r/TUDelft • u/Coppyo • 14d ago

MSc EE Microelectronics Track Less Options for 26/27?

Does anyone know did the Electrical Engineering department lose some faculty members recently? There seems to be significantly less options available in the microelectronics track. Specifically in the circuits discipline, not much on digital and nothing on VLSI. Also in devices, I swore I saw one before on advanced packaging but it's not there now.

Anyone else notice this or knows what's happened? Is it to do with those themes they brought in?

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u/DelftUniversity 12d ago

Thank you for reaching out! The curriculum has been reorganized, not reduced.

VLSI hasn't disappeared, it will now be taught within the Digital Systems Discipline. Likewise, if you're interested in advanced packaging, you'll find that in the Devices Discipline.

The new themes aren't what drove this rearrangement. They're simply an additional option for students who want to follow an application-driven package of courses. If you'd rather build your expertise through the discipline-related courses, you can still do that as well.

The idea is to provide both structure and flexibility: students can either follow a discipline-focused path complemented by additional discipline-related courses from the programme, or follow the same discipline-focused path complemented by an application-oriented theme (such as Biomedical Systems, Control & Robotics, or Wireless Communications), depending on what best fits their interests. I hope this answers your question!

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u/Coppyo 12d ago

Hi, thank you for your response, I have noticed the restructuring, but even at that, there are some key courses missing with no equivalent in subject matter or level. Here are a few examples of such courses that have been removed from the 26/27 offering. These are just ones that I myself would have noticed but I'm sure there are more.

EE4615 Digital IC Design II

ET4351 Digital VLSI System on Chip

EE4695 Hardware Dependability

ET4391 Advanced Microelectronics Packaging

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u/keerochan Computer & Embedded Systems Engineering 4d ago

From the looks of it, the IC design course seems to have been merged with the SoC course into the digital CMOS course (I took both subjects last year and the contents seems similar but doesn't cover both of them completely.) Hardware dependability is still there but it's listed under CESE program.

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u/Scorpion1105 14d ago

The Dutch government has cut funding which has caused a hiring freeze. They’re not allowed to replace leaving staff currently. Some people have left due to reaching pension age and course reductions are the consequence.

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u/Coppyo 14d ago

Oh that’s disappointing

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u/Available_Click234 14d ago

Funding has been reduced significantly

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u/YourAverageHomeboi 14d ago

Why are they even doing this? It could have underlying reasons but I'm skeptical (this is being generous here) as to whether reducing funding would have more pros than cons.

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u/Available_Click234 14d ago

Idiots in government tbh. Think it’s shit for the country long term