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Nanotechnology MSc

London, Bloomsbury

This MSc is designed for graduates from the physical sciences and relevant engineering disciplines who wish to develop skills in this new and exciting area. Nanotechnology is rapidly establishing itself as a key technology, in industries ranging from microelectronics to healthcare, with a consequent demand for appropriately trained graduates.

UK students International students
Study mode
UK tuition fees (2024/25)
£19,300
£9,650
Overseas tuition fees (2024/25)
£37,500
£18,750
Duration
1 calendar year
2 calendar years
Programme starts
September 2024
Applications accepted
Applicants who require a visa: 16 Oct 2023 – 05 Apr 2024

Applications closed

Applicants who do not require a visa: 16 Oct 2023 – 30 Aug 2024

Applications closed

Find similar courses still open

Entry requirements

A minimum of an upper second-class Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 1

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level.

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

If you are intending to apply for a time-limited visa to complete your UCL studies (e.g., Student visa, Skilled worker visa, PBS dependant visa etc.) you may be required to obtain ATAS clearance. This will be confirmed to you if you obtain an offer of a place. Please note that ATAS processing times can take up to six months, so we recommend you consider these timelines when submitting your application to UCL.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree


The programme introduces students to, and provides training in, the skills essential for almost all fields of nanotechnology research, including key laboratory skills and techniques in planning, building devices, analysis, and results comparison. The core lecture programme covers essential topics in physics, electrical and electronic engineering, and biology.

Who this course is for

The programme is designed for graduates from the physical sciences and from relevant engineering disciplines who wish to develop the skills necessary for a career in this field, either as industrial researchers, technical managers or academic researchers.

Read about what it takes to study for a Master's at UCL

What this course will give you

The London Centre for Nanotechnology (LCN) is a new UK-based multidisciplinary enterprise operating at the forefront of science and technology.

Forming a bridge between the physical and biomedical sciences, it brings together two of the world's leading institutions in nanotechnology, UCL (University College London) and Imperial College London.

The centre aims to provide leading-edge training in nanotechnology and students on this programme benefit from excellent new facilities, including a £14 million research building furnished with state-of-the art equipment, and a £1 million teaching facility in UCL Electronic & Electrical Engineering.

Read about what you'll get out of a graduate programme
Making an impact
UCL Portico building with welcome sign between columns.

Case study: The solar panel that you wear?

We are working on luminescent solar concentrators that could transform harnessing the power of the sun

The foundation of your career

This MSc programme provides a broad and comprehensive coverage of the technological and scientific foundations of nanotechnology, from the basis of the fabrication of nanostructures for advanced device applications, to fundamental quantum information and molecular biophysics, from nanotechnology in life science to nanotechnology in healthcare, and from experimental technology to theoretical modelling. Nanotechnology MSc graduates are expertly equipped either to pursue PhD study or become consultants or engineers in a wide range of nanotechnology fields.

This programme challenged me to take initiative, both in my academic studies and in shaping the direction of my Master’s journey at UCL.

Headshot of alumni student Luisa Schrempf

Luisa Schrempf

MSc Nanotechnology

Employability

Recent graduates have gone on to work as engineers for companies including EDF Energy and Intel, as analysts and consultants for firms including Standard Bank PLC and DN Capital, or to undertake PhD study at the Universities of Oxford, Bath and Glasgow.

Networking

The EEE department is conveniently located in the heart of London and has deep industry connections, providing unique and invaluable opportunities to students. We collaborate with world-leading industries across most of our Masters provision. During your time with EEE, you will gain an excellent understanding of applying theory to practice, in the form of guest lectures, invited seminars, site visits and placements as well as our world-renowned academic team bringing their own industry experience to the table.

Accreditation

Accredited by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) on behalf of the Engineering Council as meeting the requirements for Further Learning for registration as a Chartered Engineer. Candidates must hold a CEng accredited BEng/BSc (Hons) undergraduate first degree to comply with full CEng registration requirements.

Teaching and learning

The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, laboratory classes, tutorials and seminars.

Student performance is assessed through coursework, laboratory notebooks, case studies, written examination, a dissertation, and written and oral presentations.

The number of contact hours per week with academic staff will vary. But as a rough guideline students can expect 12 to 16 contact hours in a typical week, averaged across term, across all activities (lectures, labs, tutorials and workshops). In addition students will generally need to devote a similar amount of time each week to self-directed study (for instance reviewing taught material and completing coursework).

A Postgraduate Diploma (120 credits) is offered. The diploma consists of six core modules (75 credits) and three optional modules (45 credits).

