Apple’s New Silicon Initiative (NSI) aims to prepare students for careers in hardware technology, computer architecture, and silicon chip design. The program’s objective is to address the growing demand in the US for a workforce in IC design and computer architecture areas. The NSI team provides various modes of support to help increase visibility in microelectronic circuits and hardware design. By reintroducing IC design and tapeout-to-silicon courses in the ECE curriculum, the program enables students to take IC design courses and a VLSI path, while gearing them for a career in hardware engineering.

NSI Components

1. Encourage continued education in VLSI through fellowship opportunities
2. Engage with students through various initiatives: Guest Lectures by Apple subject matter experts; Computer Hardware and VLSI Design Clubs
3. Expose students to career opportunities through networking with Apple engineers and Apple internships
4. Identify VLSI pathways and curriculum
5. Share curriculum across university partners
6. Support NSI courses through tapeout class fabrication and bringup, as well as provide additional resources for TA and lab support

The Apple NSI program is facilitated in close coordination with graduate-level studies. Students are encouraged to pursue graduate-level education through Apple’s highly competitive fellowship program, which are available to current Ph.D. students. This academic year, applications are open for Ph.D. Fellows in Integrated Circuits and Systems. Please visit the link below to learn more and apply for the fellowship.

In partnership with Georgia Tech ECE faculty, Apple engineers present guest lectures in a wide range of integrated system design courses, including microelectronic circuits, IC design, logic design, verification and testing, and computer architecture. They also participate in design reviews for projects in certain IC design courses and provide feedback to help students in their IC design for “tapeout” and chip bring up and validation. The course sequence outlined above is ideal for students interested in careers in computer architecture, circuit design, and hardware technology. Select courses are eligible for Apple-sponsored prizes at the end of the semester through design contests, offering students a deeper understanding of the opportunities available to them.

More Information on the Apple NSI Course Sequence