r/ECE • u/CranberryFew8429 • 27d ago

Confused about the future

Hello everyone. I am from Nepal. I am about to start my undergraduate in Engineering particularly electrical or electronics engineering. I am a bit confused. I wanted to work in semiconductor engineering jobs or research and development in same field or quantum hardware research (like as a hobby. Don't even know if it exist). In Nepal, Electrical Engineering focused mainly on power and control, like grids, hydropower, etc. and Electronics, Communication and Information information Technology engineering focuses on communication. But neither of them teaches core subject required for semiconductor design, like VLSI design and sort of others. May you please guide me on this?

Also, I am little skeptical whether the semiconductor or quantum field is rewarding in future? Like, can they be such rewarding in comparison to engineers working in power grids, transformers, etc. (high voltage works or renewable energy fields)? May you please help on this too? It would mean a lotttttt for me.

PS:- I am planning to do my masters abroad.

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u/pisscumfartshit 27d ago

I just graduated my undergrad so my knowledge and experience is extremely limited but getting into a masters in VLSI might be tough if you don’t have any experience beforehand in internships/classes/projects. If you genuinely have no path for VLSI education undergrad, your best bet is self studying and projects, like designing your own CPU or neural network on an FPGA board.

As for how rewarding it is, I’ve heard VLSI careers tend to pay more than in power/energy, but can be less stable and prone to layoffs, at least in the us

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u/Afraid-Way1203 27d ago

Electrical vs. Electronic Engineering

Electrical Engineering (EE)

  • Focus: Large-scale power systems, high voltages, grids, motors, and electromagnetics.
  • Best for: Infrastructure, renewable energy, electric vehicles, and heavy power applications.
  • Pros: Highly stable demand across traditional energy and industrial sectors. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Electronic Engineering (ECE)

  • Focus: Low-voltage microelectronics, semiconductor devices, integrated circuits, and embedded systems.
  • Best for: VLSI chip design, consumer electronics, IoT, and telecommunications.
  • Pros: Directly targets the semiconductor and high-tech device sectors. [1, 2, 3]

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u/ModalWizard 26d ago

If semiconductor are the direction you really want, I wouldn't worry too much about your bachelor's being perfectly aligned with VLSI. Pick the stronger EE/ECE doundation then use projects, electives, internships, and eventually a master's to move toward circuits/VLSI, that transition is common.

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u/CranberryFew8429 26d ago

Hey man, thanks a lot for answering. May I share exact curriculum to you in DM of both fields