Master's programme in System-on-Chip Design
For more than 20 years, integrated electronics has been the major new technological force shaping our everyday lives. Today's trend is that of shifting from personal computers to personal communication and computing, where system knowledge and expertise is now being encapsulated into single-chip solutions incorporating both hardware and software. This revolution is enabled and fueled by deep submicron CMOS technologies, through which gigascale integration will be possible in the very near future.
A balanced Master's programme is offered that includes all the key areas of knowledge and skills required to command the System-on-Chip technology, namely hardware design, embedded software design, analog circuit and radio design, systems engineering and extensive practical project work.
Programme outline
The programme begins with a mandatory block of courses covering embedded systems, hardware modeling and synthesis and circuit design. Then, one of two specializations is selected:
ASIC/SoC Design track addresses the problem of chip-level design and integration of functional blocks and integrated circuits in nanoscale CMOS technology. It covers the details of circuit design methodology and tools, trade-off analysis between power, area and performance, and hardware implementation in silicon technology. It bridges circuit design and nanoscale technologies to architectural strategies and provides understanding of the future development in this field.
Embedded Electronics track addresses the problem of designing, assembling, dimensioning and verifying embedded systems including the embedded software. It covers the details of the digital design flow, the verification of embedded systems and the hardware dependent software layers.
In the second year theoretical knowledge is applied in extensive projects. In a four-month team project a realistic system is designed and verified and best practice project methodology for specification, design, implementation and validation is acquired. Finally, a six-month Degree project brings together all the different, complementary threads of knowledge and skills that have been developed in the programme.
The programme also contains an Innovation and Entrepreneurship module as part of Nordic Master School of Innovative ICT (www.nordicict.eu), which opens exchange possibilities at partner universities of the Nordic Master School.
Course overview
Degree project
The degree project may be carried out at KTH, at other universities, research institutes or at a company in Sweden or abroad. Projects in industry are particularly encouraged.
Career prospects
Former students of the programme have found employment in a great variety of industries, universities and geographic locations. Companies that design and develop electronic components and embedded systems in the telecom, automotive, automation, security, consumer electronics and a variety of other industries are potential employers of former SoC Design students. Due to the international setting of the programme, graduates are well suited to work in global corporations on any continent. A relatively large proportion of graduates have pursued PhD studies as universities in Sweden or abroad.
Application and admission
System-on-Chip Design - Application and admission for external applicants
Contact
Programme Director: Elena Dubrova
Programme Coordinator: May-Britt Eklund Larsson
Address: KTH Information and Communication Technology
Forum 105
SE-164 40 Kista
SWEDEN
