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Programme structure

The master's programme in quantum science and technology is a two-year full-time study consisting of 120 ECTS credits.

The programme has the following structure:

  • Theoretical curriculum, 60 ECTS credits
  • Master's thesis, 60 ECTS credits

Course of study

See illustrations of two possible courses of study in the tables below:

Master's thesis from 2nd semester

?

4th semesterMaster's thesis
3rd semesterMaster's courseMaster's thesis
2nd semesterMaster's courseMaster's courseMaster's thesis
1st semester

Master's course,

HSE courses

Master's courseMaster's course
?10 ECTS10 ECTS10 ECTS

Master's thesis from 3rd semester

4th semesterMaster's thesis
3rd semester
2rd semesterMaster's courseMaster's courseMaster's course
1st semester

Master's course,

HSE courses

Master's courseMaster's course
?10 ECTS10 ECTS10 ECTS

Theoretical curriculum

The theoretical curriculum amounts to 60 ECTS credits, whereof

  • at least 40 ECTS of courses on the 4000-/5000-level (whereof at least 20 ECTS must be within the fields of quantum science and/or quantum technology)
  • up to 20 ECTS of advanced bachelor’s courses (2000-/3000-level) within natural science and mathematics may be included
  • up to 10 ECTS may be special curriculum, or other professional training with the approval of the programme commitee

In this programme, compulsory courses amount to 20 ECTS. With the remaining 40 ECTS, you can specialise in selected areas of interest.

You compose your theoretical curriculum – within the limits of the requirements listed above – together with your supervisor(s), whom you choose in the first semester. Your supervisor follows you throughout the programme and helps you choose a topic for your master's thesis. You start the work of finding a supervisor who suits you already at the start of the first semester.

The theoretical curriculum should be completed and passed in the next to last semester. If this proves difficult, you must contact the programme coordinator in advance.

Compulsory courses

Choose one of these courses:

Students who have passed equivalent courses before admission can replace these courses with optional courses.

Choose one of these courses:

The list of courses will be expanded as new courses within quantum science and technology are made available.

Compulsory HSE courses

You must complete compulsory courses in Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) in the beginning of the first semester:

HSE courses do not give credits. If you have previously passed equivalent courses at the University of Oslo, you will not need to retake these.

Specialisation

You can choose to specialise in a computational, experimental, or theoretical direction. You choose the courses together with your supervisor based on your interests and the kind of master's project you will pursue. Below you will find recommended courses for each specialisation, which lay the foundation for your master's thesis. Note that the compulsory courses may be included in the specialisation.

Computational quantum science and technology

Computational quantum science and technology at UiO includes quantum chemistry, quantum machine learning, quantum algorithms, models, and programming languages ??for quantum computation.

Recommended courses

Experimental quantum science and technology

Experimental quantum science and technology at UiO includes quantum materials, semiconductor-based quantum technology, quantum sensors, and quantum optics.

Recommended courses

Theoretical quantum science

Theoretical quantum science at UiO includes fundamental problems in our understanding of nature, quantum information, entanglement in many-particle systems, quantum optics, and quantum materials.

Recommended courses

The programme has a large academic variety, and there is great flexibility within each specialisation. You get advice and support along the way from your supervisor, who helps you with the final structure of your course of study, including courses and any special curriculum. Talk to your master's supervisor about what will suit you and your project.

Special curriculum

Special curricula are lecture series, books, overview articles, or similar that have a natural connection to the master's thesis. The special curricula must not contain literature that you should have read in any case to familiarise yourself with the issues of the master's thesis.

Master's thesis

The master's thesis is an independent, time-limited research or development project under supervision. In addition to writing the master's thesis, the work on the thesis will also involve familiarising yourself with what others have done in your field in the past, defining the research questions for the thesis, finding an appropriate research method, carrying out experiments, simulating, analyzing, and concluding.

The work on the master's thesis must correspond to one academic year (60 ECTS) and ends with an oral presentation and exam at the end of the fourth semester. You must have completed all the theoretical curriculum and HSE courses in order to present the master's thesis. Read more about the master's thesis.

Selection of supervisor and master's project

You will choose your supervisor and master's thesis topic during the first semester of the programme. We recommend starting to talk to possible supervisors already during the first weeks of the semester.

The master's programme in quantum science and technology offers projects with supervisors from various fields. See our overview of the various research groups at UiO that offer master's theses related to quantum science and technology.

Note that the various research groups may have specific requirements for prior knowledge in order to complete a master's project with them. Please refer to the list of possible supervisors and master's projects to make sure that you have the necessary prior knowledge for the type of master's project you are interested in.

Studying part-time?

It is possible to complete the programme part-time. In that case, you must make an agreement with your supervisor and the programme coordinator.

Honors Certificate

Are you academically ambitious? It is possible to supplement your master's degree with an honors certificate worth 20 credits. You take the certificate concurrently with the master's programme.

Recognition of master's courses from other educational institutions

If you are admitted to the master's programme and have already completed master's courses at another institution, you can apply to have these courses recognised as part of your degree. Please contact the Department of Physics for more information.

Diploma and degree

The diploma is issued when you have completed the courses that meet the requirements for a degree. Read more about diplomas.

Published Jan. 9, 2026 11:27 AM - Last modified Jan. 21, 2026 10:03 AM