Creating a modular, workforce-relevant undergraduate curriculum for quantum information science and engineering for all people

Abstract

Recently, the "second quantum revolution” has been identified as crucial for technical innovation and a potential driver for workforce development and economic growth in the United States and beyond. However, there is a severe workforce shortage in the Quantum Information Science and Engineering (QISE) domain. QISE sits at the intersection of many fields, and there is no universally agreed-upon curriculum for it. It is thus necessary to produce an inter-disciplinary curriculum for QISE, which not only trains future smart workforce, but also makes sure that the workforce is diverse (e.g., in terms of gender and ethnicity). Our interdisciplinary team, including education researchers and content experts from across STEM, arts, and other disciplines, aims to fill this important gap by creating a modular, industry-connected curriculum called QuSTEAM. The modular nature of the curriculum will allow content to be applied at various institutions (e.g., R-1, community colleges, and HBCUs) in a seamless manner.