Quantum Science and Engineering: Admissions Requirements

The minimum requirements for admission to the QSE program, for both M.S. and Ph.D. candidates, are the following:

• A baccalaureate degree in engineering, physics, chemistry, mathematics, computer science, or a closely related field from an international or accredited US institution with an undergraduate cumulative grade point average in engineering, science, and mathematics courses of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, or comparable to that ratio for degrees that use a different scale. Applicants with degrees in other disciplines may be admitted with provisional status and may be required to complete prerequisite courses that are deemed necessary for appropriate preparation for courses in the program. The GPA restrictions mentioned above apply also to applicants with academic backgrounds outside the traditional science and engineering disciplines. All international transcripts must be accompanied by a degree certificate showing the title earned and the date awarded.
• Undergraduate courses in quantum mechanics are not required. All students are required to have taken linear algebra and to have the background necessary for the course work in the track to which they apply. Students applying to the Quantum Nanotechnology or Quantum Theory tracks are required to have taken course work in differential equations. Students applying to the Quantum Algorithms and Computation track are required to have taken course work in probability and statistics. 
• Consistent with University policy, a minimum of 100 on the Internet-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or a score of at least 600 (paper based) is required for non-native English speakers who have completed prior degrees in non-English speaking institution (those with prior degrees from an accredited institution in the US, Canada, UK, Australia, and New Zealand are exempt).at non-English speaking institutions. A waiver of proof of English Proficiency can be granted when a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree has been or will be earned from a university recognized by the ministry of education in a country where English is the primary language.

Candidates are required to provide the following additional documents as part of their application package:

• Three letters of recommendation from former teachers or supervisors
• Resume or curriculum vitae
• Statement of purpose

Application Deadlines

To receive priority in admissions and funding decisions, applications must be completed by December 1 for the following fall.  Applicants will typically be notified of acceptance in mid-March and will be expected to respond to the offer by April 15.

Admission to the graduate program is competitive. Those who meet stated requirements are not guaranteed admission, nor are those who fail to meet all of those requirements necessarily precluded from admission if they offer other appropriate strengths.

Students wishing to transfer into the program from a graduate degree program at another institution should submit a regular application by the January 15 deadline. Students wishing to transfer into the program from another graduate degree program at UD should contact the graduate program advisor.