Masters Degrees (Biophotonics)

The course’s aim is to prepare physical scientists, life scientists and engineers to work in the rapidly expanding disciplines of biophotonics and imaging. For those with a background in the Biological Sciences, emphasis will be placed on the quantitative methods that now play a crucial role in the development of biology.

Students with previous experience in engineering or physics will be tutored in the challenges of working at the interface with biology.
In addition to a sound knowledge of interdisciplinary science, students will develop:
key skills enabling them to communicate with researchers in
other disciplines
the ability to plan and undertake an individual project
interpersonal, communication and professional skills
the ability to communicate ideas effectively in written reports
project management skills in relation to the scientific and
technological aspects of the subject, including design, data collection and analysis
critical and decision making skills

This masters course is taught on a full-time basis over one year and consists of 60 credits of taught modules and a 120 credit
independent research project. The individual research project is taken over the full year with guidance from an academic member of staff.

A previous research project on this course has been:
Towards single photon detection with a practical EMCD

Scholarship information can be found at http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/graduateschool/funding/index.aspx

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Why this course?

The course explores the versatile field of optical technologies which supports many aspects of modern society. Optical technologies are expected to be a key enabling technology of the 21st century.

The course is based on the strong record of optical technologies across research divisions in the department of physics and the collaborating institutions:

• Optics Division (Physics)
• Plasma Division (Physics)
• Nanoscience Division (Physics)
• Institute of Photonics
• Centre for Biophotonics
• Department of Electronic & Electrical Engineering

You can choose classes relevant to your career interests from a wide range of topics including:

• photonics and photonic materials
• nanosciences
• optics at the physics-life sciences interface
• laser-based plasma physics
• quantum optics and quantum information technology

You’ll put the knowledge gained in the taught components to use in a cutting-edge research project.

The course gives you the opportunity of exploring and mastering a large range of optical technologies. It enables you to put devices in the context of an optical system and/or application.

Who’s the course suitable for?

It’s suitable for those with a science or engineering background wanting to gain a vocational degree or to obtain a solid foundation for an optics-related PhD programme.

It’s also appropriate for those who’ve worked in industry and want to consolidate their future career by further academic studies.

You’ll study

The course consists of two semesters of taught classes followed by a three- month research project.

Facilities

This course is run by the Department of Physics. The department’s facilities include:

• well-equipped optical labs for semiconductor photonics, semiconductor spectroscopy and fluorescence lifetime analysis.
• the Ultrafast Chemical Physics lab with state-of-the-art femtosecond laser systems for multi-dimensional IR spectroscopy
• cutting edge high power laser research with SCAPA, the highest power laser in a UK university
• a scanning electron microscopy suite for analysis of hard and soft matter
• access to top-of-the-range high-performance computer facilities
• industry standard cleanroom in the Institute of Photonics

Learning & teaching

Our teaching is based on lectures, tutorials, workshops, laboratory experiments, and research projects.

Assessment

The assessment includes written examinations, coursework, presentations and a talk, oral examination and report presenting and defending the research project.

Careers

The course gives you a thorough basis for a successful job in the photonics, optical and life sciences industries. It provides the basis to excel in more interesting and challenging posts.

The course can also be an entry route into an optics-related PhD programme.

Over the years, many of Strathclyde’s optics and photonics graduates have found successful employment at the large variety of local laser and optics companies as well as with national and international corporations.

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Three universities and one photonics research institute in the BARCELONA area offer a comprehensive master's degree in PHOTONICS, the science and technology of LIGHT. PHOTONICS is one of the disciplines that will play a key role in the technology development of the 21st century. The Master in Photonics - PHOTONICS BCN aims at educating future researchers in this field and also promoting entrepreneurial activity in PHOTONICS amongst its students. Addressed to an international audience, the Master in Photonics is conducted in English.

Professional opportunities

 The particular fields that students may be employed in once they graduate are proliferating, given the interdisciplinary nature and increasing relevance of photonics, which has been selected as one of five Key Enabling Technologies for the future of the European Union. The master’s degree in Photonics complements bachelor’s degrees in the sciences (particularly physics) and engineering (particularly engineering physics, telecommunications engineering, electrical, mechanical and electronic engineering and optics, as well as related fields such as nanophotonics and bioengineering) and provides broader and more specific training on scientific advances and interdisciplinary technologies. Career prospects may include the following:

• Taking a doctoral degree in Photonics, Optics, Physics, Optical Engineering, Nanophotonics, Biophotonics, Telecommunications, Electronics, Imaging, Quantum Information, etc.

