NYU Tandon joins select group offering Master's Degree in Quantum Technologies

NYU Tandon School of Engineering is launching a Master of Science in Quantum Science & Technology, positioning itself among a select group of institutions worldwide offering graduate-level quantum science and technology programs.

The program will equip students to understand how the unusual properties of quantum physics are applied specifically to designing, building, programming, and operating the quantum-based computers, devices, and sensors of the future.

The new degree arrives at a critical moment when demand for quantum-skilled professionals significantly outpaces supply, with approximately three open positions for every qualified candidate. Yet only 17 master's programs in quantum technology currently exist in the United States, and just 86 globally, with the vast majority launched since 2021, underscoring just how nascent and rare these specialized degrees remain.

The new master's degree follows NYU Tandon’s 2024 introduction of an undergraduate minor in quantum technology, which has just been expanded to be available to all NYU undergraduates. Both serve as examples of the institution's strategic commitment to quantum science & technologies as one of the six “areas of impact” that it unveiled this year to guide its research and education priorities.

"The convergence of advancements in quantum materials, hardware, algorithms, and devices is opening up transformative possibilities across industries," said Juan de Pablo, NYU's Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Executive Vice President for Global Science & Technology and Executive Dean of NYU Tandon. "This master's program coalesces NYU’s already pioneering efforts in quantum information sciences and technologies to offer a degree that prepares students for the technology jobs of tomorrow. Our graduates will be at the forefront of a field poised to revolutionize computing, sensing, communications, and countless applications we have yet to imagine."

Quantum-related job listings have surged approximately 180% from 2020 to 2024, with continued growth expected. Major employers including IBM, Microsoft, Google, along with financial firms, pharmaceutical companies, and aerospace organizations are hungry to hire graduates who can design quantum computer architectures, program quantum devices, and develop the software interfaces for next-generation technologies.

The Masters in Quantum Science & Technology is designed for scientists and engineers from a range of STEM backgrounds including physics, mathematics, chemistry, computer science, computer engineering, and electrical engineering. The interdisciplinary curriculum provides both theoretical foundations and hands-on experience across quantum computation and information, quantum programming, physics of quantum devices, quantum optics, and quantum machine learning.

Students will benefit from being immersed in NYU's quantum ecosystem, including the Center for Quantum Information Physics, the Center for Quantum Phenomena, and the Center for Quantum and Topological Systems. NYU Tandon also operates the NYU Nanofab, the first academic cleanroom in Brooklyn, a 2,500-square-foot facility serving as a regional prototyping hub for advanced superconducting and semiconducting quantum devices.

The university's quantum leadership extends beyond research. In 2023, NYU achieved an industry first by transmitting quantum information over 10 miles of standard telecom fiber across New York City in partnership with Qunnect, led by NYU Tandon alumna Noel Goddard. NYU also hosts the NYC Quantum Summit, bringing together leaders from finance, government, and companies like Amazon, Cisco, and IBM. The institution also co-hosted NYC HAQ, the city's first multi-institution quantum hackathon.

"Our program prepares graduates to tackle the kind of optimization challenges and 'needle in a haystack' problems across finance, healthcare, sustainability, transportation, and cryptography that quantum technologies are poised to solve, making discoveries like optimal new treatments for diseases or the most efficient autonomous vehicle routes significantly faster,” said John Di Bartolo, chair of NYU Tandon's Applied Physics Department that administers the new MS program. “We’re thrilled to be among the first to offer a program purpose-built for a quantum workforce.”

The full-time, 30-credit program can be completed in one academic year over fall, spring, and summer terms. Twenty-one credits comprise core requirements, with nine additional elective credits students can tailor to specific interests.

“With 60 percent of Fortune 500 companies expected to have a quantum computing strategy by 2025, NYU Tandon's M.S. in Quantum Science & Technology will play a central role in preparing the workforce that will drive the quantum revolution forward,” he said.