Science, Technology and Engineering

Nanotechnology

Bachelor of Science (Honours)/Master of Nanotechnology (SZHSNT)

Overview

This double degree program is offered by the Departments of Physics, Chemistry and Biochemistry, and enables completion of a Masters level nanotechnology degree in combination with a Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree focused on the disciplines that underpin nanotechnology. It provides nanotechnology students with a direct path from first year through to a Masters qualification. Graduates with qualifying grades will be eligible for entry into a Ph.D. in a relevant discipline area at La Trobe University. The double degree structure is chosen for the teaching of nanotechnology, as it requires knowledge of a broad range of supporting sciences and time to develop the required specialisation.

Professional recognition

Graduates from this degree will be eligible for accreditation with the Australian Institute of Physics. Those students completing the nanostructured materials stream will also be eligible for accreditation with the Royal Australian Chemical Institute.

Course structure

This double degree program is of five and a half years full-time or equivalent part-time duration and requires the completion of 660 credit points. Students may complete the program in five years as part of an accelerated study program. The course features streams in nanostructured materials and bionanotechnology. These incorporate core studies in physics, chemistry or biochemistry, biology and mathematics together with specialised studies in nanotechnology at all year levels; units include nanochemistry, scanning probe microscopies, synchrotron science and technology, imaging and materials characterisation, nanomaterials and fabrication, sensors and devices and a nanotechnology research project. The final year features an advanced program considering materials behaviour and unique processes occurring only at the nanometre scale, together with a half year equivalent nanotechnology masters thesis project hosted by a leading research group and, in some circumstances, in partnership with an external organization.

This is an advanced program requiring students to achieve a minimum average grade of 65% each year across all units to continue in the Masters program. Students not achieving the required grade or those electing to do so may revert to the Bachelor of Nanotechnology / Bachelor of Science double degree or the Bachelor of Science single degree at any time.

First year (130 credit points)
Core units (115 credit points)

Elective (15 credit points)
An elective may be chosen from any first year unit offered by any discipline in the University.

Second year (135/145 credit points)
Students undertake one of the following specialised streams of study.

Nanostructured Materials Stream:
Core units (145 credit points)

Bionanotechnology Stream:
Core units (135 credit points)

Third year (135/145 credit points)

Nanostructured Materials Stream:
Core units (135 credit points)

Bionanotechnology Stream:
Core units (145 credit points)

Fourth year (120 credit points)

Fifth year (130 credit points)

Comprehensive course information

The La Trobe Undergraduate Handbook includes full details of our course structures. The Handbook is available on-line at: http://www.latrobe.edu.au/handbook/

Unit offerings may change according to available staffing resources and because of the ongoing process of evaluation and updating of content. For the most comprehensive descriptions of units, students should access the La Trobe Unit Database on-line at www.latrobe.edu.au/udb_public.