Quantum technology is exploding. Computing, communication, and sensing are just a few areas likely to see breakthroughs in the next few years. Worldwide, national governments, industries, and universities are moving to create a new class of workforce - the Quantum Engineers. Demand for such engineers is predicted to be in the tens of thousands within a five-year timescale. However, how best to train this next generation of engineers is far from obvious. Quantum mechanics - long a pillar of traditional physics undergraduate degrees - must now be merged with traditional engineering offerings. This paper discusses the history, development, and first year of operation of the world's first undergraduate degree in quantum engineering. The main purpose of the paper is to inform the wider debate, now being held by many institutions worldwide, on how best to formally educate the Quantum Engineer. 

Development of an Undergraduate Quantum Engineering Degree

Quantum technology is exploding. Computing, communication, and sensing are just a few areas likely to see breakthroughs in the next few years. Worldwide, national governments, industries, and universities are moving to create a new class of workforce - the Quantum Engineers. Demand for such engineers is predicted to be in the tens of thousands within a five-year timescale. However, how best to train this next generation of engineers is far from obvious. Quantum mechanics - long a pillar of traditional physics undergraduate degrees - must now be merged with traditional engineering offerings. This paper discusses the history, development, and first year of operation of the world's first undergraduate degree in quantum engineering. The main purpose of the paper is to inform the wider debate, now being held by many institutions worldwide, on how best to formally educate the Quantum Engineer.

Currently, education and workforce training in quantum information science and technology (QIST) exists primarily at the graduate and postdoctoral levels, with few undergraduate efforts beginning to grow out of these. In order to meet the anticipated quantum workforce needs and to ensure that the workforce is demographically representative and inclusive to all communities, the United States must expand these efforts at the undergraduate level beyond what is occurring at larger PhD granting institutions and incorporate quantum information science into the curriculum at the nation's predominantly undergraduate institutions (PUIs). On June 3rd and 4th, 2021 the Quantum Undergraduate Education and Scientific Training (QUEST) workshop was held virtually with the goal of bringing together faculty from PUIs to learn the state of undergraduate QIST education, identify challenges associated with implementing QIST curriculum at PUIs, and to develop strategies and solutions to deal with these challenges. This manuscript summarizes the results of workshop discussions with the hope of assisting faculty at PUIs attempting to incorporate quantum information science into their curriculum.

Quantum Undergraduate Education and Scientific Training

The rapidly growing quantum information science and engineering (QISE) industry will require both quantum-aware and quantum-proficient engineers at the bachelor's level. We provide a roadmap for building a quantum engineering education program to satisfy this need. For quantum-aware engineers, we describe how to design a first quantum engineering course accessible to all STEM students. For the education and training of quantum-proficient engineers, we detail both a quantum engineering minor accessible to all STEM majors, and a quantum track directly integrated into individual engineering majors. We propose that such programs typically require only three or four newly developed courses that complement existing engineering and science classes available on most larger campuses. We describe a conceptual quantum information science course for implementation at any post-secondary institution, including community colleges and military schools. QISE presents extraordinary opportunities to work towards rectifying issues of inclusivity and equity that continue to be pervasive within engineering. We present a plan to do so and describe how quantum engineering education presents an excellent set of education research opportunities. Finally, we outline a hands-on training plan on quantum hardware, a key component of any quantum engineering program, with a variety of technologies including optics, atoms and ions, cryogenic and solid-state technologies, nanofabrication, and control and readout electronics. Our recommendations provide a flexible framework that can be tailored for academic institutions ranging from teaching and undergraduate-focused two- and four-year colleges to research-intensive universities.

John M. Donohue

Papers

Building a Quantum Engineering Undergraduate Program