MMIC Design in the Studies of Telecommunication Engineer at the University of Cantabria

Since the origin of Monolithic technologies during the seventies, apprenticeship of Microwave Monolithic Integrated Circuits (MMIC) design techniques has been a discipline linked to foundries, which have instructed engineers from customer companies in their particular technologies. Last years such knowledge has started to emerge from industrial context, extending to the academic and university world with the proposal of courses about MMIC design in regular programs of engineering degree. The article describes the proposed course about MMIC design inside the Telecommunications Engineering Degree at the University of Cantabria, which can be considered as a pioneer course in the Spanish University. There is a huge background of research and development activities about MMIC design which has supported the starting of the course. In the article there is a detailed description of the course syllabus, interconnection with other topics inside the Telecommunication Engineering degree, main pedagogical aspects, possibilities of continuation toward the Ph.D. degree, and references to other courses in European and North American Universities, which allows us to allocate the relevance and interest for the students of including in their background such a specific topic prior to the university graduation.