How to Become a Semiconductor Engineer: Courses and Skills

India now has chip assembly and packaging plants in commercial production, and the government expects its first fab under the current programme to be commissioned in 2028. If you are a Class 12 student who likes physics and chemistry as much as electronics, you may be asking how to become a semiconductor engineer, and which course leads to the factories, labs and test floors where chips are actually made.

 

What does a semiconductor engineer do?

 

“Semiconductor engineer” covers several jobs along the chain that turns a design into a working, packaged chip:

 

• Process engineers run and improve fabrication steps such as lithography and etching
• Device and integration engineers make sure the steps combine to produce transistors with the right electrical behaviour
• Yield engineers analyse data to find why some chips on a wafer fail and how to raise the share that work
• Test engineers check chips electrically, first on the wafer and again after packaging
• Packaging engineers work in assembly, testing, marking and packaging (ATMP) or outsourced assembly and test (OSAT) units
• Equipment engineers maintain the tools used in fabs and packaging lines

 

Chip design, the work of creating the circuit itself, is a separate path covered in our guide on how to become a chip designer.

 

Relevant education and courses

 

The most common degrees are a B.Tech in electronics and communication engineering (ECE), electrical and electronics engineering (EEE) or a dedicated VLSI programme. Materials science, metallurgy, chemical engineering and applied physics graduates also work in fabs, especially in process and materials roles.

 

Presidency University offers B.Tech VLSI Design and Technology, B.Tech ECE and B.Tech EEE. It does not offer materials science, chemical engineering or applied physics degrees. The B.Tech pages list Physics and Mathematics among the Class 12 requirements, with at least 45% (40% for reserved categories). Presidency’s M.Tech Embedded Design and VLSI is design-focused.

 

Core knowledge and skills

 

Presidency’s B.Tech VLSI curriculum includes Solid State Electronics, Microelectronics and Introduction to Fabrication Technology with a lab in the second year, then CMOS VLSI Design and Design for Testability. The key areas are:

 

• Semiconductor devices: how diodes and transistors work, and why material and doping choices matter
• Fabrication: oxidation, photolithography, etching, deposition, ion implantation and polishing
• Reliability: how chips age and fail under heat, voltage and time

 

Practical skills matter as much as theory:

 

 

Step-by-step career roadmap

 

1. Choose a role track. Decide between process and devices, test and packaging, equipment or yield work, and pick electives to match.

 

2. Build lab experience. Take every fabrication or device lab your programme offers. Analyse a public semiconductor dataset with Python or simulate a transistor’s behaviour, and write up each project clearly.

 

3. Gain internships and apply. Look for internships at fabs, packaging units, equipment suppliers and test labs, and read job descriptions closely, because similar titles can mean very different work.

 

Where the jobs are in India

 

According to the Press Information Bureau on 15 July 2026, 12 semiconductor manufacturing projects had been approved: one silicon fab, one compound semiconductor fab with packaging, one gallium nitride micro-LED display fab with packaging and nine ATMP/OSAT units. By 23 September 2026, the India Semiconductor Mission reported that five of them had started commercial production. On the same day, the Union Cabinet approved Semicon 2.0 with an outlay of ₹1,27,500 crore. For salary ranges and employers, see our guide to VLSI careers in India.

 

Frequently asked questions

 

What is the difference between chip design and semiconductor engineering?

 

Chip design creates the circuit and its layout on computers. Semiconductor engineering, in the sense used here, covers making, testing and packaging the physical chip.

 

Is a master’s degree required for semiconductor jobs?

 

Not for every role. Many test, packaging and equipment roles hire graduates, while device, process research and advanced integration roles often prefer an M.Tech or PhD.

 

Which skills do semiconductor companies seek in freshers?

 

Device and circuit fundamentals, data analysis in Python, statistics, lab discipline, safety awareness and clear documentation.

 

Conclusion

 

Semiconductor engineering suits students who enjoy physics and careful experiments. For most roles, choose a B.Tech in VLSI, which covers devices and fabrication most directly, or ECE or EEE with device electives for wider options. If materials or process chemistry is your real interest, a materials or chemical engineering degree fits better. Pick your role track by the third year, take every lab on offer and plan an M.Tech only if you are aiming at device or process research. Before applying, confirm eligibility for your admission year on the B.Tech VLSI Design and Technology page.