Bringing MSIT Lessons to Semiconductor Manufacturing

Chetan Swarup (MSIT '25) had spent close to six years working as a software engineer in India when he moved to the US to begin Northwestern Engineering's Master of Science in Information Technology (MSIT) program. 

The program stood out to him for several key reasons. 

"The MSIT program appealed to me because it bridges the gap between technology and business," he said. "The focus on systems, networking, cybersecurity, risk management, and enterprise IT aligned closely with real-world industry challenges. The program’s emphasis on applied learning, case studies, and practical problem-solving helped me immediately connect academic concepts to professional situations." 

Chetan is now benefitting from making these connections. In January, he started working as a global software support engineer at Applied Materials, a global company specializing in engineering solutions, supplying equipment, and offering software and services to manufacture semiconductor chips.  

In this role, Chetan operates at the intersection of software, systems, and customer success, leading the resolution of complex, high-impact issues affecting critical semiconductor manufacturing equipment. He identifies systemic defects, drives root-cause analysis, and ensures robust software performance in production environments. 

"The semiconductor industry truly sits at the heart of modern technology," he said. "Semiconductors power everything from the internet and AI to everyday electronic devices. Being part of a company like Applied Materials means contributing directly to technologies that shape the future." 

Chetan's daily responsibilities include identifying systemic bugs or software failures and providing software support. He helps create, test, and validate software change notifications and feature procedures, reviews software specifications and designs, and helps train junior engineers.  

To succeed, Chetan collaborates closely with internal teams and customers, providing timely updates to stakeholders while ensuring alignment with organizational goals. He also incorporates ideas learned from his time in the MSIT program on a regular basis.  

"One of the most important lessons I learned was how to approach problems systematically and holistically considering not just the technical fix, but also risk, scalability, security, and business impact," he said. "MSIT also strengthened my ability to communicate complex technical issues clearly to different stakeholders and reinforced the importance of collaboration in solving large-scale technology problems." 

MSIT helped Chetan understand how to analyze problems, communicate effectively with cross-functional teams, and prioritize solutions based on impact and risk. Courses like IT Management Topics, Scalable Software Architecture, and Networks: Applications, Principles & Protocols strengthened his understanding of systems, networks, and scalable architectures.  

This knowledge directly supports his ability to troubleshoot and resolve high-value customer issues efficiently. 

"I’m very grateful for the foundation the MSIT program at Northwestern provided," he said. "The combination of practical coursework, experienced faculty, and collaborative peers played a significant role in preparing me for this next step in my career."