In each of the areas of specialisation, the program involves a minimum of 60 credits. This program comprises :
- a core curriculum of 30 credits consisting of
. a research work (thesis) carried out in a laboratory of one of the six institutions organising the Master’s (27 credits)
. interdisciplinary seminars and an individual assignment (3 credits) : students follow seminars common to the various streams and do an assignment on some interdisciplinary themes such as ethics, enonomic perspectives, applications of nanotechnology, toxicity of nanomaterials ... ; these seminars are organised in turn by the program partners in the form of thematic days ; the interdisciplinary seminars are compulsory for all the streams and involve all the Master’s students.
- specialised training (8 to 15 credits) made up of four basic courses in each of the four disciplines (basic phenomena, nanomanufacturing or nanosynthesis, characterisation of nanostructures and simulation at the nano level) : several basic courses are offered for each of the disciplines, in each of the areas of specialisation, adapted to the previous knowledge of the students ; students will be obliged to choose at least one course in each of the four disciplines
- options in the form of electives (15 to 22 credits)
. in function of their previous studies, students will be able to take general courses (maximum 9 credits), in particular in the chemistry and physics of solids, the chemistry and physics of macromolecules, biochemistry and biophysics ...
. students will specialise in one of the five research or application areas while following specialised courses ; they will devise a multidisciplinary training program in function of the topic of their research work.
Within the area of specialisation, students will, with the assistance of an adviser, devise a coherent program which is adapted to their previous knowledge. With the agreement of their adviser, it is possible to take electives outside the area of specialisation, even out of the Master’s program. If during their previous studies students have already taken a particular course or one deemed equivalent, they cannot include this in their program.
Whatever the area of specialisation, the program will comprise a minimum of 60 credits. It may be raised to 75 credits if intensive upgrading courses are considered necessary by the committee responsible for the program in function of the student’s previous studies (see admission conditions). The program thus constituted will be submitted for approval to the inter-academic committee responsible for the Master’s.