• Participating in doctoral programmes, R&D and innovation programmes in companies, basic or applied research centers and universities.

• Joining a large company as a consultant or engineer on photonics-related topics, applications development engineer, sales specialist or laboratory consultant.

• Working as a freelance advisor or consultant on photonics-related subjects.

• Working in highly specialized technical positions for controlling services such as microscopy, X-ray diffraction, thin films, etc.

• Participating in (and promoting) spin-offs and other small technology-based companies.

• Joining the education system for high-level training in the field of photonics.

Competencies

Generic competencies

Generic competencies are the skills that graduates acquire regardless of the specific course or field of study. The generic competencies established by the UPC are capacity for innovation and entrepreneurship, sustainability and social commitment, knowledge of a foreign language (preferably English), teamwork and proper use of information resources.

Specific competencies

• An understanding of the physical principles of optics and light-matter interaction, at classical and quantum levels.
• The ability to perform basic experiments in photonics and to analyse and understand advanced experiments and calculations in the fields chosen by the student.
• An understanding of laser physics and knowledge of the variety of laser types and main related applications.
• Knowledge of the fundamentals of image formation, light propagation through different media and Fourier optics.
• An understanding of the main concepts, underlying phenomena and most recent applications in the optional subjects chosen by students (quantum optics, biophotonics and imaging, nanophotonics, telecommunications, optical engineering, etc.).
• The ability to deal with an advanced research problem in photonics from start to finish, i.e., from conceptual planning and bibliographic research to the oral and written communication of the results, according to the procedures and conventions of scientific presentations in English.
• The ability to understand optical engineering as an economic and business activity and to take into account social, ethical and sustainability aspects.
• An awareness of the importance of patents and the ability to understand and write a patent in the field of photonics. 

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The Nanoscale Engineering master is a two-year program corresponding to 120 ECTS credits. Students receive a universal and profound training in physics, materials science and electronics at the nanoscale, but also in nanobiotechnology.

Elective courses can be followed by the students in their desired area of specialization and/or to broaden their horizons. The entire curriculum is taught in English.

A key educational concept of the program is that each student is immersed in a high-quality research environment for at least half of the time in the curriculum. Throughout the academic year, lab practicals and projects are carried out in research institutions that participate in the program, and thesis projects are undertaken in research laboratories or in nanotechnology companies.

In addition to the scientific and technological aspects, ethical issues and the societal impact of nanotechnology, as well as business considerations, are addressed in specialized seminars and courses.

Structure of the Curriculum

First Year (60 ECTS)

The major part of semester 1 is dedicated to lectures: The students follow 7 courses from the core modules and 2 elective modules. Laboratory practicals and mini-projects ensure a smooth transition into semester 2 with its four-month internship in a research group. This internship is prepared in semester 1 already with a dedicated literature survey. Seminars of speakers from both academia and industry complement the educational program throughout the entire first year.

Second Year (60 ECTS)

Semester 3 is again dedicated to lectures, featuring 5 slots for core modules and 3 for electives, as well as some ancillary courses. The entirety of semester 4 is taken up by the six-month Master thesis project, which can be conducted in a research laboratory or in a company, in France or abroad. As in the first year, seminars of speakers from both academia and industry complement the educational program.

Modules and Courses

Core Modules

These courses impart the fundamental knowledge in the nanotechnology field applied to physics, electronics, optics, materials science and biotechnology. Students are required to follow at least twelve core module courses during the two-year program.

