RIT - The Kate Gleason College of Engineering | Graduate Programs

Microsystems Engineering Ph.D. Program

The need within the international scientific and engineering communities
for students trained in microsystems has prompted RIT to combine resources and create the doctoral program in microsystems engineering. This multidisciplinary degree provides a fundamental background in sciences and engineering to prepare students for successful careers.

Program highlights

Designed for students with excellent preparation in the physical sciences and engineering.
Excellent multidisciplinary faculty sharing resources and expertise
Administered by the Ph.D. Program in Microsystems Engineering Committee, which includes core faculty members from the colleges of Engineering and Science
Unique clean-room and research laboratories designed for and dedicated to providing a world-class focus for microsystems engineering research across traditional disciplinary boundaries.
Collaboration with industry and government laboratories
The Ph.D. in microsystems engineering is the first of its kind in the nation.

The integration of entire systems into micron-scale devices and the sensing technology to interface these devices to the real world is and will be core disciplines required for next generation technology. Within the past decade, microsystems (micro-optical, micro-electrical, and micro-mechanical systems) have emerged as a critical technology worldwide. Simply stated, a microsystem is an ensemble of integrated components, the functionality of which derives from micron-size (or smaller) elements that collectively perform mechanical, electrical, optical, logical, and even biological functions.

Microsystems technology will integrate small computer chips with tiny sensors, probes, lasers, and actuators to allow the chip to sense, analyze, and communicate. It is an enabling technology that will add functionality to and reduce the cost of many product applications, particularly in the areas of telecommunications, imaging, electronics, and biomedical diagnostics and treatment. In short, micro-scale devices and systems will be smaller, faster, cheaper, and more reliable than their macroscopic counterparts.

This multidisciplinary program builds on RIT's strengths in microelectronic fabrications, photonic, imaging and micro-power research. The program is application oriented without sacrificing the scientific and engineering fundamentals. Students will be involved in cutting-edge research and have access to a modern facility, the largest of its kind in any academic institution.

Visit the Microsystems Engineering site for additional information.