Modules

The taught component of the programme consists of six compulsory modules (mostly in Term one) plus a selection of three optional modules that are chosen from from a list of nine (mostly in Term two). In addition, you will undertake an individual research project (mostly in Term three) in which you write a dissertation.

The taught component of the programme consists of six compulsory modules (mostly in Term one) plus a selection of three optional modules that are chosen from from a list of nine (mostly in Term two). In addition, you will undertake an individual research project (mostly in Term three) in which you write a dissertation.

Compulsory modules









Optional modules











Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability are subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded an MSc in Nanotechnology. Upon successful completion of 120 credits, you will be awarded a PG Dip in Nanotechnology.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble accessable.co.uk. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services team.

Where you'll study

Two students working at desk opposite each other in room filled with computer equipment and wires

UCL Electronic and Electrical Engineering’s facilities feature a variety of test equipment, including soldering stations, microscopes, and reflow ovens. Workstations offer test software, oscilloscopes, waveform generators, and digital multimeters. We provide 3D printers and a benchtop laser cutter for rapid prototyping of mechatronic designs. Our PCB Facility, staffed by experts, produces PCBs like RF, multilayer, and flexible circuits, using CNC machines, electroplating, laser ablation, and etching equipment. The department includes a computer lab and CPU/GPU servers. Research labs feature cleanrooms, nanoscale labs, quantum measurement labs, an anechoic chamber, and photonic and optical communication labs, supporting final-year projects and advanced research.

Find out more

Visit us

All open days and events

Online - Open day

Graduate Open Events: Electronic and Electrical Engineering (afternoon)

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Discover world-class postgraduate opportunities in UCL Electronic and Electrical Engineering. Join our online session to explore cutting-edge research, industry connections, and flexible study options. Hear from department leads, current students and alumni about our programmes and career prospects. You'll also learn about admissions, scholarships, and UCL's interdisciplinary approach. The two sessions - 12:00 noon and 17:00 (GMT) - are exactly the same and repeated for different time zones.

Online - Open day

Graduate Open Events: Electronic and Electrical Engineering (evening)

—

Discover world-class postgraduate opportunities in UCL Electronic and Electrical Engineering. Join our online session to explore cutting-edge research, industry connections, and flexible study options. Hear from department leads, current students and alumni about our programmes and career prospects. You'll also learn about admissions, scholarships, and UCL's interdisciplinary approach. The two sessions - 12:00 noon and 17:00 (GMT) - are exactly the same and repeated for different time zones.

Roberts Cafe, Roberts Engineering Building, Torrington Place, London WC1E 7JE - Open day

Graduate Open Events: UCL Faculty of Engineering Sciences

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At UCL Engineering, our graduates turn discoveries into solutions - improving medical treatments, housing, transportation, the products, processes and students we produce change the world. Visit us on campus and get your questions about postgraduate study at UCL answered by our leading academics, current students, and admissions advisors. You'll also take part in Bloomsbury campus tours, and enjoy department-specific demos, visits, taster lectures, and facility tours!

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time Part-time
Tuition fees (2024/25) £19,300 £9,650
Tuition fees (2024/25) £37,500 £18,750

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Fees for subsequent years may increase or otherwise vary. Where the programme is offered on a flexible/modular basis, fees are charged pro-rata to the appropriate full-time Master's fee taken in an academic session. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/students/fees.

Additional costs

The students are expected to have their own computer/laptop, in order to carry out independent study and any programming assignments.

For more information on additional costs for prospective students please go to our estimated cost of essential expenditure at Accommodation and living costs.

Funding your studies

The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) also awards competitive scholarships for postgraduate study, for details visit www.theiet.org

Please visit the UCL Electronic and Electrical Engineering Scholarships website for more information on funding.

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.

See all the ways you can fund your studies

Next steps

Students are advised to apply as early as possible due to competition for places. Those applying for scholarship funding (particularly overseas applicants) should take note of application deadlines.

There is an application processing fee for this programme of £90 for online applications and £115 for paper applications. Further information can be found at Application fees.

When we assess your application we would like to learn:

  • why you want to study Nanotechnology at graduate level
  • why you want to study Nanotechnology at UCL
  • what particularly attracts you to this programme
  • how your academic and professional background meets the demands of this programme
  • how you envisage your career path after the MSc.

Together with essential academic requirements, the personal statement is your opportunity to illustrate whether your reasons for applying to this programme match what the programme will deliver.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate programmes (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

Got questions? Get in touch

Electronic and Electrical Engineering
Electronic and Electrical Engineering

eee-msc-admin@ucl.ac.uk

UCL is regulated by the Office for Students.