Core modules in the first year There are four obligatory core modules in the first year:

Introduction to Nanoscale Engineering
Micro- and Nanofabrication, part 1
Characterization Tools for Nanostructures
Quantum Engineering

Furthermore, there is a remedial physics course to which students are assigned based on the results of a physics test at the beginning of semester 1:

Basics of Physics

Finally, students have to select a minimum of three courses from the following list for their first year:

Solid State Physics at the Nanoscale
Continuum Mechanics
Physics of Semiconductors, part 1
Physical Chemistry and Molecular Interactions
Biomolecules, Cells, and Biomimetic Systems

Core modules in the second year Students have to choose at least four courses from the following selection for their second year:

Nano-Optics and Biophotonics
Surface-Analysis Techniques
Physics of Semiconductors, part 2
Micro- and Nanofluidics
Micro- and Nanofabrication, part 2
Biosensors and Biochips
Computer Modeling of Nanoscale Systems

Elective Modules

These courses cover a wide range of nanotechnology-related disciplines and thus allow the students to specialize according to their preferences as well as to broaden their expertise. Elective modules in the first year Three courses from the following list have to be chosen for the first year:

Nanomechanics
MEMS and NEMS
Introduction to System Design
Drug-Delivery Systems

Elective modules in the second year Students follow a minimum of three courses from the following selection in the second year:

Multi-Domain System Integration
Solar Cells and Photovoltaics
Nanomagnetism and Spintronics
Nanoelectronics
Tissue and Cell Engineering

Experimental Modules

Students conduct lab practicals that are integrated into the various courses, during which they familiarize themselves hands-on with all standard techniques for fabrication and characterization of nanostructures. They furthermore have the opportunity to work more independently on individual or group projects.

Ancillary Courses and Seminars

This module deals with complementary know-how, relevant both for academia and in an industrial environment. Students follow a course on intellectual-property issues. Ethical aspects and the societal impact of nanotechnology are covered in specialized seminars, which also allow for networking with national and international nanotechnology companies and research laboratories. Communication skills are likewise developed through written and oral presentations of all experimental work that is carried out during the Master program.

Internship

In the second semester, students conduct two-month internships in two of the research laboratories participating in the program. The students choose their projects and come into contact with their host laboratories earlier in the academic year already, by spending some time in these laboratories to carry out an extensive literature survey and to prepare their research projects under the guidance of their supervisors.

Master Thesis Project

The final six-month period of the program is devoted to the master project, which can be carried out either in an academic research laboratory or in an industrial environment. Students have the option to conduct their thesis project anywhere in France or abroad.

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Research profile

The Institute for Integrated Micro and Nano Systems (IMNS) brings together researchers from integrated-circuit design, system-on-chip design, image-sensor design, bioelectronics, micro/nano-fabrication, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), micromachining, neural computation and reconfigurable and adaptive computing.

Research interests include low-level analogue, low-power, adaptive and bio-inspired approaches, system-on-chip computing and applications from telecommunications to finance and astronomy. There is also a research focus on integrating CMOS microelectronic technology with sensors and microsystems/MEMS to create smart sensor systems. We also have a strong and growing interest in applications relating to life sciences and medicine, with particular focus on bioelectronics, biophotonics and bio-MEMS.

IMNS has laboratory facilities that are unique within the UK, including an advanced silicon and MEMS micro-fabrication capability coupled with substantial design and test resources. The Institute has an excellent reputation for commercialising technology.

Training and support

The development of transferable skills is a vital part of postgraduate training and a vibrant, interdisciplinary training programme is offered to all research students by the University’s Institute for Academic Development (IAD). The programme concentrates on the professional development of postgraduates, providing courses directly linked to postgraduate study.

Courses run by the IAD are free and have been designed to be as flexible as possible so that you can tailor the content and timing to your own requirements.

Our researchers are strongly encouraged to present their research at conferences and in journal during the course of their PhD.

Every year, the Graduate School organises a Postgraduate Research Conference to showcase the research carried out by students across the Research Institutes

Our researchers are also encouraged and supported to attend transferable skills courses provided by organisations such as the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

Masters by Research

An MSc by Research is based on a research project tailored to a candidate’s interests. It lasts one year full time or two years part time. The project can be a shorter alternative to an MPhil or PhD, or a precursor to either – including the option of an MSc project expanding into MPhil or doctorate work as it evolves. It can also be a mechanism for industry to collaborate with the School.

Facilities

The Institute has laboratory facilities that are unique within the UK, including a comprehensive silicon and MEMS micro-fabrication capability coupled with substantial design and test resources.

The Institute has an excellent reputation for commercialising technology.

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