Hi everyone,
I’m currently a freshman majoring in Chemistry at Seoul National University (SNU), South Korea. After some deep soul-searching, I’ve decided to commit to a career path that bridges fundamental chemistry with cutting-edge hardware technology. I’d love to get some honest feedback or advice on my roadmap.
My goal is to become an expert in AI Chip Design and Next-gen Semiconductors by applying Quantum Chemistry and Molecular Physics. I want to work on the "hardware side" of the AI revolution, specifically focusing on material innovation and quantum effects in sub-nanoscale chips.
My plan roughly is like below.
- Undergraduate: B.S. in Chemistry at SNU (Focusing heavily on Physical Chemistry, Quantum Chem, and Math).
- Master’s: M.S. in Electrical Engineering at KAIST, focusing on semiconductor device physics or circuit design.
- PhD: A PhD in the United States (focusing on Applied Physics, Materials Science, or Quantum Engineering).
- Career: R&D at global tech leaders like NVIDIA, TSMC, or Intel,(honestly my final dream is work in terafep and lastly work for my country) working on the physical limits of chip architecture.
A few questions for the community:
How realistic is this "Chem to EE" transition at the graduate level?
Would I be competitive in the US job market with this hybrid background (Chemistry + Electrical Engineering)?
I’m also curious about the money I will get. While my passion is in the science, I want to ensure this high-stress path pays off well in the private sector compared to traditional chemical roles.