Nanoscience and Nanoengineering, Ph.D.

Contact Information

Dr. Steve Smith
Nanoscience and Nanoengineering
(605) 394-5268
E-mail: Steve.Smith@sdsmt.edu
http://nano.sdsmt.edu

Advisory Council

Professors Salem and Smith (Chair); Miller Professor Whites; Associate Professors Ahrenkiel, Anagnoustou, Cross, Fong, Yang, and Zhu; Research Faculty Hong; Dean Wells (ex-officio)

Nanoscience and Nanoengineering

The Nano Science and Engineering Ph.D. (Nano SE Ph.D.) Program at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology is an interdisciplinary Ph.D. program focusing on the science and engineering of nanomaterials. The goal of nanoscience and nanotechnology is to manipulate matter at the atomic and “nano” length scales (dimensions from a few to 100’s of atomic radii), e.g. the molecular to mesoscopic levels, where new materials and phenomena have been discovered. The ability to engineer systems at these length scales will require professionals with a broad understanding of fundamental principles and the ability to cross-over into other fields. The nano program provides the training to allow scientists and engineers to address these challenges, and the opportunity for students to engage in such research at the School of Mines while pursuing the Ph.D.

The Nano SE Ph.D. program offers a research-intensive degree focused on nanoscience and nanotechnology, with an emphasis on nano-scale materials. A multi-disciplinary core curriculum is taken by students from diverse science and engineering backgrounds. These “core” courses are intended to introduce students to contemporary topics in nanoscience and nanotechnology, and to initiate a cross-disciplinary approach to research and learning. These courses can usually be completed in one, or at most two years. In addition to this core, students entering with an M.S. degree are required to take at least two electives outside the student’s traditional area of training. Students entering at the B.S. level will be expected to pursue, or take coursework equivalent to, an M.S. degree, in addition to the nano core curriculum.

Students from traditional science and engineering backgrounds enter the program with well-defined research interests and affiliate themselves with a research group and a faculty mentor. Current nano program participants draw from the Departments of Chemistry and Physics, and Chemical, Electrical, Materials and Metallurgical, and Mechanical Engineering. Students with traditional training in these areas participate in cross-disciplinary research with a nano focus. Examples of active research areas are: synthesis and characterization of nanocomposite materials, photo-activated nano-inks for direct write applications, nano-energetic materials, polymer chemistry, theory of spintronic devices, and structural and optical characterization of nano-materials for solar energy, bio-fuels and other forms of renewable energy.

The Nano SE Ph.D. program builds on traditional science and engineering disciplines, and offers a “core” curriculum which introduces students from varying science and engineering backgrounds to contemporary topics in nanoscience and nanotechnology. Students are expected to obtain graduate level training in a traditional discipline, designated as the “program major emphasis”, and take a minimum of 6 elective credits outside their own area. Students entering the program with an M.S. may apply up to 24 transfer credits toward fulfilling the program major emphasis requirements. More information is available in the Nano SE Ph.D. Program Handbook.

Students with an M.S. degree in science or engineering are eligible for admission. However, students with a B.S. degree only will also be considered for admission when the student has proven to possess exceptional qualifications. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE), three letters of recommendation, and a GPA of 3.00 or better are required of all applicants for the Ph.D. program. The TOEFL exam is required for students whose native language is not English.

All candidates for the Ph.D. program are required to successfully complete the following minimum credits and earn a grade of “C” or better, except for a final grade of “S” in NANO 898:

The program of study must be filed with the graduate office , and approved by the Nano SE Ph.D. program director before midterm of the second semester of residence, and again before the qualifying exam. Below is the summary of the required course of study.

Requirements

NANO 701 Nano Materials Credits: (3-0) 3
NANO 702 Theory and Application of Nanoscale Materials Credits: (3-0) 3
NANO 703/703L Instrumentation and Characterization of Nano-Materials/Lab Credits: (3-1) 4
¹ NANO 890 Seminar Credits: (1-0) 1
Program Major Emphasis Credits: 27-37
Dissertation Research Credits: 30-40

Total: 80

Curriculum Notes

¹Course taken three times for a total of 3 credits.

General Program Requirements

(Minimum program requirements: (80 credits)

M.S. Degree (24 credits)

Students entering the Ph.D. program with a previous M.S. degree in a relevant discipline are allowed to apply a maximum of 24 semester course credit hours toward the course credit requirements subject to approval of the Dean of Graduate Education.

The following is a list of electives for each focus area of the program. Graduate level courses which serve the needs of our other graduate programs are also available as electives.

NANO 445/545 Introduction to Nanomaterials Credits: (3-0) 3
NANO 504 Nanophotonics Credits: (3-0) 3
NANO 604 Nanophotonic Materials Credits: (3-0) 3
NANO 716 Printed Electronics: Materials and Processes Credits: (3-0) 3
NANO 704 Crystallography and Structure of Nanomaterials Credits: (3-0) 3
NANO 705 Nanoelectronics Credits: (3-0) 3
NANO 706 Diffraction Methods for Nanomaterials Research Credits: (3-0) 3
NANO 707 Defects in Nanomaterials Credits: (3-0) 3
NANO 708 Nanomaterials for Photovoltaics Credits: (3-0) 3
NANO 712/712L Electromagnetic Properties of Heterogeneous Materials/Lab Credits: (2-1) 3
NANO 715 Polymeric Nanomaterials Credits: (3-0) 3
NANO 717 Nanochemistry Credits: (3-0) 3
NANO 791 Independent Study Credits: 1 to 3
NANO 792 Topics Credits: 1 to 3
MES 601 Fundamentals of Materials Engineering Credits: (4-0) 4
MES 603 Condensed Matter Physics Credits: (4-0) 4
MES 604 Chemistry of Materials Credits: (4-0) 4
ME 612 Transport Phenomena: Momentum Credits: (3-0) 3 OR
CBE 612 Transport Phenomena: Momentum Credits: (3-0) 3
ME 613 Transport Phenomena: Heat Credits: (3-0) 3 OR
CBE 613 Transport Phenomena: Heat Credits: (3-0) 3
CBE 714 Transport Phenomena: Mass Credits: (3-0) 3
PHYS 721 Electrodynamics I Credits: (3-0) 3
PHYS 743 Statistical Mechanics Credits: (3-0) 3
PHYS 771 Quantum Mechanics I Credits: (3-0) 3
PHYS 773 Quantum Mechanics II Credits: (3-0) 3
MES 712 Interfacial Phenomena Credits: (3-0) 3
MES 713 Advanced Solid Mechanics I Credits: (3-0) 3
MES 728 Heterogeneous Kinetics Credits: (3-0) 3
MES 770 Continuum Mechanics Credits: (3-0) 3

Additional Information

For program supervision purposes, the nano SE Ph.D. program director is the graduate advisor until the major professor is appointed. The major professor is responsible for the student‘s dissertation research. The graduate office representative on the student‘s dissertation committee must be selected from outside of the department with which the major professor is affiliated, and should also be a member of the Nano Ph.D. Advisory Council. It is not necessary that the student be associated with the department of affiliation of his or her major professor. Detailed information on examination policy, admission to candidacy, and defense of dissertation are included in the School of Mines nano science and engineering Ph.D. Program Handbook.