The Wider Context of Nanotechnology course begins in October and runs for seven weeks online. The course comprises two parts: a one-week induction period followed by six weeks of study, including a reading week. There will be live online tutorials, normally once each week.
Induction
The online Induction week enables students to confidently maximise their online learning experience. We appreciate that students starting any new course may face some challenges, perhaps if you have not studied at postgraduate level before and/or are combining this part-time study with working full-time, and The Wider Context of Nanotechnology course has been designed with these considerations in mind.
Our Induction module aims to help you to ease yourself into The Wider Context of Nanotechnology course by allowing you to familiarise yourself with the online environment and to introduce yourself to the other participants. The Induction also contains practical resources to provide guidance while you prepare for the units that follow and throughout your time on the course. These materials will be available for the duration of your study, so that you can dip into them on a ‘need to know’ basis.
Ethical, social and business considerations for nanotechnology
The second part of the course looks at the ethical, societal and business considerations that are necessary to understand nanotechnology. In particular, the module focuses on the following themes:
- Ethics and nanotechnology;
- Society and nanotechnology;
- The health and environmental impact of nanotechnology;
- Business and nanotechnology.
The course emphasises and addresses the interdisciplinary nature of nanotechnology. Students completing the course will gain a good in-depth understanding of the numerous issues facing nanotechnology today.
Most students should expect to spend an average of between 10 and 15 hours per week on independent study in addition to the timetabled tutorials.
Features
- The course is taken part-time so students can complete it whilst continuing to work full-time;
- The course is taught online and can be taken from anywhere in the world;
- An induction week helps to ease students into the course and familiarise themselves with the online course environment, also enabling them to introduce themselves to other participants;
- Tutors provide online support and replicate electronically the famed Oxford tutorial system;
- The course has a dedicated tutor, course director and administration team accustomed to supporting students undertaking distance learning courses;
- Students have access to staff at the University of Oxford’s Begbroke Science Park, particularly the Course Director, Dr Christiane Norenberg;
- Throughout the course, students can use the University of Oxford’s unrivalled electronic library resources to enable them to complete the assignment tasks.