The first entrepreneurial and practice-oriented masters program in microelectronics systems packaging

Very few programs exist today in the U.S. and around the world to produce any significant number of packaging engineers. Individuals who arrive at careers in electronic packaging do so with a single discipline background in science or engineering and are trained by industry on the job. The dynamic and global nature of the industry, however, requires an entirely different approach. As a result of this need, the Packaging Research Center (PRC) faculty together with the Center's industry members, have developed the first entrepreneurial and practice-oriented certificate program in microelectronics systems packaging. This new practice-oriented Master's program is a response to the industry need for a strong professional Master's program. It is primarily designed for students who plan to go immediately into industry after obtaining a masters degree rather than seek a Ph.D. The program has three major components: (1) an engineering component, (2) a management and business component, and (3) an internship component. The engineering component focuses on system-level understanding and hands-on laboratory experience, coupled with fundamental scientific knowledge in key packaging-related disciplines. Students who complete this component receive a microelectronic packaging certificate. The management component focuses on management of technology (particularly aimed at achieving national roadmap goals), entrepreneurship, and global aspects of the packaging enterprise. The internship consists of either a domestic or international industry experience. This paper describes the details of the program and discusses its implementation in three engineering schools at Georgia Tech.