01 / YOUR CAREER
Become an AI
manufacturing engineer.
Build skills for careers at Intel, Texas Instruments, Lam Research, TSMC, Samsung, Infineon and other leading manufacturers.
Explore employersAI MANUFACTURING AT UTEP
Use AI.
Make better
chips.
The chips in your phone, car and AI tools start with engineering. Discover where your interests fit—and how to start at UTEP.
New to this? Start with curiosity. See your UTEP starting point →
Can you spot a defect?
Predict a problem?
Make a factory work better?
01 / WHAT’S IN YOUR FUTURE?
Join us.
See where it takes you.
A career at a leading manufacturer. Skills for a changing industry. The chance to learn across borders. Start building toward a future that excites you.
Become an AI
02 / YOUR TIMING
Build for America’s
next decade.
Get ready for the next generation of U.S. manufacturing with skills in AI, automation and production data.
See AI in the fab
03 / YOUR POTENTIAL
Turn skills into
earning power.
Develop expertise for engineering careers with strong earning potential. Explore published salaries and what shapes an offer.
Explore careers & pay
04 / YOUR WORLD
Learn beyond
borders.
Explore opportunities to learn from semiconductor researchers and industry experts in Taiwan and Japan—and see engineering from a new perspective.
Explore international learning12% projected growthU.S. Industrial Engineers · 2025–2035 · A related career benchmark
Explore the BLS outlook ↗Career paths and international opportunities depend on preparation, openings and project availability. Learning scenes are AI-generated illustrations; the Arizona image is from TSMC’s video.
START WITH CURIOSITY
What do you need
to get started?
You do not need to arrive as an expert. If any of these sound like you, there is a place to begin.
Curious about
coding?
An interest in solving problems is enough to begin. Learn the tools as you go.
Excited by
high technology?
Explore the chips, machines and AI behind the devices you use every day.
Like working
with your hands?
Build, measure and test. Discover what happens when you change something.
Start without
advanced math.
No advanced math is needed to explore these activities. Build confidence step by step.
Engineering degrees include mathematics and statistics. You will build that foundation through coursework. Images are AI-generated illustrations.
Find your UTEP starting pointWhere could these skills take you?
Explore employers
Explore industry employers and emerging projects · TERAFAB is a planned fab. Logos do not imply UTEP hiring partnerships.
TRY IT / 30-SECOND CHALLENGE
You already have
an engineer’s eye.
Which area needs a closer look?
A wafer holds many tiny chips. Look for the unusual dark patch, then select area A, B or C.
Simplified wafer inspection exerciseStart with what you notice.Compare the chip patterns in the three marked areas.
Select a marked area to inspect it.
02 / SEE THE WORK
AI inside
the fab.
A fab is a factory that makes chips. These are four problems you could help solve.
01 / EQUIPMENT
Keep tools running.
Catch early signs of equipment trouble.
02 / QUALITY
Predict quality.
Estimate wafer quality from process data.
03 / INSPECTION
Spot defects.
Flag unusual patterns for an engineer to review.
04 / PRODUCTION
Plan production.
Route the right batch to the right tool.
AI-generated illustrations · Select a scene to ask about a related interest.
03 / YOUR CAREER OUTLOOK
What could
your future pay?
Explore the earning potential—and see which numbers describe experienced careers or a specific job opening.
AI Manufacturing Engineer
Related benchmark: Industrial Engineers
$102,440/ year
All experience levels · U.S. median
Connect factory data, automation and scheduling to improve production.
BLS occupation profileData Scientists
BLS occupational benchmark
$120,230/ year
All experience levels · U.S. median
A benchmark for careers that turn complex data into insights.
BLS occupation profileSoftware Developers
BLS occupational benchmark
$135,980/ year
All experience levels · U.S. median
A benchmark for careers that build software and automation tools.
BLS occupation profileU.S. annual median wages · May 2025. BLS figures cover all industries and experience levels. The AI Manufacturing Engineer figure uses the related Industrial Engineers occupation; it is not a title-specific salary. These are not semiconductor-specific salaries or starting offers. A median means half of workers earn more and half earn less.
LAM RESEARCH · FREMONT, CALIFORNIA
Process Engineer 2
$73,000–$159,000 / year
San Francisco Bay Area · MS + 0 years or BS + 2 years. This is one posting, not a typical bachelor’s starting salary.
Education & experienceRelated master’s degree with no prior professional experience required, or a related bachelor’s degree with at least two years of experience.
What you would work onProcess metrology, equipment health, data analysis and measurement reliability.
Read the employer’s postingOne posting, not a typical new-graduate salary. Posted October 9, 2026; checked October 21, 2026. The employer’s broad range depends on education, experience, location and skills. The position includes a swing-shift schedule. Verify the current posting before applying.
04 / WHERE YOU COULD WORK
Your future has
a place on the map.
