- #1
electrophile
- 5
- 0
Hi all,
The first few paragraphs are background about me. If you don’t want to read this, please skip it and answer my questions at the bottom.
I’m a nanotechnology engineering student at the University of Waterloo. Over the past two years of my studies (I’ve finished 2B,) I’ve found that the program will provide practically no job prospects after graduation. Being at the early stages of its development, nano does not yet have an industry. It is, however, a hot topic in academia. Quite often, it’s a buzzword being thrown around in academia to make the works innovative and cutting edge (perhaps more so than it really is.) In terms of the program contents, nano seems to be lacking direction as there are chemical, materials, physics and electrical courses being taught, but at an introductory level.
My plan has always been to do graduate studies in prestigious US universities (MIT, Stanford, Berkeley, etc.). I don’t know how I will fare against other applicants in fourth year but I’m keeping my grades up and trying to get as much research experience as I possibly can in my undergrad. From what I hear, UW nano seems to be attracting a lot of attention from top graduate schools in the US since it’s a hot topic and there is a lot of “nano” research going on. This implies I will have a good shot with grad school if I stay in nano.
For the past little while, I have been planning on switching out of nano and into electrical engineering and perhaps doing a physics option on the side. This will cause me to fall two terms behind but in my opinion will get me a good background of the field I want to go into. I don’t like the chemistry and materials implications of nano and am more interested in the electronics and physics side. The only advantage of staying in nano, as I see it, would be its grad school prospects.
I have a few questions and I would appreciate it if you answered any of them:
1. Does a degree in nanotechnology work better for graduate school admissions or would I be able to get in with an EE degree and a physics option with the same grades and research experience?
2. With nano, I will have very little knowledge of EE. Without these fundamentals, would I be able to pursue general ECE (circuit design, vlsi, etc) in a masters or PhD or will I be restricted to nanoelectronics and semiconductor topics?
3. I’m trying to avoid a career in academia as it’s not very financially rewarding and there is very little chance of becoming a professor or a rockstar researcher. Will an undergrad degree in nano take me in this direction regardless of my graduate degree?
4. In general once one obtains a master’s or PhD, will the undergrad degree still be a factor in finding a job?
I’d greatly appreciate your responses.
The first few paragraphs are background about me. If you don’t want to read this, please skip it and answer my questions at the bottom.
I’m a nanotechnology engineering student at the University of Waterloo. Over the past two years of my studies (I’ve finished 2B,) I’ve found that the program will provide practically no job prospects after graduation. Being at the early stages of its development, nano does not yet have an industry. It is, however, a hot topic in academia. Quite often, it’s a buzzword being thrown around in academia to make the works innovative and cutting edge (perhaps more so than it really is.) In terms of the program contents, nano seems to be lacking direction as there are chemical, materials, physics and electrical courses being taught, but at an introductory level.
My plan has always been to do graduate studies in prestigious US universities (MIT, Stanford, Berkeley, etc.). I don’t know how I will fare against other applicants in fourth year but I’m keeping my grades up and trying to get as much research experience as I possibly can in my undergrad. From what I hear, UW nano seems to be attracting a lot of attention from top graduate schools in the US since it’s a hot topic and there is a lot of “nano” research going on. This implies I will have a good shot with grad school if I stay in nano.
For the past little while, I have been planning on switching out of nano and into electrical engineering and perhaps doing a physics option on the side. This will cause me to fall two terms behind but in my opinion will get me a good background of the field I want to go into. I don’t like the chemistry and materials implications of nano and am more interested in the electronics and physics side. The only advantage of staying in nano, as I see it, would be its grad school prospects.
I have a few questions and I would appreciate it if you answered any of them:
1. Does a degree in nanotechnology work better for graduate school admissions or would I be able to get in with an EE degree and a physics option with the same grades and research experience?
2. With nano, I will have very little knowledge of EE. Without these fundamentals, would I be able to pursue general ECE (circuit design, vlsi, etc) in a masters or PhD or will I be restricted to nanoelectronics and semiconductor topics?
3. I’m trying to avoid a career in academia as it’s not very financially rewarding and there is very little chance of becoming a professor or a rockstar researcher. Will an undergrad degree in nano take me in this direction regardless of my graduate degree?
4. In general once one obtains a master’s or PhD, will the undergrad degree still be a factor in finding a job?
I’d greatly appreciate your responses.