Experimental Skills for Undergraduate Career Preparation in Quantum Information Science and Engineering

TL;DR

This study identifies key experimental skills needed for undergraduate quantum industry roles through interviews, guiding curriculum development to better prepare students for careers in quantum information science and engineering.

Contribution

It characterizes essential experimental skills for bachelor's-level quantum industry jobs and offers recommendations for aligning undergraduate education with industry needs.

Findings

Skills cluster into instrumentation, computation, experimental design, and communication.

Emphasize hardware discussion in QISE theory courses.

Expand experimental training and integrate professional skills in curricula.

Abstract

The growth of the Quantum Information Science and Engineering (QISE) industry has increased interest in how undergraduate programs prepare students for careers in this field. Prior research emphasizes the value of experiential learning as preparation for the quantum industry, but lacks specificity regarding the experimental skills needed for positions available to bachelor's degree graduates. In this study, we investigate the experimental skills associated with bachelor's-level quantum industry positions through 44 semi-structured interviews with quantum industry professionals. Guided by the American Association of Physics Teachers recommendations for the undergraduate physics laboratory curriculum, we characterize the experimental skills associated with positions described as requiring bachelor's-level preparation and thematically synthesize them into four categories: instrumentation, computation and data analysis, experimental and project design, and communication and collaboration. We further examine how these skills cluster across role types and articulate them as learning goals to provide guidance for educators interested in aligning undergraduate instruction with the needs of students wanting to pursue a career in the quantum industry. Our findings suggest the need to emphasize the discussion of hardware in QISE theory courses, expand experimental training through instructional laboratories, and intentionally integrate professional skills in undergraduate QISE education.