Missouri S&T to launch semiconductor engineering program

Missouri University of Science & Technology has launched a new bachelor’s degree program in semiconductor engineering.

Scheduled to start in fall 2025, the program will help address the profession’s workforce gap, which federal and industry employment projections show could soar to the tens of thousands over the next several years.

Dr David Borrok, vice provost and dean of S&T’s College of Engineering and Computing, says: “When students come to Missouri S&T, they learn how to think critically and address problems through the development and implementation of cutting-edge technologies.

“Microelectronic chips and semiconductor devices have changed our modern society and will continue to shape the future to meet human needs, and graduates of our new program will be at the forefront of this exciting progress.”

The new program will be possible thanks to an investment of $20 million from private sources.

Part of this investment will fund a new 2,500-square-foot cleanroom located on the ground floor of S&T’s Applied Research Center, with construction expected to be completed by late 2026.

Cleanrooms are necessary for semiconductor engineering to prevent contaminants from dust, airborne particles and other impurities. Even microscopic contaminants can cause malfunctions or serious issues with the technology.

Borrok says: “This state-of-the-art cleanroom will be leveraged to support the new degree program, but it will also open up exciting new possibilities for the university’s research.

“It will be huge for our semiconductor engineering program, as well as nanotechnology, microelectronics and materials science research in general.”

Borrok says this interdisciplinary program will be a natural fit for the S&T campus because semiconductors are the foundation for many electronic devices and other advanced technologies, and semiconductor manufacturing is a precision engineering field that requires ultra-pure chemicals, simulation models, advanced tools for measurement and analysis, and data-driven automation.

S&T is already home to faculty with expertise in these areas and offers courses focused on electrical engineering, chemical engineering, materials science and engineering, and more.

Dr Michael Moats, professor and chair of materials science and engineering, says his department will manage the program in coordination with S&T’s electrical and computer engineering department and chemical and biochemical engineering department.

He says the program will also benefit from S&T’s industry partnerships with Missouri companies that already play major roles in the semiconductor supply chain.

Moats says: “We will be able to hit the ground running with this program, and our graduates should quickly have a significant impact on our state economy, as well as our nation’s economy in general.”

The 128-credit-hour program will have two emphasis areas available for students: semiconductor device engineering and semiconductor process engineering.

Moats says he expects to see interest in the program from students in Missouri, throughout the US and around the globe.

First-time college students starting in fall 2025 can apply now at apply.mst.edu in anticipation of the program receiving approval in the coming months. More information is available at go.mst.edu/semiconductorengineering.

Main image: Architectural rendering of Missouri S&T’s planned new Applied Research Center, which will include a 2,500 sq ft cleanroom.