<p>I've been looking at Waterloo's Nanotechnology Engineering program and it seems really interesting. But i have one concern: how do the job prospects look? The last thing I want is to waste 4-5years in a program which won't get a me a job. Any help would be greatly appreciated!!</p>
<p>I have heard that prospects are better for the traditional engineering majors at Waterloo.</p>
<p>Like chemical or electrical?
Yeah, they have been around for longer and they are not so much in the research-state as nanoengineering.</p>
<p>Yeah nanotechnology is still mostly about research jobs. If you think its what to do however take a look at materials science or materials engineering degrees which are broader in that area. </p>
<p>But honestly id recommend going to a school where you have an open first year…check out queens or uoft’s trackone. A lot of people change there mind first year about what they would like to study.</p>
<p>Nanotechnology really isn’t quite what you probably think it is. It’s a small field that’s advancing at a standard but not explosive rate. It’s not just waiting for a breakthrough; there’s just barely anything there to work with save for the basics. While it has promise, it’s not explosive and worthy of the hype it gets.
If you still want to work with it, go into a MatSciE or a ChemE program, depending on your specific interests.</p>
<p>What are your opinions on other engineering programs; specifically materials engineering and chemical engineering. Are the job prospects better? Will it be easier to find a job?</p>
<p>They’re both relatively small fields, but you’ll be able to find work. Prospects may or may not be greater with a graduate degree, so keep that in mind as you advance through the major.
MatSciE deals with the properties of materials and how to optimize their function, often focusing on the microscopic/macroscopic relationship. ChemE deals with large scale production of useful products through the use of chemistry.
If you’re still interested in nanotech, materials science is probably the way to go. You’ll definitely work on them.
ChemE is a bit more rigorous and further removed from what it seems like you want to do. It’s a pain of a major if you’re not really into it and unless you have a deep-seated love for chemistry, it would probably end up being quite miserable.</p>
<p>If you want to be safe with your engineering degree, go with EE or ChemE for undergrad, as the odd you will land a job with those 2 majors is much better than with nano right out of bachelor. Nanotech is more like a research field, hence suitable as a grad concentration. Some of my friends were electrical engineering major, and they are doing research about nanotechnology for their MS.</p>
<p>Yes, I also believe that nanotechnology will allow us to explore fields we have never been able to explore before. I’m just curious to know if I will get a decent job with just an undergrad degree. I’m sure that there is a lot of research-related jobs for this field</p>
<p>There are certainly good nano opportunities in grad school, but it’s definitely not a good major, just a field of worth.
Current nanotechnology is just not anywhere close to our sci-fi expectations. One prominent project I’ve heard of just a few years ago involved augmenting materials with nanoparticles in order to make them more durable, a process similar to creating steel out of iron. It has value, but it’s just not the type of thing you really imagine when you’re thinking nanotechnology. Frankly, it’s downright primitive compared to nanobots and the like.
We may think that we’re close to sci-fi with nanotech, but the reality is, we’re just laying down the groundwork. It’s not one step from a breakthrough, it’s just something that will take time to advance.</p>