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Purdue Starts Comprehensive Semiconductor Degree Programs in U.S.

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

#41

Post by jltsiren »

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.

Because they don't have the people to teach online students.

The academia is a community and a lifestyle. The people who choose that lifestyle generally don't want to spend too much time teaching outside the community. Teaching is a lot of work, a lot of bureaucracy, and a lot of hard deadlines, and it's not particularly rewarding if the students are just names on screen. Maybe if people paid higher taxes and higher tuition fees, universities could hire teachers to "just work here" and pay them competitive salaries.

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

#42

Post by lcvw »

rockostrich wrote: post #22
jjoonathan wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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 crackdo…

I went into a master's program at SUNY CNSE back in 2014 for "nanoscale engineering" hoping to do some research in MEMS/NEMS. Turns out there were no research spots available with the groups working on that stuff so I ended up in a group working on EUV photoresists. I ended up not doing much actual "nanoscale research" and mostly just did some data science/engineering for the group since all the data processing code…

CNSE class of 2017. The usual career progression of people I talked to was: get a phd, work 12 hour shifts (including nights), be underpaid because you “are not an expert yet”, be fired after 2 years because the company abruptly changed technologies and didn’t need you anymore. Repeat steps 2-4 until you eventually get frustrated enough to leave the field.

So yeah I do software now.

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

#43

Post by avs733 »

smalley wrote: post #12

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…

You are correct. This is clearly not the first…check out Rochester institute of technology…it’s just a branding exercise which is very in keeping with the current Purdue leadership.

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

#44

Post by Kerrick »

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.

Some do. I just started going back to school and I’m working on a B.S. In Software Development at Western Governors University. They’re accredited and online only. They also offer a B.S. in Computer Science.

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

#45

Post by iron2disulfide »

Skimmed the article; what's the difference between this program and what's already taught in electrical and computer engineering classes? I studied ECE for my BS and MS and there were already a couple of chip design-related courses: digital design, VLSI, FPGA, semiconductor physics, IC fabrication. I guess more specialized coursework on verification or manufacturing would have been nice, but I don't think that would warrant a whole new academic program.

edit: forgot to mention that I worked as a chip designer for many years right out of school.

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

#46

Post by baylessj »

It's neat to see this on the front page of HN -- I got the chance to take an Intro to Semiconductors class from the professor in the article a couple of years ago while getting my EE degree. Semiconductor design never really piqued my interest so I probably didn't get as much out of the class as I ought to have, but Lundstrom was clearly quite passionate about the subject and taught well. Looks like a neat program and it's one that I'm confident will have a lot of resources behind it.

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

#47

Post by asurty »

jjoonathan wrote: post #13
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 crackdo…

TLDR: band gaps are not for the feint of heard :D

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

#48

Post by bushbaba »

jjoonathan wrote: post #13
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 crackdo…

When in University, Intel gave a presentation. They stated the same facts that the Semi industry will be low waged, hard work, and require MULTIPLE PHDs. That presentation gave me enough information to recognize that I really didn't want to be in the semi-industry.

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

#49

Post by bushbaba »

For those interested, but coming from a software background. Suggest looking into Georgia Tech's ECE 3056 course. There's lots of public material you can find online.

https://oscar.gatech.edu/bprod/bwckctlg.p_disp_course_detail...

https://moin.ece.gatech.edu/s13a/hw.html

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

#50

Post by p_j_w »

iron2disulfide wrote: post #45

Skimmed the article; what's the difference between this program and what's already taught in electrical and computer engineering classes? I studied ECE for my BS and MS and there were already a couple of chip design-related courses: digital design, VLSI, FPGA, semiconductor physics, IC fabrication. I guess more specialized coursework on verification or manufacturing would have been nice, but I don't think that would…

I had the same thought. Upon reading, this sounds like it goes deeper on the semiconductor physics and fabrication parts. Relevant bit:

"Courses will address supply chain issues in chemical engineering, mechanical engineering for tool development, thermal management, packaging, and material engineering as well as industrial engineering, logistics, and manufacturing optimization."

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