Start in El Paso. Explore U.S. manufacturing hubs and semiconductor assembly-and-test sites across the border in northern Mexico.
EXPLORE CAREERSIntel ↗Texas Instruments ↗Lam Research ↗Skyworks · Mexicali ↗TSMC ↗Samsung ↗Infineon · Tijuana ↗
Selected examples, not a complete industry map. The Mexican sites shown focus on semiconductor assembly and testing. Infineon announced a gradual transfer of Tijuana production in June 2026 ↗. Check current company information and openings.
05 / YOUR FACULTY
Meet the people
behind the possibilities.
Start with a question that interests you. Meet six faculty members whose expertise can help you explore it.
Manufacturing systems
Tzu-Liang (Bill) Tseng
Chair & Professor, IMSEDirector, RIMES
EXPLORE A QUESTIONHow can data help a factory make better decisions?
UTEP profile
Advanced manufacturing
Amit J. Lopes
Associate ProfessorManufacturing Graduate Program Director
EXPLORE A QUESTIONHow can we make and test a better product?
UTEP profile
Semiconductor AI
Chin-Yih Lin
Associate Professor of ResearchIMSE
EXPLORE A QUESTIONCan factory data reveal when chip quality will change?
Personal website
Data & reliability
Honglun Xu
Assistant Professor of ResearchIMSE / RIMES
EXPLORE A QUESTIONCan we spot warning signs before equipment fails?
UTEP profile
Robotics & automation
Amanda de Oliveira Barros
Assistant ProfessorIMSE
EXPLORE A QUESTIONHow can a robot learn to handle different objects?
UTEP profile
AI & quality
Md Fashiar Rahman
Assistant ProfessorAssociate Director, RIMES
EXPLORE A QUESTIONCan an image help us find a quality problem?
UTEP profileNot sure who to ask?
Tell Chin-Yih Lin what you are curious aboutSelected faculty with relevant expertise. View the full IMSE faculty directory ↗ · Titles and research areas follow official UTEP pages, checked October 21, 2026.
06 / TAIWAN COLLABORATIONS
From El Paso
to Taiwan.
Your research could reach across the Pacific. Through faculty collaborations with NYCU and NCKU, explore opportunities for joint guidance and research experiences in Taiwan.
National Yang Ming
Chiao Tung University
151–200Worldwide · QS 2026Electrical & Electronic Engineering
Semiconductor technology, manufacturing processes and advanced packaging.
Semiconductor research at NYCU
National Cheng
Kung University
#137Worldwide · QS 2026Electrical & Electronic Engineering
Intelligent manufacturing, virtual metrology, predictive maintenance and yield improvement.
Smart manufacturing research at NCKURankings: QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026, Electrical & Electronic Engineering. This is a related subject ranking, not a ranking of semiconductor manufacturing programs.
Two perspectives.
One research journey.
You may have the opportunity to be co-advised by UTEP faculty and professors in Taiwan, bringing complementary expertise to your research.
Your next lab
could be in Taiwan.
Depending on the project, you may be able to visit Taiwan for research, learn alongside local teams and experience a different engineering culture.
Curious where a collaboration could take you?
Ask about Taiwan opportunitiesInterested in learning from industry experts in Taiwan or Japan? Ask about current international learning opportunities ↗
Opportunities depend on project fit, faculty availability, funding and institutional requirements. Co-advising and travel are not guaranteed; ask about current options.
07 / YOUR UTEP STARTING POINT
You bring the curiosity.
Let’s find your next step.
AI manufacturing is a field to explore through engineering coursework and research. Choose the starting point that fits you.
Find your degree path.
Explore UTEP’s B.S. in Industrial and Systems Engineering and its courses in data, quality and production systems.
Explore the B.S. degree ↗Plan a first project.
Choose an application that interests you. Ask about useful courses, preparation and current research opportunities.
Talk to an academic advisor ↗Take your interests further.
Explore the M.S. in Manufacturing Engineering, then discuss research interests and preparation with faculty.
Explore the M.S. degree ↗JOIN THE DEPARTMENT OFIndustrial, Manufacturing and Systems Engineering
Curious? Let’s talk about your future.
Still in high school? Already in college? Explore AI manufacturing with UTEP’s Department of Industrial, Manufacturing and Systems Engineering (IMSE). Tell us what interests you.
01
Choose your current school and student status.
02Share your name, email and interests.
03Hear about courses, research and opportunities.
Phone and mailing address are optional. This is an interest form, not an application for admission.
Questions? Contact Chin-Yih LinAssociate Professor of Research · UTEP IMSEclin@utep.edu
Let’s get to know you.A few details can start a conversation. Fields marked * are required.
Thank you. You’re on your way.
Your information has been received. The UTEP IMSE / RIMES team can follow up about your interests in AI manufacturing.
Questions? Email clin@utep.edu ↗Prefer Google Forms? Open the alternative form ↗