The Graduate Certificate in Nanotechnology is an 18-unit program offered by the School of Chemical and Physical Sciences within the Faculty of Science and Engineering.
The course articulates with the 36-unit Graduate Diploma in Nanotechnology and the 72-unit Master of Nanotechnology, and the sequentially developed topics allow progression through the three awards.
Students who complete the Graduate Certificate are awarded credit towards the Graduate Diploma.
Admission requirements
Applicants must normally hold a degree in any relevant discipline of science or engineering or equivalent qualification from an approved tertiary institution. Examples of relevant disciplines include but are not limited to Chemistry, Physics, Materials Engineering, Chemical Engineering or Biotechnology.
The Faculty Board may, under certain circumstances and subject to specific conditions, admit others who can show evidence of fitness for candidature.
Students who have completed the four year undergraduate Nanotechnology course at Flinders cannot be admitted to the Graduate Certificate or Graduate Diploma but may have 36 units of credit towards completion of the Masters program.
Course aims
The primary aim of this course is to facilitate skills transfer from another relevant area of engineering or science and technology to the study of nanotechnology. Students will develop the capacity to:
- understand the basic scientific concepts underpinning nanoscience
- understand the basic properties of materials and biomaterials at the atomic/molecular level and the scaling laws governing these properties
- understand current frontier developments in nanotechnology nationally and internationally
- recognise and develop novel and innovative ideas
- demonstrate basic ability in a range of laboratory methods, specifically the fabrication and characterisation tools used in nanotechnology such as various microscopies, surface modifications and molecular level construction methods
- embrace the multidisciplinary aspects of nanotechnology which is core to its understanding and engage positively with people and ideas in many disciplines
- demonstrate communication, problem-based and critical thinking skills that will promote life long learning in their future careers;
- work independently and take responsibility for updating and adapting their knowledge and skills
- appreciate the emerging role of nanotechnology in society, the regulatory framework within which it operates and the ethical issues it raises
- work cooperatively and productively within a team.
Learning outcomes
Students will:
- have a basic grounding and expert knowledge in multidisciplinary areas of nanoscience
- have a basic grounding in and expert knowledge of the basic sciences relevant to employment or further study in the traditional sciences
- have a basic grounding in economics and commerce relevant to the needs of high-technology companies
- be prepared to work in a high tech work force
- analyse and critically evaluate ideas/information/data and apply relevant scientific principles to solve problems by, for example, creating hypotheses, testing theories and predictions, designing and carrying out experiments and analysing reported data
- communicate their findings to a variety of audiences in written and spoken form through debates, posters, reports and oral presentations
- appreciate that there are the relationships and connections across the sciences and non-science disciplines are core to nanotechnology and understand such relationships and connections
- work and learn independently and appreciate the need for life-long learning
- interact effectively as part of a team in order to achieve common goals.
Program of study
To qualify for the Graduate Certificate in Nanotechnology, a student must complete 18 units with a grade of P or NGP or better in each topic, according to the program of study below.
Core - Year 1 topics
18 units comprising:
DSGN8701 Innovation Management GE (4.5 units)
NANO8701 Structure and Characterisation GE (4.5 units)
NANO8702 Frontiers of Nanotechnology GE (4.5 units)
NANO8710 Fundamentals of Nanotechnology GE (4.5 units)