Interdisciplinary Master of Science in Engineering, Major in Microelectronics and Semiconductors

Meet the Global Demand for Semiconductor & Microelectronics Engineers

Semiconductor chips form the backbone of the entire computing and electronics industry. Anything that plugs into a wall outlet of has a battery requires at least one–if not many–semiconductor chips. As global demand for semiconductor chips and integrated circuits increases, engineering expertise in semiconductors and microelectronics will become an even more valuable credential. The semiconductor industry is expected to add 70,000 new jobs by 2026, and federal investments in semiconductors are growing substantially. 

Purdue’s Interdisciplinary Master of Science in Engineering, with a major in Microelectronics and Semiconductors, prepares professionals to become leaders in the microelectronics field and will help meet the growing demand for semiconductor engineers. Our program is the only degree focused entirely on semiconductors and microelectronics offered at an engineering college ranked in the top 10 nationally. Offered via online, this master’s program is convenient to working professionals and gives students practical, focused training that can be immediately applied to the workforce. 

Jobs and Career Outlook for Semiconductor Engineers

The demand for semiconductor engineers and circuit design engineers is projected to increase as global demand for semiconductor chips rises. Semiconductors are essential to the computer and electronic industry, and investments in semiconductors are increasing due to emerging technologies like artificial Intelligence (AI) and smart hubs. According to the Semiconductor Industry Association, the semiconductor field will add 70,000 new direct jobs by 2026. 

Graduate degrees are also valuable within the semiconductor industry. Thirty-six percent of semiconductor workers have graduate degrees, compared to an average of 14% for all other occupations. SIA's State of the U.S. Semiconductor Industry Report, 2023, states that 47% of new semiconductor engineering jobs will require applicants to have a master's degree.

Common job titles in microelectronics and semiconductors engineering field include:

Curriculum and Courses in Semiconductor Engineering

The interdisciplinary major in Microelectronics and Semiconductors consists of 30 credit hours and includes 1-, 2-, and 3-credit hour courses.

Students can choose their courses from a wide suite of available course options in Electrical and Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Engineering, and other schools in the College of Engineering. These courses cover diverse topics including: semiconductor materials, advanced semiconductor device design and modeling, integrated circuit and system design, and advanced packaging and heterogeneous integration.

Following is one example plan of study (among many possibilities). A total of 30 credit hours is required to earn the major.

• ECE 55700, Integrated Circuit/MEMS Fabrication Laboratory (3 credits)
• ECE 55900, MOS VLSI Design (3 credits)
• ECE 56800, Embedded Systems (3 credits)
• ECE 59500, Flexible and Stretchable Electronics (3 credits)
• ECE 59500, Introduction to Electronics Packaging and Heterogeneous Integration (3 credits)
• ECE 60600, Solid State Devices (3 credits)
• ECE 68800, VLSI Testing and Verification (3 credits)
• ECE 69500, System-on-Chip Design (3 credits)
• ECE 69500, Communication for Engineering Leaders (1 credit)
• ENTR 50000, Technology Realization Program/Commercialization/Entrepreneurship (2 credits)
• MA 51100, Linear Algebra with Applications (3 credits)

Additional available courses include the following:

• ECE 51220, Applied Algorithms (3 credits)
• ECE 52600, Fundamentals of BioMEMS and Micro-Integrated Systems (3 credits)
• ECE 50633, Boltzmann Law: Physics to Machine Learning (1 credit)
• ECE 50631, Fundamentals of Current Flow (1 credit)
• ECE 59500, Fundamentals of Transistors (1 credit)
• ECE 59500, Semiconductor Fundamentals (1 credit)
• ECE 50632, Introduction to Quantum Transport (1 credit)
• ECE 60420, Primer on RF Circuit Design (1 credit)
• IE 53000, Quality Control (3 credits)
• IE 59000, Project Management (3 credits)
• ME 51100, Heat Transfer in Electronic Systems (3 credits)
• ME 55300, Product and Process Design (3 credits)
• MSE 59700, Lean Manufacturing (3 credits)
• STAT 51400, Design of Experiments (3 credits)