Approximately 2 million engineers and scientists will be needed worldwide in the field of nanotechnology within the next decade.[1] The growing number of nanomaterials and –technology related articles in both the public sector and in the scientific literature exemplifies the expanding interest in the field and the need for a mature perspective amongst young scientist, engineers and the general public. Exposure of students at all levels in Science and Engineering as well as non-Science and non-Engineering majors is needed to prepare the US for interdisciplinary nature of nanotechnology.

A team of 13 professors from Chemistry, Physics, Biomedical, Chemical, Electrical, and Mechanical Engineering have created a coherent modular nanomaterials course that reflects the interdisciplinary nature of nanomaterials science. The course has been taught for the first time in the spring of 2007. The course is offered through the chemical engineering department and has been able to draw students from different disciplines. The course content has been implemented in such a way that the modules can be used as lecture material in courses from each of the participating disciplines. Additionally, we have assembled a speaker forum of industrial partners to provide the outside experience part of the course.

We will present an overview of the nanomaterials course structure and will describe the course development strategy the group has applied.

[1] Roco, M. C. "Converging Science and Technology at the Nanoscale: Opportunities for Education and Training" Nature Biotech. 2003, 21, 1247-1249.