Overview

Drawing on school wide expertise in electronics packaging, the Thomas J. Watson School of Engineering and Applied Science is able to offer an optional sub-specialization graduate credential in Electronics Packaging. The Watson School's Electronics Packaging Education Committee coordinates the sub-concentration certificate program and the certificate is awarded in recognition of a student's electronics packaging academic and practical expertise.

To satisfy the requirements for the certificate program, in addition to completing degree plan requirements, students must complete the following requirements:

• Academic : WTSN 582 (Electronics Packaging Theory and Applications) and additional departmental course which focuses on packaging issues)
  
  
• Research (thesis, project or dissertation must be packaging related)
  
  
• Enrichment (symposia and WTSN 581 which is a one hour seminar course covering diverse packaging topics)

The Watson School offers graduate degree programs leading to Master of Science (MS), Master of Engineering (MEng) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees. The areas of specialization are as follows:

• Electrical Engineering (MS, MEng, PhD)
• Computer Engineering (MEng)
• Mechanical Engineering (MS, PhD)
• Materials Engineering (MS, PhD)
• Systems Science (MS, PhD)
• Industrial Engineering (MS)
• Computer Science (MS, PhD)

To learn about degree plan requirements, please review the University Bulletin.

Note - The program is also available to graduate students in Binghamton University's Chemistry and Physics programs.

Upon successful completion of the requirements of the electronics packaging concentration, students receive special certification indicating successful completion of the requirements of the concentration program. Students qualifying for the certificate may be enrolled in either Masters of Science, Masters of Engineering or Doctoral graduate programs. The certificate is only awarded to students completing one of these degrees.

The Integrated Electronics Engineering Center (IEEC),the largest research center at the Watson School of Engineering and Applied Science, is one of the best places in the US for graduate studies centered on electronics packaging.

Graduate students have an extraordinary opportunity to work with distinguished faculty and industry researchers, both in state-of-the -art campus labs in in industrial settings.

Fifteen faculty researchers work closely with graduate student researchers on projects of critical importance to some of the nation's most prominent high technology firms.

Watson School faculty from the departments of industrial, mechanical and electrical engineering and computer science, as well as from the University departments of chemistry and physics have pooled their expertise to develop a comprehensive research program.

Applying/Logistics:

Interested students must apply to the Graduate School for admissions to the University. More details about the degree programs and the application process are available online.

After being admitted to a Watson School graduate program, students should complete a Certification Completion Check form (available in the Watson School Dean's office).

The director of the IEEC will work with students to customize activities (research, curricula and enrichment) to meet learning objectives.

Understanding Electronics Packaging

The electronics industry is based on the most rapidly changing high technology in history. Miniaturization of semiconductor chips advances each year. Millions of transistors can now be placed on a silicon chip smaller than a postage stamp, and each year concentration of transistors almost doubles. These advances hold great promise. However, the limits of packaging technology prevent industry from designing microchips to their full potential.

The continuing challenge is to reduce power consumption, heat and costs while increasing the speed, reliability and functionality of each chip. Electronics packaging is the process of bringing increasingly sophisticated chips, with their resident circuitry, to forms that can be optimally packaged into a larger microelectronics assembly, whether for computers, consumer electronics, aerospace or the automotive industry.