Program Overview

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Overview of Nanoscience: Physical Sciences

The Nanoscience: Physical Sciences program is a four-year, full-time course that leads to a B.A. (Moderatorship) Honours Bachelor Degree (NFQ Level 8). The program is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of materials and devices at the nanoscale, with a focus on the design, synthesis, characterization, testing, and use of such materials and devices.

Course Details

• The program is offered by the Schools of Chemistry and Physics at Trinity College Dublin.
• The CAO code for the program is TR063, and the CAO points required for admission are 521 (2024).
• The program is strongly linked to the CRANN nanoscience institute, where Trinity is the major center of nanoscience research in Ireland.

What is Nanoscience?

Nanoscience is the study of materials and devices at the nanoscale (<100 nm), a scale at which many exotic properties and behaviors come to the fore, leading to applications including advanced catalysis, biomedical imaging, batteries, and solar cells among many others.

Nanoscience: The Course for You?

The Nanoscience program brings together aspects of chemistry and physics directed towards the study, design, production, and use of materials and devices at the cutting edge of technologies in areas such as energy conversion and storage, photonics, medical diagnostics, ultra-fast electronics, and industries such as electronics, telecommunications, healthcare, and aerospace.

Nanoscience at Trinity

The Nanoscience degree is a specialized program run by the Schools of Chemistry and Physics, entered either through Chemical Sciences (TR061) or Physical Sciences (TR063) entry pathways. All lecturers run research laboratories studying, for example, nanomaterials, two-dimensional materials, nanoparticle synthesis, nanomagnetism, novel materials, fundamental and computational nanoscience, batteries, and energy materials.

Graduate Skills and Career Opportunities

As a Nanoscience graduate, you will have wide-ranging scientific and analytical skills, giving you the qualifications to work in any Chemistry or Physics career. Many graduates use their advanced skills to pursue research careers in Trinity or in other prestigious universities worldwide, while this expertise can also lead to employment in high-tech industries, financial services, information technology, or as a data scientist.

Your Degree and What You’ll Study

In the first two years of the Science program, undergraduates will study common subjects in chemistry, biology, and physics.

Third Year

In the third year, you will study the physics of quantum systems and electromagnetism, the chemistry and physics of solid-state materials and condensed matter, as well as analytical and computational methods in chemistry. You may further specialize in areas such as semiconductor physics or polymer chemistry.

Fourth Year

In the fourth year, you will take advanced courses in materials chemistry and nanoscience, as well as further develop your problem-solving skills through small group tutorials. You will have the opportunity to specialize further with in-depth courses in areas such as magnetism and superconductivity, modern optics, energy science, or computational chemistry.

Study Abroad and Internship Opportunities

You may undertake your fourth-year Capstone project at a research institute or university in the EU or further afield, provided you attain a sufficient standard in the third-year examinations. Recent examples of laboratories where projects have taken place include the IMEC micro- and nano-electronics research center in Leuven, Belgium; The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California; the University of Alberta, Canada, the University of Wollongong, Australia, and the University of Potsdam in Germany.

Admission Requirements

To see admissions requirements for this course, view the main Physical Sciences course page.

English Language Requirements

All applicants to Trinity are required to provide official evidence of proficiency in the English language. Applicants to this course are required to meet Band B (Standard Entry) English language requirements.

Course Fees

For a full list of undergraduate fees, click on the relevant link.

Register Your Interest

Register your interest in studying at Ireland’s leading university, Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin.