Creating a Quantum Information Science and Technology Minor at RIT

Abstract

As quantum technologies become more widespread, there is an increased need for engineers, scientists, and software developers who are "quantum aware". Rochester Institute of Technology has developed a new multidisciplinary minor in Quantum Information Science and Technology that is designed to serve students from over a dozen STEM majors. The minor involved the creation of two courses, one in physics and one in computer engineering. The physics course focuses on foundational concepts of quantum mechanics, quantum computer hardware implementation, and non-computing applications of quantum technology, such as quantum sensing. The computer engineering course uses qubits and quantum gates as a starting point and focuses on algorithms, cryptographic applications, and the software stack linking the application to the underlying hardware. In this talk I will describe the factors that influenced our program design and our efforts to make the minor accessible to a broad range of majors.