Postbaccalaureate certificate program in microelectronics
A one year program starting fall 2027
The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering is poised to introduce a graduate certificate in microelectronics, a one-year program, in fall 2027. A post-baccalaureate program, it is designed to equip you with expertise in technologies related to the design and fabrication of Integrated Circuit (IC) chips. As a student pursuing the certificate program, you will receive training in three key areas: Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) design, semiconductor fabrication and packaging, and VLSI Computer-Aided Design (CAD).
Why pursue a certificate in microelectronics?
The program is designed to attract both recent graduates and working professionals. If you are a mid-career engineer or scientist, this certificate program will allow you to easily pivot into the rapidly evolving microelectronics sector. Regardless of where you are in your engineering career, the program provides you with a targeted, flexible pathway to update your expertise with the latest advances in microelectronics and meet the demands of a resurgent domestic microelectronics industry.
If you are a recent graduate or professional who does not want to commit to a two-year master's program, but are keen on acquiring competitive knowledge and experience in a shorter timeframe, then this one-year program is for you. And what’s more, we allow these certificate credits to be used later toward our master’s or Ph.D. programs with approval from the Director of Graduate Studies.
What is unique about our program?
Our certificate is uniquely distinguished by the rigor of its VLSI and CAD curriculum and its integration with our industry-leading VLSI research and design pipeline. Our program bridges the gap between general workforce upskilling and the high-rigor, specialized design automation expertise required by the world’s leading semiconductor firms, expertise for which UMN graduates are already internationally recognized. The curriculum is also aligned with regional industry, including medical device, aerospace, and semiconductor design and manufacturing companies in the Twin Cities that have unique requirements not covered by programs at other institutions that offer a generalized curriculum.
ECE’s microelectronics certificate program will give you a unique competitive advantage with robust training in VLSI Design with CAD specialization for which the department has already gained widespread industry recognition. This certificate includes industry-famous courses such as EE 5301/5302 (VLSI Design Automation I/VLSI Design Automation II and EE 5323/5324 (VLSI Design I/VLSI Design II). We also offer a chiplet-based design course, unique in the US, that addresses advanced packaging and 3D integration in microelectronics with workplace relevant content and hands-on experience, both of which are valuable for careers in the industry.
Industry recruiters such as Intel, Nvidia, and Apple know that a University of Minnesota student who successfully completes these specific courses is immediately productive. We do not just teach you about VLSI; we train you in the advanced execution of it with industry-relevant assignments and course projects that use the same advanced software as the leading chip design companies .
While other programs may train you to be a process engineer, we train you to be a high-level design automation engineer or a VLSI architect, both careers that are in high demand.