Hey everyone! Quick intro: I'm a junior in Boston studying Electrical Engineering (GPA: 3.86) with a focused background in semiconductors: specifically advanced packaging, device reliability, and fabrication. I'm doing research on HFETs using Sentaurus TCAD and will intern at a semiconductor laser company in laser test and packaging/reliability. Next sem I'll do an IC fab project working from raw silicon wafers, so this is pretty much my whole world right now.
I'm targeting Fall 2027 for an MS in ECE with a focus on advanced packaging: heterogeneous integration, chiplet architectures, 2.5D/3D stacking, that space. ASU is high on my list and I'd love some real student perspective on a few things:
- Is it realistic to hold an industry job while doing the MS program at ASU? I'd ideally want to stay connected to industry in parallel. How demanding is the courseload?
- How does funding work at the MS level at ASU? If there's no assistantship, what does financial aid actually look like, departmental fellowships, merit awards, loans?
- Any advice for someone applying with a semicon/packaging background specifically? And is it worth reaching out to professors beforehand for research opportunities?
Really appreciate any insight from current students or recent grads, thanks!