to characterize and measure the behavior and structure of nanometer scale assemblies and systems. This degree program offers an academically rigorous preparation for students intending to pursue scientific, technical, or professional careers in nanotechnology enabled fields or graduate studies in nanoscale science or nanoscale engineering, biotechnology, biotech-related fields, and other physical sciences such as materials science, physics, and chemistry.

Degree Requirements Overview
The B.S. program in Nanoscale Engineering requires the completion of the following categories of courses:

  1. Foundational Principles: 20 credits
  2. Core Competencies courses: 27 credits
  3. Concentrations courses: 9 credits of Nanoscale Engineering courses from 1 of the following concentration areas or courses by advisement:
    • Nanoelectronics
    • Nanoscale Engineering for Energy & Environment Applications
    • NanoSystems Engineering
    • Nanoscale Lithography
    • Emerging Materials and Device Engineering
  4. Capstone Undergraduate Research/Design courses: 9 credits
  5. 6 credits of 400-level Nanoscale Engineering or Science topical elective courses.
  6. 6 credits of Nanotechnology survey courses
  7. 9 credits of 200-level Nanoscale Engineering Design and Skills electives
  8. 1 credit of a senior seminar courses
  9. 15 credits of Mathematics

B.S. in Nanoscale Engineering—102 total credits

Students shall satisfy the requirements listed below.

I. SUNY General Education Requirements (30 credits)

All SUNY students must satisfy the following requirements.

No fewer than 30 credits must be attained from the SUNY approved General Education Course List with the following provisions:

  • Mathematics (satisfied by major mathematics requirement)
  • Basic Communication (satisfied by Capstone courses)
  • Information Literacy (satisfied by Capstone courses)
  • Critical Thinking (satisfied by Capstone courses)

At least five (5) out of the following eight (8) SUNY General Education categories:

  • Natural Science (satisfied by major requirement)
  • Social Science (satisfied by major requirement)
  • American History
  • Western Civilization
  • Other World Civilization
  • Humanities
  • The Arts
  • Foreign Language

The requirement to complete a Bachelor of Science in Nanoscale Engineering already meets a minimum of 25 credits that fulfill SUNY General Education

The Basic Communication (written and oral discourse) and the Critical Thinking and Information Management competencies are embedded throughout the Nanoscale Engineering major’s curriculum and are specifically approved by SUNY for the three-semester Capstone Requirement.

In order to graduate with a Nanoscale Engineering major a student needs to complete requirement three of the following general education categories: American History, Western Civilization, Other World Civilizations, Humanities, The Arts, or Foreign Languages.

With one exception, the student may use a course that applies to more than one General Education category to meet all of the categories satisfied by that course. The one exception is no student may use one course to meet both the Arts and the Humanities requirements.

A student bringing in a course as Advanced Placement, transfer, or other credit, whether acquired before or after matriculation, which fulfills a SUNY General Education requirement may use that course to meet the requirement. NOTE: a student brings in such credit or is thinking of taking a course elsewhere after matriculation should verify with his or her Academic Advisor or the CNSE Director of Academic Advisement whether the course indeed will fulfill the SUNY General Education requirement.

II. Liberal Arts/Sciences Requirements (30 credits) 

The New York State Education Department (SED) requires a student earning a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree to attain no fewer than 60 credits of combined SUNY General Education and Liberal Arts/Sciences courses. There may be overlap between courses meeting both the SUNY General Education Requirements and Liberal Arts/Sciences Requirements, but a student may receive course credits only once even if multiple requirements are satisfied by a single course. The total number of combined credit hours must be no fewer than 60 credits.

Since all mathematics requirements in the major, all nanoscale science (N SCI) and all nanoscale engineering (N ENG) courses except N ENG 405, 408, 411, and 444 are Liberal Arts and Sciences Courses, students will automatically meet this requirement within the major.

III. Nanoscale Engineering Program Coursework (102 credits)*

A. Foundational Principles courses (20 credits):

  • N ENG 114 Chemical Principles of Nanoscale Science and Engineering I
  • N ENG 115 Chemical Principles of Nanoscale Science and Engineering Laboratory I
  • N ENG 116 Chemical Principles of Nanoscale Science and Engineering II
  • N ENG 117 Chemical Principles of Nanoscale Science and Engineering Laboratory II
  • N ENG 126 Physical Principles of Nanoscale Science and Engineering I
  • N ENG 127 Physical Principles of Nanoscale Science and Engineering Laboratory I
  • N ENG 128 Physical Principles of Nanoscale Science and Engineering II
  • N ENG 129 Physical Principles of Nanoscale Science and Engineering Laboratory II
  • N ENG 140 Physical Principles of Nanoscale Science and Engineering III
  • N ENG 141 Physical Principles of Nanoscale Science and Engineering Laboratory III

