Hunter Hickerson

January 19, 2024

Name
Hunter Hickerson

Area of Study
Electrical Engineering, Master’s

Faculty Advisor
Syed Kamrul Islam

Why did you decide to pursue the Accelerated Master’s program?
I chose the program because I wanted a better salary and a more competitive edge in the real world when getting out of college. If I was going to get a master’s degree that would be the time because of the dual-enrollment option with this program.

Tell us about your graduate research. What are some potential outcomes?
I did research on p- and n-type doping of semiconductor GaN chips. The real-world applications are everything because all technology has CPU chips that are mostly made from Si. This research would greatly impact processing speeds of real-world devices. I don’t do this work in my power systems job, but it was a good experience to have knowledge of how chips are experimented on in the lab.

What are some accomplishments you’ve achieved during the accelerated program at Mizzou that you’re especially proud of?
The accelerated program gave me about a half of year to a year head start on my 2-2.5yr long master’s program by completing 13/30 credit hours during my undergrad.

Why should undergraduate students consider continuing in the Accelerated Master’s program in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science?
They would be able to quickly knock out an M.S. EE degree in their young years and would have a leg up over all their colleagues who just have the bachelor’s. Not a whole lot of difference, but it is nice to have especially if you can do the research in the field you want to work in. Would be mainly used for putting on the resume for faster promotions and it would help the company have a better image with an M.S. EE on their team.

What would you tell others about Mizzou Engineering?
Mizzou engineering is a great place to get your B.S. EE degree and they have multiple options for M.S. EE and Ph.D. degrees.