Educating the undergraduate nanomanufacturing workforce in the United States

The National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) consensus shows that nanomanufacturing (NM) presents an opportunity for positively influencing the future development of the US economy. In order for this to happen, the outcomes and findings of nano-related research and science need to be effectively translated into innovative products by a qualified NM workforce. An effective workforce capable of handling nanoscale production is also essential to maintaining a competitive advantage in the international market. American universities are developing new ways to address the challenges that the evolution of NM and its emerging use in various industries present in terms of curricular design to the learning content. This study offered a proactive profile of a learning content for a standalone BS in NM in the United States. A BS in NM is defined as a bachelor of science that uses the term NM in a formal degree title. This delineation study aimed at validating and prioritizing the competency areas to be included in the learning content for a standalone BS in NM. The Delphi technique was employed to evaluate the collected data from nano-related programs in five US pioneering universities and to describe what experts from the industry and the academia consider to be important for students to know in order to become qualified in the discipline of NM. A number of experts from different NM-related areas were selected to serve on the Delphi panel. A convergence of opinion on the competency areas provided the basis for validating the body of knowledge for a standalone BS in NM. The study used recommendations made by the Delphi panelists, semi-formal interviews, structured internet searches, and existing nano-related degree programs from the course lists of five universities to identify a potentially appropriate learning content for a BS in NM. The majority of the panelists are directly involved in NM, whether from the academia or the industry. They agreed that a standalone BS in NM will help create a workforce capable of handling the rapidly growing needs of the US market that are related to the booming of the nano-related industry. They also believed that determining the learning content competencies is crucial to prepare a full curriculum for such a program. There seems to be a high level of agreement among the panelists over issues related to the learning content. More than 95% of the panelists agreed on employing the current learning content competencies from five pioneering US institutions. 72 competencies emerged from the study and were included in a prioritized learning content list according to their scholastic level, academic requirement status, and teaching methodology. The competencies were organized in a curriculum format to construct a learning content for a BS in NM that provides students with the knowledge, skills and techniques essential to understand manufacturing at the nano-scale