As promised earlier in an interview with Nature, Nobel laureate Ahmed Zewail has revealed the curricula for undergraduate students for Zewail University, which expects its grand opening in September as part of the Zewail City of Science and Technology.

According to the announcement, all students attending the university will study 39 credit hours of physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, technology and engineering during their first year. Following that, they will be able to pursue one of two tracks: engineering or science.

There are four engineering majors available: nanotechnology engineering, environmental engineering, renewable energy engineering, and biomedical engineering. For students pursuing science, they can choose between medical sciences, nanosciences, and cosmology. Any of the engineering tracks will total five academic years, while the science tracks are four years only.

All the majors were chosen to fulfill the needs of the research centres that are being set up at the Zewail City of Science and Technology.

Students pursuing either of the two tracks will be required to take 27 credit hours of humanities and social sciences. These include subjects such as Arabic, Arab World history, communication skills, literature, management, philosophical thinking, and social sciences. There are several courses within the curriculum as well that encourage critical thinking and teach students about intellectual property, business management and how to handle the transfer of an idea from the lab to industry.

The university hopes to receive students for its first academic year starting September 2012.