VLSI Design Courses in India: Eligibility, Duration, Jobs, Scope & Details

Last Updated on July 29, 2023 by Vishnu Nambiar

Hi readers! This post will be of use to VLSI education aspirants across India. Here, I’ve listed down some of the best VLSI Design courses in India.

  In India, VLSI academic and training programs are available at the PG level. PG stands for Postgraduate level. Only Bachelor’s Degree holders/those who hold an equivalent qualification have access to PG courses.   VLSI Design PG courses in India can be classified into the following types –

1. Master’s Degree courses
2. PG Diploma courses
3. PG Certificate courses
4. Workshops
5. Modular courses
6. Corporate training programs

Master’s Degree programs consist of courses such as M.Tech. and M.Sc. PG Diploma courses are usually advanced diploma programs.   PG Certification programs are similar to skill-enhancing vocational training programs. Workshops, as we all know, are useful for domain familiarization (VLSI Design in this case).   Modular courses are similar to PG Certificate courses. The only difference is that they focus on a particular module/section within the VLSI Design domain.   In short, Graduates hailing from relevant branches do have access to many VLSI Design courses. Before heading to the meat of the matter – list of VLSI Design courses in India – let us check out some basic details such as – introduction to VLSI Design, who is this training program for and which course is the best among the lot?   Let us start –

What is VLSI Design? An Introduction –

VLSI stands for Very Large Scale Integration. It is the process of creating an Integrated Circuit (IC) by combining transistors or other devices into a single chip.   ICs are used in different types of electronic devices. Your mobile phone consists of ICs. An IC is a circuit in which all or some of the circuit elements are inseparably associated and electrically interconnected so that it is considered to be indivisible for the purposes of construction and commerce.   Thanks to advancement in the field of semiconductors, ICs were developed. Before the introduction of VLSI, the capacity of an IC was very limited. It could only perform few tasks, for which it was primarily designed.   Before VLSI came along, IC size used to be much larger than what it is now! Thanks to VLSI, designers can now add millions of transistors and other components on a very small piece of chip.   An IC consists of various components such as –

• CPU
• ROM
• RAM

VLSI helps designers add these components on a chip in such a way that no compromise has to be made on fronts such as size, cost of production and performance.

Who’s it for?

In simple terms, graduates hailing from relevant branches of engineering and science are eligible to pursue VLSI Design courses. If you want a more specific answer, graduates hailing from the following engineering and science backgrounds will benefit from this course –

• Computer Science
• Information Technology
• Electronics
• Electrical
• Telecommunication
• Instrumentation

Dear readers, eligibility criteria may vary from one course to another. Eligibility criteria associated with prominent courses have been discussed in detail ahead.   Let us check out the list of VLSI Design courses now. Here it is –

List of VLSI Design courses in India

1 M.Tech. in VLSI Design

This is a Master of Technology program. Technically, it is a Master’s Degree course. Candidates who have completed relevant B.E., B.Tech. or Master’s Degree programs are eligible to pursue this course.   Let us check out more details about this course –

Duration and Eligibility Criteria

The academic program is 2 years long. Each academic year is divided into two semesters. The entire program is made up of four such semesters. A student will face external examination at the end of each semester.   Candidates who have completed the following B.E. or B.Tech. programs are eligible to pursue this course –

• IT Engineering
• Electronics Engineering
• CS Engineering
• IC Engineering
• Electrical Engineering

Apart from that, candidates who have completed relevant PG Diploma, M.Sc. and MCA course too are eligible to pursue this course.

2 M.Tech. in VLSI Design and Technology

Though the name of this academic program is slightly different than the above mentioned one, they share the same course content (almost). It is a Master of Technology course. Let us take a closer look at the course details. Here it is –

Duration and Eligibility Criteria

The academic program is 2 years long. Each academic year is divided into two semesters. The entire program is made up of four such semesters. A student will face external examination at the end of each semester.   Candidates who have completed the following B.E. or B.Tech. programs are eligible to pursue this course –

• IT Engineering
• Electronics Engineering
• CS Engineering
• IC Engineering
• Electrical Engineering

Apart from that, candidates who have completed relevant PG Diploma, M.Sc. and MCA course too are eligible to pursue this course.

3 PG Diploma in VLSI Design

This is a PG Diploma course. Though it is not as valued as M.Tech. program, it is a decent VLSI training program!   This academic program is slightly shorter than a regular M.Tech. program. Let us take a closer look at the course details. Here it is –

Duration and Eligibility Criteria

PG Diploma in VLSI Design course is 12 months long. Actually, the course duration may vary from one institute to another. It depends upon factors such as – mode of learning, level of course, type of institute etc.   Candidates who have completed relevant B.E. or B.Tech. programs such as – CS, Electronics, IT, IC, Electrical and Telecommunication are eligible to pursue this course.   Candidates who have completed relevant M.Sc. or MCA program too are eligible to pursue it.

4 M.Sc. in VLSI Design and Technology

This is a Master of Science course. Technically, it is a Master’s Degree course. It is an ideal PG course for B.Sc. graduates hailing from relevant disciplines. Graduates hailing from relevant B.E. or B.Tech. programs too are eligible to pursue this course.   Let us take a closer look at the course details. Here it is –

Duration and Eligibility Criteria

M.Sc. in VLSI Design and Technology course is 2 years long. Each academic year is divided into two semesters. Each semester is six months long. Thus, the entire program is made up of four such semesters.   Students usually face an external examination at the end of each semester. Internal examinations are conducted at regular internals by the institute.   B.Sc. as well as B.E. or B.Tech. graduates hailing from the following disciplines are eligible to pursue this course –

• CS
• Electronics
• IT
• IC
• Electrical
• Telecommunication

5 PG Certificate and Modular Courses

Such programs are short-term in nature. They usually last for 3-6 months (or shorter). The main aim of such a short-term course is to impart relevant skills in students! Graduates who have completed relevant Bachelor’s Degree course are eligible to pursue this course.

6 VLSI Design Workshops and Corporate Training Programs

Such training programs are usually meant for VLSI Design enthusiasts and working professionals. Domain familiarization is the main aim of such a course.

Which is the best course?

The answer to this question is not straightforward. The answer depends upon factors such as –

• What’s the status of your career? (Working, unemployed, student etc)
• Do you have 1-2 years to spare?
• Do you want to study the subject in-depth?
• Does Degree Matter to you?

Choose a relevant academic program based on your answers to the above mentioned questions. For example, if a Degree does matter to you, go for M.Tech. or M.Sc. programs.

You may also check –

Software Engineering courses in India

Blockchain Technology courses

  If you are a working professional, you may go for modular courses, without having to compromise your work. If you have time to spare, go for M.Tech. or M.Sc. course. If you are short on time, go for PG Certificate or Modular programs.

Different Learning Modes

The above mentioned VLSI Design courses are available in multiple learning modes. Some of the prominent modes are –

• Regular Classroom programs
• Distance Learning programs
• Online programs
• Part-time programs

Career Prospects

VLSI Designers are usually hired by the firms involved in the following domains –

• Electricals
• Electronics
• Telecommunication
• Instrumentation
• Information Technology
• Computing
• Production Control
• Automation
• Consultancy

In the above mentioned firms, one may don roles such as –

• VLSI Designer
• Programmer
• Project Manager
• Consultant
• R&D professional