Are There Flexible Graduate Programs for Nanofabrication Research?

[Pounder]

Hi all,

I was wondering if you had any advice as to "flexible" graduate programs that have do nanofabrication research. Nanofabrication doesn't fit neatly into the physics or engineering categories, so I would like to find a program that is flexible enough to allow me to perhaps do physics-related research in other departments that perhaps have better resources in that area than the physics department, while staying in the physics department. For example, one program that appeals to me is the Applied Physics program at Rice University (http://rqi.rice.edu/academics/graduate/graduate.php).

I imagine that most physics departments would try to do something like this, for the sake of "inter-departmental collaboration", but are do you know of any departments with programs that have this special emphasis?

Thanks!

 

[DEvens]

Depends what you mean by "flexible." Most schools have a variety of requirements for a degree such as a certain amount of time on campus, class work, research, a thesis, etc. And to do research in a given topic as a student will almost certainly require you to fit into some profs research program.

First find schools where the profs do work on your interest. The following website might help.

http://arxiv.org/

Google up possible schools and see what their course calendars look like. Profs will often give helpful advice over email to prospective students. Find out if they have the "flexible" nature you are looking for. Find out if they have space for you in the time you are interested in joining. If a prof already has nine students you probably don't want to be number ten.