B. Core Competencies courses (27 credits):

  • N ENG 301 Thermodynamics and Kinetics of Nanomaterials
  • N ENG 302 Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Properties of Nanomaterials
  • N ENG 303 Mechanics of Nanomaterials
  • N ENG 304 Fluid Mechanics and Transport Processes
  • N ENG 405 Micro and Nano Materials Processing Technology
  • N ENG 406 Fundamentals of Nanoelectronics
  • N ENG 407 Thin Film and Nanomaterials Characterization
  • N ENG 408 Industrial Nanomanufacturing

C. Capstone Undergraduate Research/Design courses (9 credits):

  • N ENG 390 Capstone Research I
  • N ENG 490 Capstone Research II. Team Research and Project Review
  • N ENG 492 Capstone Research III. Team Research and Final Report

D. Concentrations courses (9credits):

Choose ONE of these concentrations

  1. Nanoelectronics
  • N ENG 411 Nanoelectronic IC Fabrication Processes
  • N ENG 412 Micro and Nano Devices and Circuits
  • N ENG 413 Nanoscale Optical and Optoelectronic Devices
  • N ENG 414 Applications of Fields and Waves to Nanoscale Systems
  • N ENG 415 Nanoelectronic Devices
  1. Nanoscale Engineering for Energy & Environment Applications
  • N ENG 421 Introduction to Solar Cell Nanotechnology
  • N ENG 422 Introduction to Fuel Cell Nanotechnology
  • N ENG 423 Renewable and Alternate Energy Nanotechnologies
  • N ENG 424 Nanoscale Chemical and Biological Sensors
  1. NanoSystems Engineering
  • N ENG 431 Advanced Materials Processing for NEMS/MEMS
  • N ENG 432 Interfacial Engineering in Nanobiological Systems
  • N ENG 433 NEMS/MEMS for Chemical and Biological Sensors
  • N ENG 434 BioMEMS and BioNEMS
  • N ENG 435 Nanobiological Systems
  1. Nanoscale Lithography
  • N ENG 441 Nanoscale Patterning
  • N ENG 442 Light Optics for Nanoengineering
  • N ENG 443 Charged Particle Optics for Nanoengineering
  • N ENG 444 Electron Beam Pattern Generation
  1. Emerging Materials and Device Engineering
  • N ENG 451 Nanophotonics
  • N ENG 452 Magnetic Nanostructures
  • N ENG 453 Organic Semiconductors
  • N ENG 454 Analysis of Thin Films and Interfaces
  • N ENG 455 Nanoscale Polymer Science & Engineering
  • N ENG 456 Nanoscale Interfacial Engineering
  • N ENG 457 Modeling of Nanomaterials and Systems

E. 400-level Nanoscale Engineering or Science topical elective courses (6 credits by advisement)

F. Nanotechnology survey courses (6 credits):

Choose TWO of these courses

  • N ENG 101 Nanotechnology Survey
  • N ENG 102 Societal Impacts of Nanotechnology
  • N ENG 103 Economic Impacts of Nanotechnology
  • N ENG 104 Disruptive Nanotechnologies

G. 200-level Nanoscale Engineering Design and Skills electives (9 credits):

  • N ENG 201 Introduction to Nanoscale Engineering Design and Manufacturing
  • N ENG 202 Introduction to Computer Programming for Engineers
  • N ENG 203 Introduction to Nanoengineering Electronics

H. Senior seminar course (1 credit):

  • N ENG 498 Current Topics in Nanoscale Science and Engineering (or equivalent)

I. Mathematics (at least 15 credits):

  • MAT 151 Calculus I
  • MAT 152 Calculus II
  • MAT 253 Calculus III
  • MAT 260 Ordinary Differential Equations and Series Solutions

*Some of the courses in this degree program were inspired in part by the scholarly programs of other institutions.  To this end, SUNY Poly acknowledges the academic work of MIT, Northwestern, RIT, RPI, San Juan College, and Stanford.

IV. Honors Program in Nanoscale Engineering Coursework (102 credits)

A. Admission
Students are evaluated in the junior year for the honors in the major program in nanoscale engineering. Invitations to participate will be made by the CNSE Honors Director. The student must have an earned overall GPA of 3.25, and a 3.50 for all courses attempted in the major, at the time of admission to the honors program. In addition, all applicants to the honors in the major program must provide as part of the completed application a written statement of purpose which explains the reasons and motivation for wanting to undertake the honors in the major program.

B. Requirements
Students admitted to the Honors Program in Nanoscale Engineering will take all of the same coursework as student following the Nanoscale Engineering major except that Honors students should take N ENG 491 Capstone Research II. Team Research and Project Review (Honors) in lieu of N ENG 490 and N ENG 493 Capstone Research III. Team Research and Final Report (Honors) in lieu of N ENG 492.

V. Open Electives (remainder of 120 credits)