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Nanoscience & Molecular Engineering Option

The Nanoscience and Molecular Engineering (NME) Option offers a discipline-tailored curriculum in Nanoscience and Molecular Engineering to a variety of majors in departments of the College of Engineering and the College of Arts and Sciences. The degree option introduces students to nanoscale principles in molecular engineering, provides hands-on experience and stresses the interdisciplinary aspects of this field.

NME Option admission

Students admitted by direct admission or early admission can declare the option after they complete NME 220. To declare the option, students need to complete a Change of Major form with the academic adviser. Students applying for upper admission or junior standing in the MSE degree program should declare their desire to complete the option when they apply to MSE.

NME Option requirements

Students complete all MSE degree requirements except the 15 credit Technical Elective requirement. In place of the 15 credit Technical Elective requirement, NME Option students complete the 19 credit NME Core and Elective Requirements below.

Students who complete the MSE NME requirements, will graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Materials Science and Engineering (Nanoscience & Molecular Engineering Option).

NME core (4 credits)

Course #Course NameCredits
NME 220*Introduction to Molecular and Nanoscale Principles4

*NME 220 must be taken in the spring of the sophomore or junior year.

NME electives (15 credits required)

PLEASE NOTE: Quarter offerings listed are from the UW Catalog and are subject to change (might not be offered, might be offered in a different quarter)

Course #Course NameCredits
BIOEN 423Introduction to Synthetic Biology (offered A) (Prereq MATH 207 or MATH 307 and MATH 208 or MATH 308)3
BIOEN/CHEM E 490Engineering Materials for Biomedical Applications (offered A)3
BIOEN/CHEM E 491Controlled-Release Systems (offered W)3
BIOEN 492/CHEM E 458Surface Analysis (offered Sp)3
CHEM E 523Seminar in Chemical Engineering1
EE 485Introduction to Phototonics (offering vary per year)4
ENGR 321Internship Class (maximum of 4 credits allowed towards degree)1-2
ME 410Nanodevices: Design and Manufacture (Offered A) (open to non ME majors during Period 2 registration)3
MOLENG 520/CHEM 597Seminar in Molecular Engineering1
MOLENG 535Seminar in Clean Energy (offered AWSp)1-10
MSE 452Functional Properties of Materials II (offered W)3
MSE 462Mechanical Behavior of Materials II (offered Sp)3
MSE 471Introduction to Polymer Science and Engineering (offered A)3
MSE 473Noncrystalline State (offered Sp) [not offered recently]3
MSE 474Nanocomposite Materials3
MSE 475Intro to Composite Materials (offered A)3
MSE 476Introduction to Optoelectronic Materials (Offered A)3
MSE 481Science and Technology of Nanostructures (offered W) [Not offered recently]3
MSE 482Biomaterials and Nanomaterials in Tissue Engineering3
MSE 483Nanomedicine3
MSE 484/CHEM 484Electronic and Optoelectronic Polymers (offered A and Sp) (Prereq. CHEM 455)3
MSE 486/ EE 486Fundamentals of Integrated Circuit Technology (offered various quarters)3
MSE 498- selected onesMSE Special Topics (Only as announced by Advisor)3-4
NME 498Selected NME Special Topics3-4
MSE 502Sol-Gel Processing (Offered A, Odd years)3
MSE 520Seminar in Materials Science & Engineering1
MSE 560Organic Electronic and Photonic Materials/Polymers (offered W)3