The microEP program at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, is an interdisciplinary graduate program designed to expand a student's knowledge beyond the boundaries of traditional departmental based graduate programs. Students in the Microelectronics-Photonics program will participate in cross-departmental research, will take applications-intensive classes from multiple engineering and science departments, and will develop workplace productivity skills in a simulated industrial environment. The outcome of their graduate education in this interdisciplinary environment will be a better understanding of microelectronic-photonic materials; the creation of high-performance, miniaturized devices and systems made from these materials; and an understanding of the economics that affect successful introduction of these devices and systems into industry and the community.