Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Purdue Starts Comprehensive Semiconductor Degree Programs in U.S.

eetimes.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

11–20 of 165 posts

Re: Purdue Starts Comprehensive Semiconductor Degree Programs in U.S.

#11

Post by hnthrowaway0315 »

Bilal_io wrote: post #8
hnthrowaway0315 wrote: post #4

As someone working full-time in Canada, wish I could roll back my life 10+ years and get into one of the semiconductor schools. Good luck to all who are admitted into this program, looks very interesting. Link to online degree: https://engineering.purdue.edu/semiconductors/degrees#online...

Semi-relates: Why don't universities offer online undergraduate programs? It's frustrating. I enrolled myself back to finish my bachelor's degree and my school offers very few or no online options for the classes I need.

I'm frustrated too. My university has gone back to in-people and it forces me to drop 2 out of the 4 courses I registered, plus one of the kept course forces me to take a couple of hours off every week.

Re: Purdue Starts Comprehensive Semiconductor Degree Programs in U.S.

#12

Post by smalley »

This seems like good marketing but reading this press release and looking at the courses in their degree program I feel like I'm missing what's different here (other than some reference to supply chain management).

Most of the coursework here seems to be very similar to what was available over a decade ago at the state university I attended for graduate school (my concentration was semiconductor device theory related). While I think this material is very interesting I don't know that the demand is going to be there for this type of field. Companies like Intel have dedicated smaller departments for process development which do the more academic work (for example the D1X facility).

My experience with fabrication organization is the need is much more process engineer and technician focused rather than semiconductor engineers. The high volume hires are in improving reliability, reducing cost etc. I don't think you really need the EE degree for this, more likely industrial engineering, chemical engineering or statistics.

This said, Purdue has always had a very strong program in the more device oriented semiconductor courses (Until his passing Robert Pierret the fellow who wrote some of the best and most used grad textbooks on devices called it home).

Re: Purdue Starts Comprehensive Semiconductor Degree Programs in U.S.

#13

Post by jjoonathan »

hnthrowaway0315 wrote: post #4

As someone working full-time in Canada, wish I could roll back my life 10+ years and get into one of the semiconductor schools. Good luck to all who are admitted into this program, looks very interesting. Link to online degree: https://engineering.purdue.edu/semiconductors/degrees#online...

Warning: nerd trap. Low wages, horrendous deadlines (tapeout), hard work.

Perhaps this has changed, given that we're in a semiconductor boom cycle now, but I have my doubts. When SMIC started trying to poach TSMC talent, the response was not to make pay competitive (or even half decent), let alone in line with the massive geopolitically-relevant value being created. No, the response was a mask-off legislative crackdown to keep the nerds in line. In the US, there were only two big employers, and they were definitely paying what they could get away with.

Anyone who is considering this career -- any career, but this one especially -- before you jump, please get the perspective of someone in industry who isn't trying to sell you a career.

Re: Purdue Starts Comprehensive Semiconductor Degree Programs in U.S.

#14

Post by hardware2win »

hnthrowaway0315 wrote: post #4

As someone working full-time in Canada, wish I could roll back my life 10+ years and get into one of the semiconductor schools. Good luck to all who are admitted into this program, looks very interesting. Link to online degree: https://engineering.purdue.edu/semiconductors/degrees#online...

I switched from web dev to semico this year and the amount of things i dont understand is huge

Majority of ppl here are after electrical eng.

Cs seems to be easy in compare

Re: Purdue Starts Comprehensive Semiconductor Degree Programs in U.S.

#16

Post by badRNG »

hardware2win wrote: post #14
hnthrowaway0315 wrote: post #4

As someone working full-time in Canada, wish I could roll back my life 10+ years and get into one of the semiconductor schools. Good luck to all who are admitted into this program, looks very interesting. Link to online degree: https://engineering.purdue.edu/semiconductors/degrees#online...

I switched from web dev to semico this year and the amount of things i dont understand is huge Majority of ppl here are after electrical eng. Cs seems to be easy in compare

I currently work in embedded software which involves a lot of overlapping interaction with EE and hardware design folks. The consensus is that the hardest, most fascinating field is the one you currently have the least exposure to. The easiest, least exciting field is the one you have a degree in.

In CS, you may have spent thousands or tens of thousands of hours across many years learning and growing, and still being limited in your understanding of the field as a whole. It's daunting to explore other related fields just to find out that they each have similar levels of complexity, filled with professionals who've sunk similar levels of effort, time, and years of their life into their work (who are often equally struck by the complexity of your field.)

Re: Purdue Starts Comprehensive Semiconductor Degree Programs in U.S.

#17

Post by nonethewiser »

Bilal_io wrote: post #8
hnthrowaway0315 wrote: post #4

As someone working full-time in Canada, wish I could roll back my life 10+ years and get into one of the semiconductor schools. Good luck to all who are admitted into this program, looks very interesting. Link to online degree: https://engineering.purdue.edu/semiconductors/degrees#online...

Semi-relates: Why don't universities offer online undergraduate programs? It's frustrating. I enrolled myself back to finish my bachelor's degree and my school offers very few or no online options for the classes I need.

But this is an online program.

Re: Purdue Starts Comprehensive Semiconductor Degree Programs in U.S.

#18

Post by netr0ute »

badRNG wrote: post #16
hardware2win wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I switched from web dev to semico this year and the amount of things i dont understand is huge Majority of ppl here are after electrical eng. Cs seems to be easy in compare

I currently work in embedded software which involves a lot of overlapping interaction with EE and hardware design folks. The consensus is that the hardest, most fascinating field is the one you currently have the least exposure to. The easiest, least exciting field is the one you have a degree in. In CS, you may have spent thousands or tens of thousands of hours across many years learning and growing, and still being…

The grass is always greener on the other side

Re: Purdue Starts Comprehensive Semiconductor Degree Programs in U.S.

#19

Post by hnthrowaway0315 »

badRNG wrote: post #16
hardware2win wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I switched from web dev to semico this year and the amount of things i dont understand is huge Majority of ppl here are after electrical eng. Cs seems to be easy in compare

I currently work in embedded software which involves a lot of overlapping interaction with EE and hardware design folks. The consensus is that the hardest, most fascinating field is the one you currently have the least exposure to. The easiest, least exciting field is the one you have a degree in. In CS, you may have spent thousands or tens of thousands of hours across many years learning and growing, and still being…

Just curious, for a software engineer that only works with managed languages such as Java and Python, what kind of embedded job is easy to squeeze into? Thanks~~

Re: Purdue Starts Comprehensive Semiconductor Degree Programs in U.S.

#20

Post by Bilal_io »

nonethewiser wrote: post #17
Bilal_io wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Semi-relates: Why don't universities offer online undergraduate programs? It's frustrating. I enrolled myself back to finish my bachelor's degree and my school offers very few or no online options for the classes I need.

But this is an online program.

I am happy that it is, but it's not my domain. I am trying to finish my degree in CS or a related field.
Post reply on HN