Gachon University (President Lee Gil-ya) will open Korea's first practice-oriented AI Semiconductor Design Professional Graduate School in March next year, with an enrollment capacity of 30 students.
The university announced Monday that applications for the inaugural master's program class for the 2027 academic year will be accepted from Oct. 19 through Nov. 2.
The move comes as physical AI — the application of artificial intelligence to real-world systems such as robots, autonomous vehicles, IoT home appliances and smart factories — spreads across industries, driving a rapid shift in the AI technology paradigm from large-scale training toward inference-focused implementation for actual service deployment.
Demand for engineers capable of designing low-power, high-efficiency on-device AI semiconductors is expected to grow sharply as a result.
Gachon University said it established the new graduate school to strengthen "market- and customer-tailored system design capabilities" in response to these industry shifts, with a focus on producing practice-ready engineers specializing in AI semiconductor design.
The curriculum follows a project-based model in which students carry out the full design cycle — from design and verification through physical implementation to tape-out. Degrees will be awarded through a graduation project review rather than a thesis, and patent applications will be mandatory to encourage tangible research outcomes.
The program runs on a six-quarter semester system, with two courses per quarter and 12 courses total over two years. The structure is designed for intensive study, allowing students to maintain deep focus throughout their practical training.
Students admitted in this year's recruitment round will receive full tuition scholarships. Additional incentive scholarships are available for achievements such as publication in international academic journals or awards at international competitions, along with scholarships linked to industry-academic partner companies.
Gachon University hosted the CES 2026 Fabless Summit Korea on March 4, expanding its cooperative ties with domestic AI-focused fabless companies. The university expects the new graduate school to further strengthen those industry-academic partnerships.
Distinguished Professor Kim Yong-seok drew a parallel with professional schools in other fields. "Just as law schools train legal professionals and medical graduate schools train physicians, Gachon University now has a semiconductor design professional graduate school to train AI semiconductor design experts," he said. "We will produce top-tier AI semiconductor design specialists who can contribute immediately on the factory floor."
Admissions for the 2027 academic year master's program will be conducted in three rounds.
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