Semiconductors are the backbone of modern life. They power everything from smartphones to satellites, cloud servers to smart sensors. The ability to design these systems is no longer just a technical skill. It is a critical enabler of national resilience, economic growth, and technological sovereignty.
Around the world, countries are racing to build domestic capability. For example, in the U.S., the CHIPS Act reflects a renewed push to strengthen semiconductor leadership. Elsewhere, nations such as Vietnam and Malaysia are investing in workforce development and technical training to secure their place in the global value chain. Achieving these ambitions will depend not only on manufacturing capacity, but on cultivating the next generation of semiconductor engineers.
To succeed, industry and academia must work together to make semiconductor education more accessible, inclusive, and aligned with real-world design challenges. That is why Arm Education has developed a structured Digital Design and SoC Integration Learning Pathway. It helps students, educators, and professionals build the skills needed to design the digital systems that shape our future.
It is essential that new learners in digital design need t0 understand how microcontrollers and computer chips work. This foundational knowledge helps learners confidently progress into system-on-chip (SoC) development and computer architecture. The following resources offer an ideal starting point for this learning journey.
Introduction to Microprocessors is a beginner-level course that explains how microcontrollers work. From instruction execution to the flow of data through memory, buses, and registers.
After learners understand how chips operate at a system level, the next step is to explore how they are designed and built. Two free online courses from King’s College London (KCL), developed with support from Arm Education, provide a clear entry point into the world of digital design.
Introduction to VLSI Design covers the physical foundations of chip design, including logic gates, combinational and sequential circuits, and digital layout.
Introduction to SoC Design explores how complete computing systems, including processors, memory, interconnects, and peripherals, are brought together on a single chip. Learners gain a high-level understanding of SoC architecture, design flows, and the fundamentals of hardware/software co-design.
Together, these three resources form a solid foundation in digital design. They guide learners from chip-level behavior to basic design integration.
After acquiring the fundamentals, learners are ready to move beyond understanding how systems work to designing and building them. At this stage, focus shifts from individual learners to educators facilitating hands-on learning in undergraduate classrooms. To support this, Arm Education provides a set of teaching resources for university-level instruction.
The Introduction to SoC Education Kit builds on the Introduction to SoC Design course from KCL. It provides educators with a complete set of lab-based materials to support teaching hardware and software integration, peripheral control, and interrupt handling on FPGA platforms.
Alongside this, the VLSI Fundamentals: A Practical Approach Education Kit helps educators teach digital circuit design through hands-on activities in logic simulation, schematic entry, layout, and verification. Cadence also offers a version of our VLSI Fundamentals education kit, adapted for their industry-standard tools.
Arm Education also provides an open-access textbook, Fundamentals of System-on-Chip Design on Arm Cortex-M Microcontrollers, for learners and educators exploring SoC development. This resource complements both the SoC education kit and the KCL SoC course. It includes detailed explanations, examples, and practical exercises that guide readers through the full design flow. From system architecture to FPGA-based implementation using Arm Cortex-M processors.
To encourage broader systems-level thinking among learners, Arm Education offers the Computer Architecture Education Kit and the companion Computer Architecture Essentials on Arm edX course. These resources help educators and students build a working knowledge of processor pipelines, memory hierarchies, instruction sets, and system performance. This is essential preparation for advanced SoC design and architecture exploration.
After gaining hands-on experience in SoC design, digital integration, and processor-level thinking, learners are ready to tackle more complex challenges in advanced system design and architecture. This stage focuses on understanding scalable, high-performance systems, architectural trade-offs, and real-world design methodologies.
Advanced SoC Design Education Kit
This education kit builds on earlier SoC experience by guiding learners through the design of a Cortex-A-based system. The kit introduces bus architecture, virtual memory, and complex IP integration, with support for Linux-based software development—ideal for final-year undergraduate or early postgraduate students.
Modern SoC Design on Arm (Textbook)
Aimed at the advanced learner, this open access textbook covers the complete SoC design process—from interconnects and memory to validation, fabrication, and production—using Arm Cortex-A technology as a reference platform. It places a strong emphasis on energy-efficient design and includes extensive supplementary materials, such as a SystemC model of a Zynq SoC.
After completing university-level study, some learners are ready to push further into research, advanced projects, or practitioner training. To support this, Arm and its partners provide collaborative platforms and advanced resources that extend learning beyond the classroom. These initiatives help learners move from structured coursework into open-ended exploration and innovation:
At this stage, learners begin to explore and contribute. They might join SoC Labs to prototype new systems with peers worldwide, adapt Arm Developer Labs projects for research or teaching, or explore specialist areas such as low-power design, verification, and timing closure.
This level shows learners that they are not just participants in the pathway but also contributors who help shape the field and create resources for future learners.
After gaining research and practice experience, many learners continue their journey in industry. For professionals, the need does not stop at graduation. It shifts toward maintaining expertise and staying current as technologies evolve.
That is where reference resources come in. They serve as trusted companions, guiding engineers through design, optimization, and the adoption of new extensions and methodologies:
These resources ensure that learning stays continuous. Professionals can revisit foundational concepts when needed and build on the latest innovations to keep their skills current.
This learning pathway is more than a sequence of educational resources. It is a strategic framework for capability-building, designed to equip students, educators, and professionals with the technical depth and practical fluency needed to design tomorrow’s systems.
Informed by the Arm KSA Framework, it provides a structured model for developing the knowledge, skills, and abilities essential for success in modern semiconductor and system design roles. From first encounters with microcontrollers to production-ready SoC development and architectural optimization, each stage is intentionally crafted to reflect real-world technologies and industry demands. As the industry evolves, so does the framework. We continuously refine it to stay aligned with emerging needs and to encourage collaboration from educators, researchers, and professionals working to standardize industry-relevant competencies across the semiconductor ecosystem.
Arm is committed to democratizing access to this knowledge so that anyone, anywhere with the curiosity and commitment to learn, can take part in the future of computing. Whether you are teaching undergraduates, entering industry, or leading technical teams, this pathway supports individual growth and innovation at scale.