Staff report
WARREN — Kent State University is offering two free micro-credential courses this spring, providing an opportunity for high school juniors and seniors, industry professionals, educators, and those looking to enter or advance in the semiconductor industry.
The courses, Introduction to Semiconductor Devices and Sand to Silicon, are primarily online, requiring less than 20 hours to complete, with one mandatory in-person lab session at the university’s cleanroom facility.
“We are working with many of the new and existing businesses around northeast Ohio,” said Flavia P.N. Inbanthan, Ph.D., associate professor of electrical engineering technology at Kent State’s Trumbull Campus. “This is a growing industry with plenty of need, and we hope many in the community will take advantage.”
The Introduction to Semiconductor Devices course covers the evolution of semiconductor technology and the processes behind modern electronics. The Sand to Silicon course explains how raw materials like sand are transformed into microchips, which are essential to the digital and automated world.
“Learners can complete the courses at their own pace,” Inbanthan said. “They will be required to visit the cleanroom lab facility once during the course period to conduct an experiment for each micro-credential.”
The facility is at Kent State’s main campus in Kent.
Participants must complete the lab portion by May 9, 2025, to earn an electronic badge upon completion. The courses are open to anyone over 18, as well as high school juniors and seniors.
Kent State also offers additional semiconductor education opportunities, including a 2025 summer intensive program (May 27-June 30) with full scholarships covering six academic credits, two semiconductor certificate programs, and associate degree options.
For information on the free courses and other semiconductor programs, visit www.kent.edu/semiconductor-education.
